On Valentine’s Day 2020, I bought my husband and I tickets for Wardruna in Brooklyn, September 2020.

(Today) February 21st, Wardruna released their first song from their upcoming album, scheduled to be released June 5th, 2020.

Wardruna.
Listening to their new song made me wonder why I never finished sharing my Colorado adventures from October 2019.
Much to my surprise, I was nearly finished with this blog post.
Apparently I didn’t know what to say about Denver and I couldn’t decide which photos to share from the Red Rock Park & Amphitheatre.

My husband & I met up with 3 of our friends from Massachusetts in Denver, CO.
We were in Colorado to see Wardruna.

Denver, Colorado

I don’t have any photos of the city itself, but I took plenty photos of painted murals on buildings in Denver.
I do so enjoy public art.

Red Rock Park & Amphitheatre

Red Rocks History

“The 640 acre Red Rocks Park was acquired as a Denver Mountain Park in 1927 for $54,000. This fascinating area, once known as the Garden of the Titans, is more than 1,000,000,000 years old.

In the center of the park is the amphitheater, a natural auditorium with acoustics as perfect as in the ancient Greek theaters. It is considered by many to be the world’s most scenic open air theater.

Here, where the Great Plains break into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the huge red sandstone rocks were formed in the bed of an ancient sea, which covered the Middle West. Layers of sandstone were turned up on edge by an upheaval, and erosion fashioned the many faces and forms seen in the rocks today. The red coloring was produced by iron oxide in varying quantities.

Red Rocks Park was once the land of dinosaurs. One of the first and largest skeletons came from the Hogback, a sharply defined ridge about ½ mile east of here. The Hogback was formed millions of years before our present day Rocky Mountains were formed.

Construction for the 10,000 seat theater began in 1936 by W.P.A. workers and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The entire process took twelve tedious years. Numerous concerts, graduations, and Easter sunrise services have been enjoyed by thousands.

Red Rocks Park is truly a labyrinth of charm and wonderment that stirs the imagination through the spell of it antiquity.” Interpretive Sign

The Hike

Trading Post Trail – 1.4 miles

October 17, 2019.
We were all a little restless and wanted to see as much as we could in the short time we were going to be in Colorado.
It was warm.
80°F warm.

Wardruna

Estes Park

Rocky Mountain National Park

It was exciting to return to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Refreshing!

It had been 6 years since my husband and I had visited the park last.
Admittedly, I still had trouble catching my breath at that altitude, but the hiking itself seemed easier.

This time, my mind was far less chaotic and I had a sense of wellbeing.

I can honestly say I enjoyed myself.

Longs Peak.

“The 14,259-foot, square-topped mountain across this valley has served as a navigational aid for thousands of years. Prehistoric hunters oriented their travels by it. Ute people saw Longs Peak as a sacred place and a guiding landmark. French-speaking fur trappers called Longs Peak and adjacent Mt. Meeker “Les Deux Oreilles,” or the Two Ears.” Interpretive Sign

Horseshoe Falls (Alluvial Fan).

The Hike

October 19, 2019.
We arrived at the Glacier Gorge Junction Trailhead at 6: 30 am.
The sun was beginning its daily ascent and the moon was still reflecting brightly in the early morning sky.

Alberta Falls.

By 7:00 am we had made it to Alberta Falls.
The waterfall was beautifully frozen and for the majority of the time we explored the area around the falls, we were the only group of people there!
I admit I felt rectified by the solitude.

Continuing towards the Loch Vale.

The Loch.

It was about 8:30 am when we arrived at Loch Vale.
The wind.
The wind was relentless and so very cold!
We found a place sheltered from the wind and took a little food break.

Sky Pond

We weren’t equipped to make it to Sky Pond because of icy conditions.
So we turned around and visited the Loch once more, taking time to snack and rest before finishing our journey.

7.2 miles, 5.5 hours

Noteworthy: None of us had coffee this day!

Bear Lake.

“Ice measuring 500 feet thick moved across Bear Lake basin between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago. Originating in the uppermost valley heads, glacial ice eroded the high basins, called cirques, and quarried the sheer granite cliffs of Hallett Peak. Rock debris from these glaciers formed the ground moraines, or ridges, that surround Bear Lake.” Interpretive Sign

Many Parks Curve Overlook.

Rainbow Curve.

Stanley Hotel

Food & Drink

Group Photos!

All photos were taken by me (Alicen) or my husband.
All information shared came from signs within the parks.