Life is a journey, not always happy or sad but always interesting. Join me as we travel the winding road via this blog, on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/mabryatpinnacol), and on Instagram (@davidmabry).
There’s a little (little by Denver standards) town just down the road from Monarch Pass that I’ve always enjoyed stopping in anytime I get the chance. Founded in 1880, Salida grew up with the mining industry in Colorado and was home to a massive smelter (smelting is a process of applying heat to ore to extract a metal such as silver, iron, or copper) that operated until 1920. Today Salida is a bustling tourist town as it’s close to all sorts of recreational activities such as whitewater rafting, cycling, camping and hiking. Both the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail pass nearby and the Arkansas River runs through downtown. Salida sits in a relative sunbelt featuring warm but not too hot summers and fairly mild winters.
Today’s population is just around 5,800 folks which is about double what it was in the early 1880’s. In its heyday though, thousands of workers from the area worked for the Ohio-Colorado Smelting and Refining Company which operated from 1902 to 1920. Smelting produces a lot of hazardous byproducts including noxious gases so as the smelter grew so did the size of its smokestacks used to carry away those gases with the wind. Three smokestacks were built at the smelter but only the last, and the tallest, remain. Today, if you let your eyes wander when you’re in Salida, you’ll see this impressive monument to the past silently standing sentinel just north of town. When the smelter ceased operating in 1920 - just three years after the last smokestack was built - the town eventually took over the property and sold it for back taxes. Concern grew that the last smokestack was a liability and the town threatened to demolish this relic of a bygone era. However, local citizens rallied to save their smokestack and today the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
I had a chance this last weekend, before the recent snow, to visit Salida and it’s smokestack. The following short video gives an aerial view of all that’s left of the smelter. As you’ll see I was blessed with a calm, sunny day just perfect for visiting the area. The smokestack was constructed in just 4 or 5 months and used 264 train car loads of brick as it rose 365 feet into the clear, blue Colorado sky. There is a ladder on the southern side by which maintenance was conducted on the smokestack and of course people have continued to try to climb the structure through the years with some doing it in the dead of night. Today you’d be hard pressed to reach the ladder as the lower rungs up to a considerable height have been cut off but standing at the bottom staring straight up, up, and up some more one can only wonder what it must have been like to climb to the very top. Fortunately, my video saves you the effort!
There’s enough scary stuff in the world that no one needs to go looking for more. At times it’s hard to remember that life truly is a gift and the world, at the end of the day, has amazing beauty behind almost every corner if only we look.
Had a chance in the last couple of days to visit the Adams County Fairgrounds which was hosting an event called Pumpkin Nights. If you’ve ever wanted a celebration of everything “pumpkin” (and who hasn’t 😏) this would be your event. And as an added bonus, it wasn’t at all scary - no jack-o’-lanterns featuring politicians faces - and if it was a movie it would definitely have a ‘G’ rating. Lots of little ghouls and goblins though, dressed in their Halloween best and it was as much fun watching the little kids oohing and aahing as it was taking in all the creative things you can do with an orange gourd.
The last time I was anywhere near the Adams County Fairground it was still out in the country so it was a little bit of a shock to see it now surrounded by tract after tract of new homes. And the traffic getting there was scary in its own right but once you arrive you can relax and simply stroll down themed corridors made of pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins. From Pirates and undersea worlds to Chinese dragons every turn takes you into a new pumpkiny (if there is such a word) world and at the end there’s a Fire Show featuring some very brave performers Brandishing flaming objects in front of a cheering crowd.
You may be done at this point with anything related to All Hallows Eve but if not you can attend Pumpkin Nights through November 4th. Denver is one of four cities this year to host the event (Los Angeles and Auburn California and Salt Lake City are the others). The event originated just two years ago in 2016 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds to showcase local artists. If you go, forget about the rest of the world for just a bit and just enjoy this celebration of the season! Here’s a taste of what you’ll see...
If you’ve been in the High Country recently you know the changing of the colors has come early this year. I was riding the Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville in mid-August when I saw the first Aspen trees starting to show their beautiful yellow colors. A couple of years ago, up in Alaska and the Yukon the Aspen were starting to change at the end of July but normally it’s more the middle of September into early October that sees Colorado’s trees start to signal Fall. While the front range sweated through last week’s 90’s it was warm days in the 70’s and 80’s and cool nights just above freezing in the mountain valleys and yes, the tops of the peaks have already sported some decent dustings of snow.
I think Fall is the prettiest time of year in Colorado though this year’s changing of the leaves has really been a late summer event. I spent several days traveling around taking pics and filming the Aspen so if you didn’t get a chance to catch the changing foliage this year here’s a short peek!
Of course, now that I’ve been dawdling around gawking at the trees I now need to focus on chopping and splitting wood for the upcoming winter which given Colorado’s whimsical climate could be as early as next week...
Perhaps you too have a honey-do list. Mine is a mile long and only seems to get longer. And seriously, I actually work at getting things done but for every thing I check off the list two new honey-do’s appear. How does that happen? No, really, can someone explain how that works?
Well, my wife probably could, and will, explain it to me once she peruses this blog. And well she should have the answer as she is the creative genius behind most of the items on my cherished list.
This last weekend we saw a production of “I love you, you’re perfect, now change” at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. The Porchlight Players
came over from Eagle County to perform a fundraiser to help the Tabor get back on its feet after Leadville purchased it in 2016. Built in1879 by Horace Tabor (husband of Baby Doe) the Opera House is in need of a lot of tender loving care. It probably has a honey-do list almost as long as mine. Anyway, if you haven’t seen “I love you, you’re perfect, now change” and you’re in a relationship you need to go the next time it’s in your town. It’s a lighthearted exploration of what makes relationships the wonderful things they are although they really should spend some time exploring honey-do lists. The title certainly fits my relationship with my beloved wife although as long as we’ve been together I have learned a thing or two. I already know I’m not perfect. Just ask my wife and she’ll tell you so.
Here’s my latest honey-do. I just wonder when I get this one done what the next two will be...
One of the fun things about taking a trip or going on vacation is sampling some great food and beverages but with all due respect to our friends to the north I don’t believe anyone heads to Banff or Jasper specifically for the cuisine. That said, there are some eats and treats we look forward to each time we cross the border at the 49th parallel.
Take tea for example. I live in Celestial Seasonings backyard and drink my fair share of Sleepytime Tea and Morning Thunder. I’m enough of a fan that I’ve even toured their Boulder facilities where they blend all their delicious flavors. But when I head north I really look forward to the Canadian tea blends. Canadians drink twice, per capita, as much tea as coffee loving Americans so they know how to make a great cup. From their classic Breakfast teas to more exotic blends like Blueberry Icewine tea its a tea lovers delight. We always end up bringing back boxes and boxes to last us until our next visit.
Another favorite when we visit Canada is sampling all the great maple products from syrup to fudge and everything in between. Canada takes maple products seriously as it produces 70+ percent of the world’s output. I know, I know, you can get all types of maple syrup at your friendly neighborhood grocery store but have you ever had maple flakes or maple butter? Did you know there are multiple grades of maple syrup from light colored (collected early in the season) to dark (you guessed it... collected late in the season) and that the darker the color the stronger the flavor? If so you’re a real maple connoisseur!
Like salsa? Wouldn’t peg Canada for particularly tasty versions of this Mexican staple? Then try Rasberry Salsa for a really delicious variation. Definitely one of my new favorites. To heck with chips - just the jar and a spoon and you’re in for salsa heaven.
One of the things I really appreciated was a break from most of the American chain restaurants. Didn’t see the Golden Arches anywhere we went though the Canadian equivalent, Tim Hortons, was well patronized. Downtown Banff has a Chile’s Restaurant but generally speaking you’ll see more locally produced cuisines. One particularly Canadian treat we did not sample was Poutine which is a delightful blend of French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. Mmmm, yum... But hey, I haven’t tried Fried Butter at the Iowa State Fair either. Poutine is so popular it’s sometimes referred to as Canada’s national dish though it actually originated in the province of Quebec back in the 1950’s.
Well, all this talk of food is starting to make me hungry so I’ll leave you with a quick video recap of some of our Canadian culinary favorites. Bon appetit!
I love to cycle but admittedly bicycling can lead you to be tired, sweaty, and looking for a more comfortable place to park your tush than a hard leather saddle. I've done a lot of extended bike tours such as Ride the Rockies and doing those events made me a connoisseur of comfortable benches. Far and wide, high and low, if there's a comfy bench nearby I'll find it. I remember one day, long ago, on a Ride the Rockies segment that took us over Rabbit Ears Pass into Steamboat Springs. By the end of that ride I, my wife, and friend Rich were so pooped we spent the remainder of the afternoon on a nice downtown bench doing nothing but resting and people watching. No amateur bench warmers were we, we actually had pizza delivered to said bench for dinner. At the end of the evening all we had to do was crawl back to the campground and into our sleeping bags.
See the Beaver symbol on the chair? The
official mascot of Parks Canada
On this trip to the Canadian Rockies we were far from sedentary with lots of hiking, biking, and kayaking in the mix. And I'd be remiss to not admit that along with all those activities there was a fair amount of bench warming. There are a couple of major advantages to Canadian benches - many are quite creatively made and lovely to behold, most are in some very picturesque spots, and all were very welcoming and comfortable on a hot summer's day. And on this trip you'll be proud to know that we expanded our repertoire to also include lawn chairs as Canada offers seemingly just as many of these as they do benches. In fact, Parks Canada (akin to our National Park Service) has a unique "Red Chair" program where they place - you guessed it - red Adirondack chairs strategically throughout the parks and entice tourists to find them all and of course sit in them. Well hit me over the head - they didn't have to ask twice...
It was my wife who actually found most of the Red Chairs which was nice as it gave me more time to focus on my penchant for the majestic bench. As you'll see, I found some very nice ones and I can attest that they have all been cheek tested and butt approved with the Mabry Seal of Approval. So if you find yourself in the Canadian Rockies, from Waterton to Banff, Lake Louis to Jasper, keep your eye out for some of these places to park it, at least for a while. Sad to say though, we never did test out the pizza delivery option...
Two thirds of Waterton Lake is Canadian but the far end, removed from Waterton Townsite by either a lengthy shoreline hike, long kayak paddle, or more luxurious motorboat trip onboard the tour ship "International", is American soil which when you've been away for a couple of weeks is close enough to home for me. Having reached the American end of the lake via all three methods in the past I thought a nice late afternoon kayak would fit the bill for a repeat performance this trip.
I picked a calm day with not much wind which any paddler knows can be the bane of a happy trip. Waterton Lake runs more than six miles in length and while that's not that far to paddle doing it in wind, whitecaps, and waves is a challenge I was hoping to avoid. Fortunately the weather gods blessed me and I reached American waters in good order.
The shoreline hike is not overly strenuous but does take you through some premier grizzly habitat so if you partake of this excursion keep your eyes and ears open and have the bear spray can within easy reach. Paddling left me free of such worries and the trip to Goat Haunt, the name of the American end, was delightfully uneventful.
The good ship "International" passed me by on the other side of the lake filled stem to stern with folks listening to the Parks Canada naturalist narrate and point out things of interest. Said boat does dock in Goat Haunt allowing tourists to step ashore and stretch their legs on red, white, and blue soil before the return voyage. If you venture anywhere beyond Goat Haunt bring your passport as you'll actually go through customs even at this remote bastion of Uncle Sam. When my wife and I did the hike we went past Goat Haunt to spend a couple of days at Kootenai Lakes watching moose gorge themseloves on local flora and the folks at customs had stamped our passports and given the official look-see at our backpacks before allowing our tired feet to carry us on down the trail. For those familiar with Logan Pass and the High line Trail to Granite Park Chalet in Glacier National Park, you could continue on north and end up in a day or so at Goat Haunt and we met some weary hikers in the Waterton campground who had done just that. That's one of those bucket list hikes I'd love to do but for this trip I had to content myself with a slow paddle past the Stars and Stripes before continuing my paddle in earnest. All in all a 3+ hour excursion putting some energy into the paddles before hearing the welcome scrape of hull to beach gravel back in Waterton. A happy kayaker was I.
