May's Adventure Dog: Scarlett

**Wow, that was fast! A foster from DMK Rehoming will be taking Scarlett in. Thanks Outdoor Beginner readers!**

Trail Review: St. Mary's Glacier

St. Mary’s Glacier is a bit of a hidden gem, so I’ve been a little reticent to share it here. They actually removed the “Glacier” part from the highway sign so fewer people can find it, but I guess I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m okay with (potentially) ruining that. It’s definitely a hike you should do once, if not to say you’ve seen/been on a glacier, than for the spectacular views (although this is admittedly a common theme in hiking in Colorado).

On the topic of common themes, this was also a heck of a hike for me as a beginner. However, it is one of many trails that are tough, but doable. I’m a big believer in taking as many breaks for water/getting oxygen as you need. The point of hiking is to enjoy your beautiful surroundings, so why put pressure on yourself to get done AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. It’s not a race.

Elevation is always a factor for what to wear while hiking, but this is particularly true at St. Mary’s.  It is WINDY. We went in mid-September, while it was still quite hot in Denver, and were bundled. As always, dress in plenty of layers and carry a backpack to carry them as you peel them off on the way down.

Finding St. Mary’s does require some driving on non-paved roads, which can get a little rough. Take the St. Mary’s exit of off I-70, after passing through Idaho Springs (which, by the way, is the mother of all post-hiking lunch options. Hit up Tommy Knocker’s Brewery, BeauJo’s Pizza, or Smokin Yard BBQ. All are epic). It’s about an hour drive, depending on traffic.

Trail Review: Gem Lake in Estes Park

This out and back trail was the first hike I ever did after moving to Colorado. The elevation in Estes Park is no joke, so if you're new to town like I was, plan on taking lots of water and lots of breaks. It was slightly demoralizing that a very small fluffy white dog lapped me on this trail, but the views along the way will help ease that pain. Multiple breaks will help ease the pain of your lungs screaming for air.

On that cheery note, you hook up with the Gem Lake trail after parking at the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. It's about four miles round trip. We hit it pretty early on Labor Day weekend and still found parking, but it was jammed by the time we got back. As with every Colorado trail in the summer, you're going to need to wake up early.

Lumpy Ridge is an hour and a half away from Denver, right outside of Estes Park. The trip is easy now that all the highways have been repaired from 2013 flooding, and is super scenic. You also get to go through Lyons, which is a super cute mountain town. It’s your halfway mark to Estes, and always a good place to stop for food or gas.

The View From The Couch

I've realized it's kind of challenging to blog about fun outdoorsy adventures when I'm currently working with this:

Straight from my couch to you

I've been dealing with tendonitis for four months, but admittedly haven't been a very good patient for most of that time. Since January, I have buckled down, put on a boot, and took a break from any and all potentially cardiovascular exercise. This means no hiking, no running, no horseback riding (the true tragedy), NOTHING.

Staying positive hasn't been easy, but I've kept myself from going crazy thanks to a few things:

1. Working with my physical therapist on a recovery plan. Planning out a regiment for getting back in shape gives me something to look forward to, and my therapist's never-ending optimism that I'll be healthy in no time has been a huge help.
2. Finding out what I can do. Strength training and basic yoga were both on that list, so I've focused on getting stronger and more flexible. This will not only (hopefully) decrease the chance that I will re-injure myself, but also has kept me from going stir-crazy.
3. Staying involved in my normal activities as much as possible. I continued to walk to work in the boot because I would have lost it if I had to go from sitting in my car to sitting in an office all day. I couldn't ride, but I went to the barn anyways and petted some horses and tried to absorb knowledge from others' lessons. I couldn't walk dogs at the shelter, but I could play with the cats and give them some loving.

Fitting In

An article last week from 5280 (magazine in Denver) caught my eye. Unfit: Being Overweight in America's Slimmest State chronicled Rebecca Palcso's struggle with being very unathletic in the sporty person's paradise that is Colorado. Rebecca moved to Colorado in an effort to motivate herself into being fit, which you may assume went like this: I moved to Colorado, all the healthy people made me want to be healthy, now I'm running an ultramarathon! Spoiler alert, but it didn't.

Sweaty, happy, and out of breath after my very first hike in the Rockies

Trail Review: El Dorado Canyon State Park

In the spirit of working off the countless amounts of carbs I (happily) took down on Thanksgiving, I spent my Black Friday hiking with my better half in El Dorado Canyon. Despite the less than encouraging name, the Rattlesnake Gulch trail was a perfect post-Thanksgiving day hike.

The best part about El Dorado Canyon State Park was that (like Staunton State Park) its less than an hour from Denver. The drive is super easy, except for the fact that the last mile of road isn't paved. As long as it's not super muddy or bad weather (why would you be hiking in that situation anyways?) you should be fine, even if you don't have four wheel drive. There was a Camry parked next to us that presumably survived the drive up and back.

November's Adoptable Adventure Dog: Charlie

**Update** Charlie was adopted shortly after this blog was posted! Thanks Outdoors Beginner readers!

Hydration Basics: How To Make Sure You Won't Be Hating Life On The Trail

I realized I may have jumped the gun by diving into finding the right reservoir before going over basic hydration tips. Staying hydrated (no matter how you actually take in the liquid) is one of the most important ways to make sure you enjoy yourself outdoors. 

You may be wondering, "It's 5 degrees in Denver right now, so I don't think I'll be breaking a sweat any time soon. Do I really need to worry about staying hydrated during a polar vortex?"

The answer is a resounding yes. Colorado is dry, and gets even drier in the winter. Even if you don't live in Colorado, your body uses up a lot of water to heat up the freezing cold air that you breathe in all winter long, making hydration a year round priority.

Adventures in Hydration: My Quest To Find The Right Bladder

By now, I've realized that most people actually refer to bladders as reservoirs, but why pass up the opportunity to use a completely ridiculous term for outdoors gear? Plus, it's funny to see people's reactions to sentences such as, "I need a new bladder, mine keeps leaking."

Immature humor aside, I've been on the hunt for a reservoir once I started wanting to go on longer hikes. Your first and most obvious option for hydration is a water bottle, but a reservoir lets you go hands-free and bring a lot more water with you, which is important if you're going to be out on the trail for several hours.

Hiking the Eastern Side of Rocky Mountain National Park

Now that I've finally gotten around to writing this blog, there may be limited time for you to take advantage of the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park. There were snow flurries in the mountains today, so get out there while you still can!

The entrance to the eastern side of RMNP is right outside of downtown Estes Park. Now that Highway 36 is completely restored after last year’s flooding, the drive is an easy and scenic hour and a half from Denver.

Staunton State Park, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways...

I’ve been to Staunton Stake Park twice, and I’m already in love. When my parents visited from Maryland a few weeks ago, I needed an option for hiking that wasn’t too far from Denver. It also had to offer doable trails for people living essentially at sea level. Staunton has all of this (and you don’t have to sacrifice views!). Not only did my parents survive the trip, but our friend Leah who legitimately lives AT sea level (the Florida Keys…lucky lady!) also enjoyed an excursion at Staunton.

Staunton is one of Colorado’s newest parks (like really new – it just opened in May 2013) and it does not disappoint. It's less than an hour from Denver, and the drive is not only gorgeous but easy. Totally manageable for tentative mountain drivers and the park is easy to find.

Campground Review: Platte River Campground in Pike National Forest

I’ve had this idea in my head for a while about camping on the river. I was envisioning a very zen experience with riverfront camping – waking up and opening up the tent to be right on the water. The fact that I learned it’s actually a horrible idea to pitch a tent that close to water (flooding, etc.) is irrelevant, but in my quest to camp on the water, my boyfriend and I decided to try out a weekend at the Platte River campground in the Pike National Forest.

September's Adoptable Adventure Dog

**Update** Rory was adopted the weekend after this blog was posted! Thanks Outdoors Beginner readers!

My Love Affair With Darn Tough Socks Continues

I thought it was impossible to improve on the perfection that is Darn Tough’s ¼ Hike/Trek Sock. Then I met the Light Hiker Micro Crew.

As the name implies, it’s a lighter sock, which is something I was in desperate need of this summer. My feet tend to sweat (yes this has already come up multiple times in this blog!) and my original Darn Toughs were still just a little too thick for hiking around in waterproof boots for hours. You give up some cushioning for the lighter fabric, but I didn’t notice any difference. My Merrell hiking boots are extremely comfy, though (cough cough you should get yourself a pair cough cough).

These socks felt stretchier than the regular weight socks, but again that’s probably just because they’re lighter. They are still just as durable as the regular weight - I put them to the smell test the morning after spending several hours hiking in 75-80 degree weather and they passed with flying colors. Yes, smelling my hiking socks is a thing I do now.

August's Adoptable Adventure Dog - Meet Bram

Bram

**Update** Bram was adopted shortly after this blog was posted! Thanks Outdoors Beginner readers!

Campground Lighting - How To Not Stumble Blindly In The Dark

Not to state the obvious, but it gets pretty freaking dark when you’re out in the wilderness (or at the campground not actually that far from civilization). Having a good lantern and/or headlamp is essential to not breaking your ankle on your way to the bathroom at night, or for any activity you plan on doing once the sun goes down.

I mean, how can you properly make s’mores if you can’t even see the ingredients on your lap? Or, if you’re a really good bunny and are planning on reading before going to bed (instead of collapsing in a sugar-induced coma after eating your body weight in s’mores), a headlamp is the ultimate hands-free reading solution.

Also doubles as a headband...and makes you look like a master of the outdoors.

Beginner's Guide to Hiking Snacks

Snacking is one of my favorite pastimes, so I was super excited to write this post (and equally surprised it took me this long to get to it). Outdoors activities open up a glorious new world of snacking. What other reason could possibly justify the purchase of Sports Beans? Yes, those are a thing. And yes, they’re just as awesome as they sound. 

As a self-proclaimed snack connoisseur, getting outside has not only provided me the opportunity to see and do amazing things, but also to eat amazing things. Here are my favorite snacks to get me through a few hours of hiking (let’s be real, a hike of any length justifies bringing along any of these items). Some are outdoors specific, some are "real world" food, all are delicious.

Where To Find Moose and Not Get Trampled – Beginner's Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park

Seeing some meese (yes I know, that’s not actually the plural of moose) has been on my outdoorsy bucket list for well over a year. It first started when I went to work an event in Vermont and realized that was prime meesey habitat. After leaving Vermont without seeing so much as a squirrel, I shelved my moose ambitions and thought I’d wait until next year.

Until I moved to Colorado. Seeing moose was now a real possibility again, and when my boyfriend returned from REI with a trail that all but guaranteed a moose sighting, I was thrilled. We were going camping for the weekend just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, and the lovely volunteer at REI had pointed out a few trails just inside the park that were extremely meesey.

After breaking camp at Shadow Mountain Reservoir (learn more about the campground here), we headed into the park for the day with our fingers crossed to hopefully spot a moose. I have a slight huge obsession with animals, so I was on the edge of my seat with my head swiveling around in hot pursuit of a moose. And then I saw him. At first, I thought it was a large horse, but upon realizing it had antlers and was most definitely a moose, I let out a high-pitched shriek for my boyfriend to pull over. His ear drums were a necessary casualty. It was a REAL. LIVE. MOOSE.

A photo posted by Outdoor Beginner (@outdoorbeginner) on Jun 29, 2014 at 1:42pm PDT

How To Pack For Your First Camping Trip

So you’ve gone hiking, and you didn’t hate it. In fact, you kinda sorta fell in love with the great outdoors (it’s easy, don’t be afraid to fall hard). Now, you want to go camping. Pinterest will lead you to believe that you must either buy a ton of stuff or haul a ton of stuff with you. Not so.

What To Wear On Your First Hike

Despite what many Google results will tell you, if you want to try out hiking, you don’t need to buy much of anything. Honestly, if you’re on a well-maintained trail and go on a day with mild temperatures, you probably already have everything you’ll need. Let me break it down for you.