Colorado is one of the most amazing states in this great country. I was able to experience it firsthand a few weeks ago. Mountain climbing, trout fishing, river rafting, and camping. All things you can do in other states for sure, but the experience of being up in the mountains and being surrounded by that kind of atmosphere hits different.
Trout Fishing:
One of the sad parts of my trip was buying a non-resident license before I even got to Colorado and scouted the area. Don’t get me wrong to catch a beautiful brown trout on a mountain stream is still on my bucket list. What I found on the first day of the trip was that catching a trout like that doesn’t just happen from a community access point, which I should have known in all fairness. Fishing clear creek upstream from the city of Golden was fun and all the classic trout hangouts had fish, but nothing more than a 10-inch brown could be found. If catching quality fish is a must, make sure to plan at least two days for finding these trout away from the local hangouts or save some time by getting with a fishing guide.
Rafting/Tubing:
If I wanted to sound like a badass, we went rafting down clear creek in Golden. The rental shop we got our tubes from might say different but hey whatever floats your boat. Tubing down clear creek was incredible, cold, but incredible. Flying down what appears to be by all signs an all-natural part of the river where you hit at least a dozen rapids and drops that makes you feel like you’re whitewater rafting. Highly recommend this experience overall.
Camping:
The campsite we stayed at was gorgeous. Nestled into a large basin overlooking two 500-acre mountain lakes. With that though came sleeping at a slight incline which was something I didn’t know would affect my sleep as much as it did, but other than that and what seemed to be a low budget rave happening at a campsite about half a mile down the road it was perfect. You can basically camp anywhere you want on Colorado public property. A true game changer for those who want the freedom to stop and wherever they can on the mountain side.
Hiking:
What an experience… six miles, six hours and over 3,000 feet of elevation change. That was Mount Elbert. The highest mountain in Colorado. You start off gentle with walks through the woods at a subtle incline and with the aspen forests and wildlife to keep you occupied, you don’t realize that three more miles up straight up hill are coming at you. Once you clear the tree tops you can see everything. It is a wild ride emotionally because you can see the beauty of all that you have hiked so far with the impending doom of that which you have yet to conquer. When you start to hit the stone and shale rock under your feet, you know the peak is getting closer, by this time the air has thinned, and you are stopping more frequently realizing that this is way more than you bargained for. When you reach the top there is this feeling of pure euphoria because that last 100 feet is pure hell. Take a few minutes at the top and take it in. The walk down is hard but not nearly as taxing on the way up just stay in control and know that it’s going to be a while before you see your vehicle again. Also PLEASE bring more water than you think you need and leave EARLY. Storms and rain usually show up around mid afternoon in the mountains and that is the last thing you want to be caught up in 14,000 feet in the sky totally exposed.