Hiking in the Rockies

3rd November, 2011

Today started with a Polish breakfast. The cafe in the hotel is run by Polish guys. They have pierogi (Polish dumplings). I had them for breakfast, though they were not the best pierogi I have ever had. It was filling enough though for the day ahead of me. Today I planned to climb a mountain.

I went to Chautaqua Park, which has a number of trails up the mountains. According to Trip Advisor, it is #1 on things to do in Boulder. I went on the Royal Arch path. My guide book said that it takes 45 mins each way but I was walking for about 4 hours. The first part was fine. There was a lot of snow but it wasn't too steep. The second part of the trail was a bit more challenging. I realised quite soon that I wasn't dressed for hiking. I had a 3/4 length coat and summer runners (which are not waterproof). A man passed me with snow boots, a ski jacket and hiking sticks. It was a beautiful walk though through snowy woods. When I got to a clearing, the path continued but it continued down. I don't know where it lead but it was quite steep. After a while a man passed me who had chains on his runners. I thought that if this man needs chains on his runners to walk on the path, I should probably turn back.

I could see a little through the clearing, though there were rocks and trees in the way. It was a very clear day so I could see far over the plains. It was very slippery on the way down. I basically slid all the way down. When I reached the bottom, my feet were soaked. I went for an early bird dinner in a tavern. It was great value. I got French onion soup and a buffalo burger for $10 and I tried their milk stout. I didn't feel like wandering anywhere else since my feet were soaked and the temperature had dropped below zero so I went back to the hotel early and had a hot bath.