This weekend was a fantastic weather time for a day hike.  But before that, we took a bike ride down the Core Trail, next to the Yampa River.  With a slight breeze and the morning sun, we took a bike ride into town.

On the river, there were a number of stand up paddle boarders navigating the class 1 and 2 waves, pulling out into eddies for a rest.  We watched them for awhile and pedaled on to find more waves, smiling friends, and end up buying a disc golf disc for a game later in the week.

We worked up an appetite and rode our bikes back to Wildhorse Plaza where we picked up just enough calories from the sandwiches  we purchased from Cruisers Subs.  One my favorite lunch spots, Cruisers always has fun personalities and great sandwiches with quality bread.

How did we get the idea to go up Fish Creek Falls?  It was too difficult.  The bike ride was a slow, recreational ride.  We had energy after a great lunch, so we picked another friend and headed up to the trailhead.

It’s Spring, so we knew the water would be going fast, but had no idea how big the falls were going to be.  They were bright, loud, and moving fast!  Here’s a picture of the lower falls:

Fish Creek Falls Steamboat Springs

That was a great view!  The water pouring over the edge and rumbling under the bridge was loud.  I was mesmerized for several minutes.  I checked in with everyone and we were all ready for the 2.5 mile walk to the upper falls.

This hike is beautiful, filled with aspen groves and wetlands.  Towards the end of the hike, an alpine wetland was flowing deep and fast with snowmelt.  A bridge over the main water arterial gave us a minute to take in the canyon views and grab a drink of water.

A short distance after, we rounded the ridge to find the upper falls.  They were spectacular, moving fast and filling deep pockets formed by the break in the rock wall, making a short canyon out towards the upper wetlands.

Steamboat Springs Fish Creek Falls 2018

Well, everything was downhill from here.  Literally.  After spending about an hour taking Nature, we headed back to our car and on to town.

One of my friends, who was visiting from out-of-town, asked, “Are all days like this is Steamboat?”.  I replied, “No, but usually when visitors are in town”.  To have a great sunny, Spring day like this can happen often here.  It’s one of the reasons I live here.