After a month long break, Karen and I headed back up the hill to continue our snowshoe season.  The drive up was icy and we only drove about 35 mph.  The Peak-to-Peak Hwy 72 was in better shape and we decided on the fly to pass up our previous trailheads and launch from Rainbow Lakes.  The entrance to this trailhead is almost exactly five miles south of the road to Brainard Lake.  This is the south end of the Sourdough Trail, which we hiked in a northerly direction.

We expected cooler weather but we stepped out of the minivan into full sun and 30° with very little wind.  Zero wind on the trail in the trees.  I was surprised at how large the parking area is at the trailhead, which sits less than a half mile off the highway.  I left my jacket in the car and Karen tied hers’ around her waist.  A woman cross country skier headed out ahead of us and we saw two other couples on the trail.  Otherwise I imagine everyone else was home today watching March Madness.  Couch potatoes missed an awesome day to be in the mountains.

We slogged for one and a half miles, up hill the entire way, before turning around.  We got in three miles in ninety minutes.  The ascent made for a great workout.  The trailhead sits at 9200 feet and we turned around at 9800 feet.

We decided to drive back through Nederland since it was closer than Lyons.  We lunched at the Black Forest.  I recalled eating their steak tartare once before so I ordered that again.  So satisfying.  Karen savored the fresh fish catch of the day – trout sautéed with parsley butter and lemon, potatoes and vegetables .  Just another perfect snowshoe outing.

This is likely our last of the season.  We’re thinking of spending next weekend in Denver with the kids to see a play and the Denver Art Museum.  I have surgery after that and won’t be active for possibly three months.  That might make this blog somewhat inactive.  I’m blogging about my medical escapades on another site.  Here’s a link if you’re interested and can handle graphic content.