Photo by Jenny Smith on Reshot

With the Colorado soft opening, it has been good to see the weather get warmer and we can move about more freely.  The Spring rains have been pretty common recently and that has guided much of what we do and when.  There has been much to do!

Hiking: warm weather has opened up many trails.  Mad Creek is not only a great hike, the flow of the creek is full now.  Going to the barn and back is an easy walk.  All of Emerald Mountain is open.  

Biking:  If the trails are open, mountain bikers will go.  Mountain bikers also are going to Eagle and Fruita for warm desert trails.  Gravel road bikers are active now.  Roads aren’t dusty and the views of the Spring green are excellent.

Take Out:  Steamboat Springs has an appetite for restaurants.  Having been inside cooking on our own for so long now, it is good to grab take out.  This supports the local community and provides for some great eats with couch time.  More restaurants are opening each week.  This week I’m grabbing a pizza from Otto Pint, who is offering 50% off pizzas all weekend.

Happy Hour:  Well, not a traditional happy hour.  Getting together in the open, near the river or some other outdoor space, BYOB, and social distance together.  Being in a small town has advantages with things like this.  As well, we couldn’t do any of this until the weather changed to warm and sunny.  We had several weeks of moisture, and it was too cool to be outside comfortably for a long time.  It’s good to get outside for a beer, maybe two, and see good friends.

River Time:  It’s high water now for a couple weeks.  Water is draining everywhere, creating rivelets and streams.  The ground was saturated from snowmelt and with all our recent rains, water continuously drains into Burgess Creek, Soda Creek and the others.  The Yampa River is flowing fast.  So anywhere you go, it is easy to find time to visit water and enjoy the movement, sound, and wildlife that can only be found in Spring.  Walks, bike rides, kayaks, and rafting are very common right now near creeks and the Yampa River.

Honestly, we would be doing these things anyway.  Well, except that happy hour would be at a downtown establishment.  Spring is a great time of year in Steamboat Springs, and being here during these curious times definitely has it’s advantages!