by neil kearney | Feb 18, 2008 | Colorado Lifestyle
Boulder Area Hikes
Ceran St. Vrain
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The Ceran St. Vrain Trail is located Northwest of Boulder above the small village of Jamestown. This trail follows the South St. Vrain Creek and provides a scenic, easy walk through beautiful forest. The trail is easy by most standards and is a great place to bring your dog or guests who are not into hard core, lung-busting hikes. The trail winds through the small canyon and alternates between narrow sections above the creek and wider sections creek side. Dogs are allowed and it seems like at least half of the hikers when I have been there have had have dogs.
The trail is a 4 mile out and back hike. At the end of the trail you can hook up with jeep road 252 to extend your hike to Miller’s Rock or the many four wheel drive roads that connect in the area.
I especially like the tall, dense lodgepole pine forests through which the trail winds. I find it a relaxing place to spend an hour or two. In the summer there are some great tent sites with easy access to the fishing holes.
| Directions from Boulder: 5.5 miles north on Highway 36, turn west onto Lefthand Canyon. About five miles up Lefthand Canyon, follow the right fork to Jamestown. Go through Jamestown, continuing over the top of the hill and past the end of the pavement. After you get on to the dirt road, look for the sign for the Ceran St. Vrain Trailhead. Turn right at the sign, go for about 1/4 mile and park. |
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by neil kearney | Feb 11, 2008 | Colorado Lifestyle
Boulder Area Hikes
Switzerland Trail
Sugarloaf Trailhead
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The Switzerland Trail is one of my favorite winter hiking/snowshoe trails. The trail is really a single lane dirt road that used to host a narrow gauge railway back in late 1800,’s and early 1900’s, when small mining operations dotted the mountians of Boulder County. The terrain is easy but with the added element of snow and solitude it becomes a great place to brave the elements and bring your dog.
The Switzerland Trail connects Eldora (near Nederland)and Ward and run’s a full 25 miles. But thankfully, you can hook-up at many trailheads and sections along the way. I like the section that runs from Sugarloaf Mountain to the Sunset Townsite. This section is about 4 miles each way and has many small trails that reach the valley floors and let’s you discover and explore the remnants of the area’s mining heritage. The side trails don’t get much use in the winter and they are a great place to get the snowshoe’s out and test the snowpack. During the summer, these side trails provide a challenging (steep and rocky) hike or ride.
As I mentioned, the walking (or biking in the summer) is fairly easy so you can soak up the view and enjoy the wooded forest. During the fall there is quite a bit of color visable in the turning trees.
The trail is usually fairly empty in the winter but I have been passed by four-wheelers. During the summer slow moving four-wheel drive vehicles make the trek.
| Directions: Take Canyon Blvd. out of town into Boulder Canyon toward Nederland. Just over 5 miles and after Magnolia Road take a right on Sugarloaf Road. Continue 5 miles up and then take a right on Sugarloaf Mountain Road, continue .9 miles up to the trailhead. |
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by neil kearney | Jan 25, 2008 | Colorado Lifestyle
Biking in Boulder
Even in winter, Boulder is a mecca for biking. Every day, no matter what the weather conditions, there are dedicated bikers on the roads and paths. Winter bikers can be grouped into two camps; dedicated commuters and serious bikers looking to get a
break from their indoor training routine.
First lets talk about the dedicated bike commuters. I think Boulder might be the world leader in winter bike commuters. As long as it is possible to ride a bike these people will be out their. You can recognize them by their high tech worn gear, their industrial light show (front and rear) and usually some kind of pack or pannier. During the summer these people blend into the rest of the biking population, but in winter they stand out and should be commended for their commitment and determination.
Boulder is filled with serious bikers. Just when you think you are in pretty good shape you get passed easily by someone with iron legs and lungs to match. Many of these athletes are
professional and do nothing but bike, get massages, meet at coffee houses in their spandex and generally look great (making the rest of us look pale and weak by comparison). Anyway, on any day that the street shoulders are clear you will see colorful packs of fast moving bikers going for a training ride. During warm weather months you will again see so many bikers that it will be hard to pick out these workhorses, unless you try to keep up.
With all of the dedicated lanes and paths Boulder is a great place to ride your bike. We have a great lifestyle and the energy from those dedicated bikers goes a long way in making Boulder so attractive to those who really want to live life to its fullest even if riding a bike is not your thing.
by neil kearney | Dec 3, 2007 | Colorado Lifestyle
Small Town Boulder
This past Saturday night my family and I braved the cold and attended the Boulder Lights of
Holiday Parade. Ten minutes before the 6 pm start time the closed streets were empty both on the parade route and the surrounding sidewalks. But when the clock struck 6 pm, the mike of the parade emcee went live (Ginger from KBCO) the parade started and the crowd came out from various hiding places and lined the downtown route.
Many times Boulder seems like a larger, sophisticated city. More apt to hold an art gallery opening than a hold a all-comers parade. But on Saturday night Boulder looked like any small
town and the people loved it. The parade was totally local and charming and featured many great entries. Some of my favorites included: numerous Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops in various costumes, antique fire engines, dancers, homemade spinning go-carts, both high school marching bands, a junior unicycle club, a church and members of the banned Thursday night bike cruiser riders with their tricked out bicycles.
It was relaxed, fun and lasted for more that 45 minutes. It made me want to have fun and was a great kick-off to the holiday season in Boulder.
by neil kearney | Jul 20, 2007 | Colorado Lifestyle
Living in Colorado!
This morning I had the chance to go hiking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area which is located west of Nederland about 1 hour from Boulder. I have been working a lot lately and jumped at he chance to spend a morning soaking in the beauty I see from a distance on a daily basis.
The morning was calm and beautiful. The water was rushing, the wildflowers were blooming and I was up early enough to miss the crowds. My destination for the morning was Arapahoe Pass, a vista point which allows backcountry access. Much of the three mile hike is above treeline and is very scenic because of all of the water and snow fields. Getting above treeline seems to clear my head and makes the hustle and bustle of town seem far away.
Boulder definitely gives the opportunity for a great lifestyle and having a resource like the Indian Peaks Wilderness area less than 40 miles away is a great perk. The best part was that I was back returning calls by noon. Here are a few of the photos from the hike. I hope you enjoy them!
by neil kearney | May 29, 2007 | Colorado Lifestyle
Memorial Day in Boulder
What a beautiful day and weekend we had in Boulder. The kickoff to summer got off to a ringing start with all of the activities that bring visitors to this area in late May. The Boulder Creek Festival ran Friday night through Monday and featured art exhibits, carnival rides, food,
dance and music performances and exhibitors booths. The festival also hosts the annual rubber duck race down Boulder Creek that features thousands of ducks bought by citizens all for a good cause. This is a great downtown Boulder event made even better by the beautiful weather of the weekend.
Another classic Boulder event is the BolderBOULDER 10K road race. This year there were a record 50,000 participants! This year the race was a family event for the Kearney Family. My 10 year old son Jake ran the race alone and posted an awesome time of 49 minutes! My 7 year old son Ben and I jogged it (no walking for the 1st time) together and completed the course in about 1 hour 11 minutes. My wife Kristy walk/jogged the course with her sister. I’m always amazed by the mass of humanity and all of the positive energy lining the course. It certainly makes 6.2 miles go pretty fast! Everyone ends up at Folsom Stadium on the CU campus and there they have an annual Memorial Day presentation honoring a war hero veteran. This presentation is followed by the National Anthem and a military jet flyover, very cool.
As for real estate, I was very surprised that this was a busy weekend. Many people out making buying decisions and writing offers over the past week. This is a very positive sign for our market as we move forward into summer.
