Goodbye, Colorado

James Peak – 10/09/19

Yesterday was our final day in Colorado. I have been bouncing around this beautiful state for just over three years, and my husband has been in the Winter Park area for seven.

Although Johnny and I left the Fraser Valley last week, we wanted to bag one more meaningful summit on the Continental Divide to see our old home from above.

We decided to shuttle cars with a friend so that we could do a loop hike of James Peak from Saint Mary’s Glacier. We estimate to have hiked 8.5 miles round-trip with about 2,949 feet of elevation gain up to the summit at 13,301 feet. We did a little off-trail maneuvering on our way down so those numbers may be slightly off. Sometimes safely choosing your own adventure is a fun way to go!

Bittersweet Farewell

We were able to take one last look at the Fraser Valley from the top of James Peak, and boy was it worth it to see those views again. We got to see the town of Winter Park, the ski resort, and peep where Johnny and I got married last April.

This hike was super meaningful because my husband and I had been staring at this peak from our typical van-life boondocking spot all summer.

I got to spend time with a good hiking partner during our adventure up the mountain. He’s been a friend for a few years now, and we’ve spent quite a bit of time hiking many miles all over Colorado and skiing down the Mary Jane slopes together in the winter.

Time to Move On

My heart still calls Colorado home, but I know that it’s time to move on. For now. I still have some hope that we’ll move back after finishing the Appalachian Trail.

Farewell to the place that made me fall in love with hiking.