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Check out the Messy Suitcase Travel Blog!

Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt started the Messy Suitcase Travel Blog in 2018, when she and her husband Bob, who retired early, began traveling as a lifestyle. We spent a couple of months crisscrossing Europe before heading south to explore Mexico, broken up by occasional forays back into the United States, and enhanced by many road trips across the USA. At this point, we have easily logged 10,000+ miles!

Although the pandemic forced us to temporarily relocate to Pennsylvania in March 2018, we have lots of old blogs to share, and keep generating new ones about our new life here! We also lots of videos on YouTube to help you escape the confines of your home and travel vicariously!

Please visit the Messy Suitcase Travel Blog at www.messysuitcase.com, and follow us on social media!

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The Glory … and the Danger

I love praying in the cathedral of nature. It’s the main reason I moved with my family to Colorado.

What experience can possibly compare with the bliss of cross country skiing in fresh snow on an isolated trail in Alderfer/Three Sisters? Or running on a sparkling summer afternoon on a cliffside trail through Corwina Park, picking my way around rocks and roots? Or riding my road bike at top speed down Lookout Mountain Road, the wind whistling past as the ground blurs beneath my feet?

Sheer glory. Ecstasy. Often I forget how little space there can be between bliss and disaster.

But the recent experience of a friend’s boyfriend has abruptly reminded me how narrow is that gap. He was having a wondrous mountain biking adventure in Lyons a month ago, riding on his favorite trail. Michael lost track of time and suddenly noticed the shadows getting longer on the trail. In his hurry to get to his car before darkness fell, he hit a rock a little too fast and cartwheeled over his handlebars. His helmet didn’t do any good when his neck – and head – were pushed forward too far upon landing and his spinal cord was severed. For hours, Michael lay on the trail, unable to move, his bike on top of him, struggling to breathe.

And the only reason Michael is alive today is because he had told Beth where he was riding and when to expect him back. When he was late and failed to answer her attempts to reach him by cell, she called Search and Rescue.

He is grateful to be alive — but Michael is paralyzed now, and his life is changed forever. He’ll never ride on that trail again, experience that thrill of the wind whistling past his ears. He will never even walk on a trail again, or on a sidewalk, or even in his living room.

I realize this blog is sort of a downer, but take one message away from it — when you set out onto the road or a trial, tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.

And be grateful! With every ride now, I think of Michael. When my lungs feel they’re going to burst as I labor up a hill, I think of Michael’s struggle just to breathe every day, and of those who can’t do what I can do – and I ride for them. Now every ride is a prayer, and I’m grateful for the ability to pedal my legs up and down, to breathe in big breaths, to experience pain and joy in the outdoors.

And I can tell you this: I always tell my husband where I am going and when I’m going to be back.

Be sure you do the same.

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Photographing Evergreen

Photographing Evergreen

My Uncle John Troisi is coming to Evergreen next week on a picture-taking mission. He has traveled all over the USA over the past three or four decades to take photographs, which he turns into breathtaking slideshows set to music. He is a prominent local photographer in the Susquehanna Valley (PA) whose work has been displayed in art galleries in his hometown of Williamsport.

Uncle John has chosen the Colorado foothills because he loves the western United States – plus two of his nieces and their families live here in Evergreen, presenting the opportunity to combine “business” with a mini-family reunion. Uncle John’s idea of a vacation is to wake up at 4 or 5 am so he can be on-site and ready to capture the sunrise, shoot for hours, then do it again for the sunset. My cousin Cindy and I are hoping to catch a little time with him in the middle of the days, if we can tear him away from his camera. (It would be nice if he would shoot us, but people are not his specialty. Perhaps he’ll make an exception this time!)

But we also want to give Uncle John the best advice we can on where he can capture the most unique, spectacular pictures in his short time here. Evergreen Lake House, Red Rocks Park and Mt. Evans are obvious candidates, but this whole mountain area is so spectacular – where are the hidden gems? Where should Uncle John go to get the most unique and memorable shots? He is willing to travel a couple hours – and then wait more hours for the right light.

Please pass your suggestion on! And feel free to share some of your own photographs.

—The Hammster

 

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Kids and Exercise

The Best Way to Battle Childhood Obesity:
Get Your Kid Moving!

I heard a debate on CPR today about whether or not government money should be spent battling our country’s epidemic of obesity. As you doubtless know, the incidence of obesity is growing at an alarming rate — more than 15% of American adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30% of adults are obese.

But it’s our children who are most at risk. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control — aided by video games, computers and other sedentary pursuits, and supersize portions.

So how do we fight it?

While experts no doubt are pondering solutions, sometimes I see the answer right in front of my eyes. Today I watched about a hundred kids aged 8-13 participate in Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s (EPRD) Kids Triathlon.  First they swam, then they rode, then they ran, before crossing the finish line and receiving a certificate.

Some of the younger, inexperienced swimmers needed pool buoys to keep them afloat for 25 yards across Buchanan Rec Center Pool. Some had their moms run along side them as they left the pool and ran to their bikes. Some girls rode onto the trail wearing helmets shaped like pink bears with little ears. One little boy was wearing an oversized “US Pro Cycling Challenge” jersey with matching riding gloves. Some were gasping and clutching their sides in pain as they limped across the finish line. Others charged onto the race course like Olympians, determined not to let anyone pass them.

But every child in this noncompetitive race had friends and family on the sidelines encouraging them. One mom waved a poster that said “Go, Alex!” Little girls waved pom poms and cheered for big brothers. Moms and grandmothers clicked photos and videos. The volunteer who managed the finish line called out to struggling youngsters, “That’s it! You got it! You’re almost there! You can do it!”

And you know what? I didn’t see a single case of childhood obesity today. Instead I saw healthy, active, happy kids, encouraged in their fitness pursuits by parents and friends in a friendly, noncompetitive atmosphere, on a beautiful summer day.

Battling childhood obesity? Perhaps it takes a village. And the Youth & Sports Expo on Buchanan Fields that followed the Kids Tri demonstrated that Evergreen is just the right kind of village to win this fight. It offers so many opportunities for children to stay active and healthy — from EPRD’s facilities, sports programs and teams; to Stingers soccer; to Nick’s Pro Fitness’s Tae Kwon Do classes; to Kinetic Dance; to the Tennis Bubble; to the trails on which we hike, bike and walk; and so much more.

So get your kids moving!

The Hammster

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Climbing Lookout Mountain

When I first moved to Colorado, I lived in Cody Park, on the back side of Lookout Mountain off Lookout Mountain Road, for four months. I came here from sea level, and for a long time the slightest bike ride left me gasping for air with the exertion. I would ride the gently rolling terrain to the top of Lookout Mountain, peer down the other side, and gasp as I beheld six steep, rugged miles of uphill, bookmarked by switchback after switchback.

It looked beyond intimidating – it looked impossible!

Every day I would see cyclists whiz by, coming down after that climb up the front side, and I wondered how they did it. Were Colorado bikers made up of different stuff – massive hearts, legs of granite, and no pain threshold? Nothing back in Westchester County, NY, had prepared me for anything like this. I had been strong, but this was just impossible. I would never be able to do it.

Fast-forward three years. I have a new bike, lots of hilly Colorado miles on these legs, and increasing confidence with each mountain I climb. Last week I took my daughter to camp in Denver and was driving home on Rte. 6 when I looked up at Lookout Mountain, and suddenly was overcome by a burning desire to try it, a new confidence that maybe, just maybe, I could reach the top.

My bike was in the back of the car, I had clothing, shoes and my helmet with me, and I suddenly decided, go for it! I turned onto Heritage Road, parked by an office building, did a car quick-change (cyclists are adept at this), pulled out the bike and hopped on.

The first mile or so was downhill on a trail. Then I turned right onto 19th Avenue and began the climb up the epic front side of Lookout Mountain. I climbed. And climbed. And climbed. First one switchback. Then another. Up out of the saddle for the steep sections. Back down for the easier inclines. One mile. Two. Three. Four. The view was staggeringly beautiful. The work was hard, but my legs were strong. Suddenly the antennae at the top were looming above. Almost there!

“Just keep spinning,” was my mantra, a plan on Dory the fish’s “Just keep swimming” advice in the movie “Finding Nemo.” “Just keep spinning. Just keep spinning.”

And then I was there – at the top! Or so I thought. It turned out the hill keeps going for another two or three miles, almost to Cody Park Drive, before I was finally able to start the descent. By then I was ready for the climbing part to be over.

Wheee! Nine miles down with the wind rushing past my ears at 30-plus miles per hour; it was divine.

I guess I am a true Coloradan now: I can ride Lookout Mountain.

Join me, with members of the Evergreen Multisport Club, on a Lookout Mountain Loop ride this Saturday morning at 9! We’re starting at the T-Rex parking lot at Rte. 70 and 93.  (Learn more at http://www.meetup.com/EvergreenMultisportClub/

See you on the roads!

— The Hammster

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What Kind of Crazy Would Ride Mountain Passes?

Well … me.

When I first moved to Colorado, I was amazed to witness the things cyclists can make their bodies do here. Coming from a sea level community of rolling hills just outside New York City, I was not prepared for the concept of riding on big, steep mountains. They just looked impossible.

I lived in Denver for a couple months, where the riding is relatively high but flat, and really enjoyed it. When my family arrived, we lived for a few months in a cottage on the back side of Lookout Mountain, where we’d see these seeming gods whiz by on their bikes day after day. They would climb up the steep, daunting mountain from Golden, push through miles of relentless uphill, switchback after switchback, and make it to the top with what looked like little effort, then speed down the other side.

I thought their hearts must be the size of basketballs, their veins huge, their determination incredible, and their pain thresholds incredibly low. I could barely get my heavy aluminum Cannondale to the top from the relatively easy other side without succumbing to an asthma attack.

 Then I learned about mountain passes. Colorado is full of them, paved roads to the top of high mountains. And many Colorado cyclists spend their free hours riding up them – on purpose. I couldn’t understand how it was physically possible! Independence Pass — 12,103 feet. Fremont Pass — 11,318 feet. Kenosha Pass — 10,001 feet. Vail Pass — 10,666 feet. Up. On two wheels. Pedaling. What were they, crazy? Superhuman?

Then my husband Bob, a rabid cyclist, caught the bug, upgraded the gears on his bike, and started spending spring and summer weekends attacking passes. My daughters and I were with him for his first, at the end of a Fraser vacation. We dropped him off in Tabernash, went out for lunch, then drove to the top of Berthoud Pass (11,315 feet), where he arrived a few minutes later, sweaty but triumphant. (He made a major miscalculation, though. In his desire to get up, he failed to realize that the best part of climbing a pass is then getting to whiz DOWN! He never made that mistake again.

For me, just getting three-quarter miles up the hill to our house in Kittredge was impossible. A trip to Velo Swap (veloswap.competitor.com/ ) a year and a half changed that, when I emerged with a used-but-awesome carbon fiber Specialized Ruby Elite with a triple chain ring and upgrades galore. A week later, I made it up the hill home by pedaling instead of pushing. Triumph!

First Pass

Last summer, we went camping at the top of Kenosha Pass, south of Bailey, and I tried to ride it – up and back from Como. Holy mother of God, despite 65-mile-an-hour traffic whizzing by and brisk headwinds, I made it to the top. Ecstasy! I had ridden to the top of a mountain pass!

Over Labor Day, we went camping at Turquoise Lake, outside of Leadville, where I tried to ride around the lake but found its steep hills still daunting. I did ride up most of Tennessee Pass, but the lure of the lake pulled me back to the campsite.

New Attitude

This year, however, something has changed in me and Bob’s encouragement has had a lot to do with it. I have attacked more and more difficult hills here in Evergreen – Witter Gulch, the loop from Alderfer/3 Sisters to Brook Forest Road. My confidence is increasing. Bob took me up Lookout Mountain a couple weeks back – and it wasn’t difficult On the 4th of July I rode to the top of Loveland Pass. Now, instead of surviving the final hill up to my house, I am attacking it.

This past Saturday, I spent the morning volunteering with the Evergreen Chorale group assisting riders on the Triple Bypass bike ride (www.teamevergreen.org/triple/). They were riding 120 miles, from Buchanan Park in Evergreen, over Squaw and Juniper Passes, then Loveland Pass, then Vail Pass, into Avon – and some were spending the night and riding back the next day. I helped last year and thought it was an unattainable goal for me. This year, something has shifted. As I watched riders go by – some of them lean and chiseled, but others flabby and big and heavy and, well, normal looking —  a new thought crossed my mind: “Hey, maybe I could do this.

Uh oh

When my shift ended I rode halfway up the mountain from which they came toward Echo Lake, and it wasn’t difficult at all. I do believe I am acquiring Colorado cycling legs. Who knew it was possible?

Looking for a Pass?

If you’re looking for a pass, there are a couple of excellent websites that can help you out.

See you on the roads!

 

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Cycling With Kids in the Mountains

I find cycling with kids is a unique challenge when you live in mountainous Evergreen. We live on a hilltop – three quarters of a mile up several switchbacks from the Bear Creek Canyon Road, above Kittredge. One kid is too scared of speed to ride down our twisting, narrow neighborhood road; the other is too lazy to go back up. Plus, their bikes don’t have enough gears to handle the elevation change! So what to do?

Back in New York, where it was flat, we had to navigate street lights, but at least there were sidewalks, and a golf course road with a few speed bumps but very little traffic.

There is a bike trail in Evergreen along the Evergreen Parkway, which is great if you live along that stretch – but it is very hilly, and may be too challenging for some kids, at least until they get into shape.

So we have to think creatively – and that usually means planning our rides, and driving to them. Here are a few ideas to keep the kids interested in cycling despite the obstacles:

    • Safety first. Use common sense.
    • Make sure the kids are snugly helmeted, their bike tires pumped full of air, and that they have a cold bottle of water and a snack.
    • Teach them the rules of the road – keep to the right, but not so far that you fall into the dirt along the side. A bike IS considered a vehicle and has the legal right to use some pavement space, and cars are obligated to give them three feet of space when they pass.
    • Signal when you turn.
    • Always look for wars before getting onto a road to ride.
    • Comfort next.
    • Make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather.
    • Let them set the pace and the distance.
    • Don’t push them too hard.
    • Entertainment next. A destination with a reward at the halfway point is a great idea. Perhaps ice cream, frozen yogurt, some time at the lake.
    • Package the ride as time with mom or dad instead of – God forbid – exercise.
    • Make it easy. Don’t take your kid up to a mountain top the first time out, or they will put the bike in the garage and leave it there. Find a place to ride that will be fun but not too grueling, and gradually work your way up to more challenging terrain. Some ideas:
    • Upper Bear Creek. Start at the Evergreen Lake House and ride out Upper Bear Creek as far as you like, then turn back. (Ride single file, with your children in front of you, so cars go around you and you can make sure you travel at their pace.) It’s a gradual uphill, and coming back, it’s a gradual downhill. If you don’t like traffic, this may not be the ride for you. I used to ride in New York City, so for me, Upper Bear Creek traffic is negligible.
    • Bear Creek Lake Park. I suggest you park for free at the dirt lot across from the Conoco Station at Morrison Road and 270. Walk your bikes across Morrison Road to connect to the bike trail to Bear Creek Lake Park. (If you go right at the trail, you can ride into downtown Morrison. Stay on the trail and follow traffic rules – they ticket riders there.) Bear Creek Lake Park has roads and bike trails throughout, some flatter and some hillier, as well as a couple of lakes which could be destinations if you pack a swimsuit, towel, food and a few bucks into a backpack.
    • The I-470 Bike Trail. Head north from the parking at the Morrison Conoco and you will quickly connect with this bike trail which is uphill all the way to Golden.
    • Elk Meadow and Lair o’ the Bear have gentle mountain bike trails. The ones off to the left at Alderfer/3 Sisters are more hilly but easily manageable.
    • There’s a whole network of flat paved trails in the Denver Metro area. One that I especially like is the Platte River Trail. You can park at the Nature Center at Ken Caryl and Santa Fe in Littleton, then ride this trail for miles north into Denver or south toward Chatfield Reservoir.
    • Chatfield and Cherry Creek Reservoirs also have miles of trails and roads that area ideal for cycling with kids – and lakes to swim in (or rent boats) for the reward at the end!
    • Highway 74 from Kittredge into Evergreen is a nice little ride – again, you have to bear with the traffic – and the Café at the Place provides yummy froyo at the turnaround. If you’re coming from Evergreen, try From the Vine for a mid-ride break.
    • If you’re a camper, take your bikes along – most public campgrounds have paved roads on gentle terrain that kids love to ride around on. We have enjoyed riding at Turquoise Lake (near Leadville), Estes Park, Redstone (which has a 1 ¼ mile paved road into an adorable town with – you guessed it – ice cream), Woodland Park and many others.

Got any other ideas of places to ride with kids? Please share them!

–The Hammster

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Climbing Mountains – Getting to Know Colorado from the Top

My husband Bob has discovered mountain climbing.

At first it was 14ers. He climbed Mt. Bierstadt last fall with a networking group and got hooked on 14ers, vowing to try to climb every one in Colorado. For those not “in the know,” 14ers are mountains over 14,000 feet high. Colorado has more than 50 of them. (You can learn all about them at http://www.14ers.com/.)

Anyway, after a couple of 14ers spent with crowds of others also trying to scale the highest peaks, Bob bagged a 12er and had a revelation – the view from the top of a 12,000-plus-foot peak is still amazing – but without the crowds. Even a relatively shrimpy 8,700-foot or so peak like Mt. McClure, near Marble, which we climbed a couple of weeks ago, is amazing.

Now Bob is hooked on hiking Colorado. Every weekend he attacks a mountain. His only criteria – it should have a peak to aspire to. Recently my daughter and I joined Bob for a stroll to the top of Colorado Mines Mountain, which many will recognize as the peak with the weather station on the way to Winter Park Resort. It was amazing up there. We walked to the edge of a rockslide and sat on small boulder to eat our lunch. We gazed down upon two emerald green pools of water below with a lone tent set up between them, and pondered how it must feel like camping at the edge of the earth. In the dappled distance, we watched storm clouds rumble in. We breathed in the thin air, and stood atop the Continental Divide. We saw a marmot. We could see countless small trails on peaks all around us that we could hike on future trips, and our hiking thirst grew.

Perhaps I’m starting to understand those Mt. Everest idiots.

Naaah.

A couple of days ago, we scrambled with visiting friends up a short, rocky trail to St. Mary’s Glacier, which is actually a snowfield. The rain fell, lightning flashed and thunder cracked, and we scurried back down. We could have continued on past the glacier and hiked a 12er, but the weather conspired against us. Still, despite the wet and the chill, people were there with babies in backpacks, and with dogs on leashes. And the view was magnificent.

Try it! To pick your next hike, try 100 Classic Hikes Colorado by Scott S. Warren. It is full of hiking suggestions, though we have found distances to be inaccurate. The descriptions, however, are very thorough.  Get out there this weekend and hike up a mountain!

–The Hammster

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Surviving the Heat

I lived my entire life on the east coast until I moved to Colorado 3 ½ years ago. That means I spent a lifetime of summers sweating in the oppressive heat. I lived for a decade in Washington, DC, a city built on a swamp where most summer evening runs would be enfolded by the crush of temperatures and humidity levels in the 90s.

One of my favorite things about living in Evergreen is that I barely shed a drop of sweat during summertime runs. Even when it’s blistering down the hill, up here at 7,200 feet I enjoy the breeze moving through my house, and the nip in the air at night – even in July and August – that requires me to keep a sweater close at hand.

But those are just distant memories? Aren’t they? For much of the last two months, I have been revisiting unpleasant memories of my former life grappling with heat and humidity. Being an athlete makes it even more difficult. But with another week stretching ahead of temperatures well into the 90s, it occurs to me that most people living here in the mountain area don’t have the benefit of experience on how to maintain fitness and survive in the summer heat.

So here are my tips on beating the heat:

  • Exercise early or late. Avoid the heat of the day if at all possible.
  • Wear a hat with a brim to keep your head cool. Get it wet if you can!
  • Wear light, breathable clothing.
  • Stay hydrated! Carry a water bottle. Start drinking half an hour before you start exercising, because it takes that long for the “juice” to reach your muscles. I recommend a sports drink to replace the electrolytes you lose through sweat.
  • Change it up to make life a little easier! Perhaps try riding a bike instead of running, because the breeze you create through speed cools you down. Or walk instead of run. If you do choose to run, reduce your mileage, or walk on the hills. Better yet, give yourself permission to take a day off!
  • Wear sunscreen. Obvious.
  • Carry a phone and ID, in case you run into trouble with the heat.
  • Consider moving your exercise indoors. We have lovely, air-conditioned recreation centers with lots of indoor class options.
  • Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back.

Remember, you aren’t going to lose your fitness level if you cut back or take a day or two off because of the heat. You will lose a lot more if you push through it and hurt yourself by overheating. Listen to your body and enjoy the summer weather!

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Berrian Mountain: A Hidden Gem in Evergreen South

I recently hiked up to the 9,147-foot peak of Berrian Mountain in Evergreen South with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop.

Berrian is a Denver Mountain Park reached by driving up, up, up through a winding, hillside neighborhood off Rte. 73 near Conifer. Despite driving through the area countless times, I never even knew it was there.

According to Wikipedia, Berrian Mountain was named after George, Dan and Ray Berrian, who came from Kansas to Colorado in 1887. Previously, it may have been called McIntyre Mountain after Duncan McIntyre, who owned property on the east side of the mountain.

According to one of the kids on our recent Girl Scout hike, there are nine geocaches hidden near the trail up to the peak of Berrian Mountain, so bring your caching equipment ad a pencil! (If you don’t know what geocaching is, watch this space – a blog about this fun 21st century activity is coming soon!)

Berrian Mountain is considered a “Conservation/Wilderness Park,” which means it’s one of a group of isolated Denver Mountain Parks parcels that were never intended to be developed. It’s not easy to access and has very little parking next to the trailhead. (Find it on this map of Denver Mountain Parks: http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/626/documents/DenverParkMap_2010_mountain_pg1.pdf. For driving access, use this map: http://goo.gl/maps/mqovf

The trip is worth it – in the two-hour hike to the summit and back, you’ll encounter prominent mountaintops, forested ridges, steep slopes, rocky outcrops, and narrow riparian corridors. You’ll sweat. Your jaw will drop in awe. Your kid will complain about the hard work of climbing. You’ll feel invigorated. At the summit, you’ll be rewarded with a steep, rocky ridge to climb on, an amazing view of south Evergreen, and the knowledge that it’s all downhill from here!

–The Hammster