I woke up around 7:30, checked the stock market, and made some coffee. I packed my day bag with a beer, some grapes, and a few oranges. I put on my new hiking shoes and headed out the door.
I drove up Flagstaff road, a curvy road that heads directly west of Boulder. My car hated the road but it chugged along. I was going to hike Bear Peak (8459 Ft), a mountain that overlooks Boulder. I got to the trailhead after about 20 minutes of driving. Once there, I grabbed my bag and started my trot.
It was a bit snowy but the trail was groomed by previous hikers. I cruised on the trail for about 2 hours before reaching the actually mountain. The trail was beautiful, one of the prettiest that I have seen in Colorado. Literally two hours of gradual inclines and declines. I needed an easier trail, my knees have been giving me trouble. However, I had a lot less pain with the new hiking shoes. Unfortunately, once I got up to the mountain it was literally straight up for 2 miles. Here is the trail map, along with the trails I took.
Once I reached the top, I found the right spot to pop a squat and have a beer. I first sat facing east toward Boulder but then moved to the western side. The view of the mountains suited the IPA that I was drinking.
Nothing like a Oskar Blue Beer at 8459 Feet. I had my lunch and hung out for about an hour to recuperate. There was a few other hikers but other than that, it was peaceful.
I got lost a few times on the way down but eventually made it to my car. That was one of the best hikes I have done in Colorado. I went down Flagstaff Rd and didn’t touch the gas peddle once on the way down into Boulder. I went to the grocery store after my hike. I was going to make chili, But I needed guidance. I needed someone that has cooked their whole lives… Someone that knew what a chili needed….
I called my mom, the queen of chili. She directed me through the grocery store like a pro. When I was a kid, she used to leave chili out in a crockpot for us. Whenever we needed a burrito, it was there for the taking. I wanted to make this chili, the chili of my childhood…
When I got back from the grocery store, I started this endeavor. It was a struggle but it was all worth it. My chili came out pretty good all said and done. I like cooking new things, especially chili. I think my next endeavor is lasagna. It was a great day off.
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