Conundrum springs

The first big trip of ours was to Colorado for a 2 week marathon of events. A few years ago I told her that we should go and immediately we started planning. We got all of the gear we would need, researched about the hundreds of things we could do and contacted family out there. For months her and I would throw ideas at each other on what to do and we would figure out how to do it all. On that trip we visited Denver, Colorado Springs, Aspen, Alamosa, Cripple Creek, Glenwood Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins and Estes Park. It was a very intense 2 weeks full of backpacking, driving, laughing, frustration and photography. It was an amazing experience and there is no way in the world I would be able to explain it all if she wasn't with me. The picture above was taken at Conundrum Springs in Aspen. That picture perfectly captures what we learned on that hike.

For those of you that have not done the Conundrum Springs hike ill give you some insight. It is an 18 mile round trip hike, with 2,500ft elevation gain (most of it in the last leg of the hike) with hot springs at the end. During the Hike you cross 2 Wooden bridges like the one pictured, the last time you cross over the creek you actually have to hold onto a wire and walk through the water. It starts off with a scene right (pictured left) out of the hobbit. That was taken right before the tree line but you actually walk up a slight incline from the parking lot and on the other side about 100 yards away is this forest entrance. As I said it is an 18 mile hike, we planned on camping one night and then coming back. A little under 2 miles in and my Girlfriends shoulders started to hurt from her backpacking bag (she has some shoulder problems). I told her I would take it so the rest of the 7 miles I had to carry my bag and hers, which I had no problem with. As the journey continued she started to feel fatigued but she was determined to make it to the end, it was her personal goal and she would not quit. The scenery was beautiful and the attitude was as upbeat as we could make it. We would stop to drink water from the streams coming down the mountain and it was the most amazing water i have ever had in my life. I imagine it is how the fountain of youth water tastes. As we neared the end of the hike the sun was almost down and storm clouds started to roll in. She was having a real hard time and the path disappearing underneath fallen trees 15ft high did not help. I called it, we were so close to the end but she was having an awful time so we actually hiked back down just a little bit and set up camp in a clearing. This was her first time camping without family and she was terrified. My shoulders felt similar to atlas's, we were both ready to sleep the rest of the trip. After a sleepless night we got up with the sun and hiked back down, we did it in half the time compared to the previous day. The last 2 miles I carried her bag again which I dealt with. Back to the lesson. That hike taught me that there is nothing I would not do for her, no matter how painful it may be for me. We crossed every obstacle the same way she crossed the bridge, fearless and full force. No matter what happened during the trip, me falling with both bags on cracking my knee against a stone so I limped the rest of the way or her being unable to eat due to altitude sickness, we just did what we had to do. It was a different kind of experience but I would do it all again, it taught me alot. I would highly recommend the hike, She had 5 days to adapt to the high elevation (compared to the 700ft in Chicago) yet she still got sick. No matter what happens just do what you can to enjoy the adventure.

Here is a video to show more about Conundrum Springs

#travel #love #adventure #thrill #beautiful