Northern Colorado Outdoors

Making the Most of Every Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Today's post is based on a friend's Facebook post. So that we are all on the same page, her post was: "OK PEOPLE, LISTEN UP! It's Monday, that's right MONDAY. 12/6/10 - the ONLY 12/6/10 you'll get in this life. God isn't going to give you another 12/6/10 so He doesn't want any complaining about this one. Stop treating Monday like a step-child of a step-child and get out there and make the best of it. We don't have ...enough days on this earth to complain about any of them. HUGS!"

Now that we are all on the same page, I want to expound on it. The woman who posted this has always lit up my Facebook page. I look forward to reading her posts consistently, and she almost always has something positive to say. She is a beautiful person, and I wish that we lived in the same city so that I could get to know her better.

We all need to take her example and stop complaining about our Mondays and our Tuesdays and our afternoon blahs. For the most part, we are alive and we are functioning and we are able to be a part of society. It's great to have time off over the weekend, but if you are dreading your Monday, then maybe it's time for a change. Determine what it is about Monday that makes you want to complain. Is it going back to work because you don't enjoy your job? Is it because you didn't get enough sleep? Is it because you drank too much at a holiday party? Whatever the reason, learn from it, own it, and make better choices next time.

Our days on this earth are limited, and we need to make the most of all of them including Mondays. So, go out and have a good cup of coffee or tea with a delicious, healthy breakfast next Monday morning and celebrate starting a new week. If it's the afternoon blahs that you're struggling with, get out for a walk in the middle of the day. Find some way to celebrate your own life and what you have instead of complaining about what you don't have.

Without making changes, we all continue to struggle. It is our outlook on life that makes us feel alive. Another friend that I admire has told me on numerous ocassions that if she pretends she looks good or pretends to be happy, then she is. Things become reality even if you pretend for them to be that way. So, focus on the positive, make the changes, and celebrate life! Happy Monday, Everyone!

Fit it into the Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:46:00 +0000

Yes, it is that time of year again, and I'm ready this year! I've been staying in shape, eating pretty well (tho, a little too much at times), and enjoying my down time with books and friends. If you aren't ready for the holidays, they may just slap you in the face by taking up all your time, gaining some extra weight, or spending too much money.

There are many different ways to keep the extra weight off during the holidays. My method is to stay active. I may put on a few pounds here and there during the holidays, but as long as I don't give up completely and I stay active, my weight is (mostly) maintained. This year I signed up for the Thanksgiving Day Run in our community. It is a four-mile timed or un-timed run. I opted for the timed run so that I would stick to a training schedule. So far, it has helped me to get out of the house and enjoy the cooler weather that has come our way. It will also help me with laying the foundation for my runs at the beginning of the year when I begin training for my annual half-marathon.

After the Thanksgiving Run is over, I have foundation miles to keep up until training for the Horsetooth Half Marathon begins in January. There's also swimming and bicycle commuting around town. With the milder weather, it's easy to get outside, but a quick trip to the gym isn't out of the question, either. I also try to fit in a yoga class here and there, too.

Staying active during these cooler holiday winter months is key to the success of any fitness or weight loss program. Not eating only makes you feel deprived of what you can't have, but eating some of those sweets in MODERATION and then going for a four mile run will help you to keep everything in balance.

One last note, I find that when I exercise, whether running, cycling, yoga, or swimming, I don't want to eat that cookie on the table at work or the cheesecake samples at the store. I resist those temptations because I know that it doesn't feel good when I get out on my run. It is more of a saying "yes", to my run than saying "no" to the cookie.

So, this Thanksgiving and Christmas, fit some fitness into your schedule and get off the couch and get moving!

Weekend Update: Nov 5-7

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:11:00 +0000

It was a big first weekend of November for Northern Colorado Outdoors! Not only have we started the process of kicking off our Health and Wellness program, but we have also started to incorporate some of the activities and discussions into the group. You can look for more to come in 2011 with this Health and Wellness Program, and we are excited to be motivating changes for folks across Northern Colorado!

November 5: Beginning the day, we had a quick lunch swim at The Mulberry Pool, where we did 30 minutes of laps. Then, taking to bicycles, we commuted to Old Town where we started off the weekend on Friday with a Happy Hour Social at Coopersmith's in Old Town Fort collins. It was good to see old friends and for some of our new friends to meet our current members! With loads of laughs over delicious food, we took the conversation and the evening out to the streets where we strolled to various galleries around town gaining inspiration from local artists along the way. We started our journey at The Gallery Underground, where we saw Chelsea Glanz, Andi Rose, and others. Moving on for the evening, we visited Coco's gallery, The Illustrated Light Gallery, and Trible Court Artisans.

November 6: After waking up to a chilly morning, we postponed our morning run to later in the day. So, off we went to REI for the Team in Training Seminar. The Seminar provided good information on the program and all of the benefits for the spring 2011 season. Some of the programs included that we are considering are a Marathon in Paris and a Triathlon in Hawaii. They both look like great goals to work toward and a wonderful cause to be a part of. It turned out to be a lovely day for a run, so we met at Rolland Moore Park at 12:00pm for our longer four mile run. We made it an out and back run at a comfortable pace so that we could talk along the way. Everyone made it, and we will be upping the mileage to five miles next week! Finally, Breathe Yoga was offering free yoga classes to the public for their Teacher Training program, and we went to the 3pm class. It was a good hot yoga, flow mix class in a warm room and perfect for the end of the day. Ending the day with some Core Challenge rounded everything out. (More information on the Core Challenge is below).

November 7: Sunday turned out to be almost as nice as Saturday, but the wind blew in a small front that cooled things off and clouded the skies. It didn't stop us from meeting at the pool for another lunch swim! (BTW: Sundays at The Mulberry Pool are $2!). We got in 30 minutes of lap swimming practicing strokes and enjoying some exercise with friends. Afterward, we treated ourselves to a walk to Old Town for Buttercream Cupcakery's Gingerbread Cupcake Day. (I truly believe that part of health and wellness is not depriving yourself of things that you enjoy. Moderation is key in the success of any wellness program.) Following our visit to the Cupcakery, we headed for the first presentation by Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain. An amazing, engaging, and charismatic speaker, we were all inspired by his words and uplifted by his humor. We were all reminded about the preciousness of life and the importance of taking a light-hearted approach to it as well. It was well worth the small ticket cost and the proceeds for the event went to the Fort Collins Reads program, which supports local libraries and bookstores.

Thanks to everyone who came out this weekend and made it such a fun and active time. We are excited about the changes coming up and keep checking the calendar for more fun and healthful events!

CORE CHALLENGE (5 days per week for 30 days):
Front Plank (start w/ 10 seconds)
Side Plank - Right then Left (start w/ 10 seconds)
Torso Twists - Using Weights or Medicine Ball (as many as you can)
Plank-Ups - Starting in plan on your right side move slowly down to your elbows and then back up to plank - switch sides and do as many as you can
Boat (hold as long as possible)
Side Plank Rotation Twists (as many as you can)
Bicycle Crunches (as many as you can)

Always increasing your numbers every other time you do them.

Essential Health & Wellness

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:37:00 +0000

In response to the overwhelming demand for exercise, health, and wellness, we have decided to move Northern Colorado Outdoors more in that direction. With so many people in the world questioning our current healthcare system, we, as a society, are now turning to holistic practitioners and to changes in our lifestyles to help us with chronic issues or to just live long and healthy lives.

This is wonderful news because for those of you that don't know, I have always been interested in creating a healthy community of folks that want to exercise, eat well, and live a full and productive life, which is what Northern Colorado Outdoors is becoming! We already have a group of runners, swimmers, and climbers! We hope to attract more people to this healthy community that continues to be about getting outdoors and having fun, and is also about living a life of compassion, balance, truth, and joy. And, of course, with all things health and wellness related, we will have food, too!

So, as we take off on this journey of wellness, I encourage everyone this holiday season to think twice about picking up those sugary treats and enjoy a smoothie with fresh vegetables and fruit or a delicious soup without all the meat products. I also challenge you to get out and take a yoga class or a spinning class, learn to swim, or climb a wall. Enjoy your life! Afterall, that's what being healthy and well is all about!

Re-organization

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Northern Colorado Outdoors is re-organizing its business plan and management at the moment. We plan to have all the kinks worked out over the next few weeks and begin running again with a full calendar of activities for our members! Keep checking the calendar because you will find more activities, more fun, and more friends than ever before! We're excited to get things moving again, so stick around! There's more to come!

Weekend Update Sep 3-6

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:03:00 +0000

It was a long weekend for Labor Day and we hope that you all had a great one, too! I know that we all did!

September 4: Tour de Fat, Fort Collins Style! The Tour de Fat commenced in its hometown this weekend to a record-breaking crowd! With a parade of bicycles of over 10,000 and a crazy after-party at the New Belgium Brewery, everyone is still talking about it! Costumes, bicycle inventions, delicious micro-brew beer, and loads of people watching! If you missed the Tour de Fat this year, that's okay! It happens every year, so you can join us next year with all the wild and crazy fun! This event also happens to be the largest fundraising event for our bicycle community! All proceeds from beer sales at the event go to the Overland Mountain Bike Club and Bike Fort Collins for trail work, bicycle advocacy, and so much more!

September 4: Monarch Crest Take II - The last big ride of the season ended at Monarch Crest for a second run this summer. It was a great one, too! No clouds in the sky, cool breezes the whole way, and smooth singletrack to lead our way. It was a monumentous ride to top them all! We added on the Silver Creek Trail this time, with some loose, technical descents, and some steep, fast climbs, it wasn't quite what we were expecting, but there were definitely some fun downhills in there to make up for the difficult parts of the trail.

September 5: Hikin' 14'ers and Celebratory Camping Trip with Jen P! Well, after a long summer of 14'ers, Jen finally finished all 54 14'ers in Colorado! A major accomplishment! She invited us to join her on her very last 14'er at Mount Handies, a class I, 6 - mile hike. It was a fun end to the summer and to Jen's 14'er journey. Congratulations to Jen for all her hard work this summer.

Otherwise, we got in some camping along the way, and some down time back at home... Whew! A great end to the summer season, tho, fall is getting full, too, so stay tuned for more!

Weekend Update Aug 28-29

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:25:00 +0000

Saturday, August 28th - We started out at 4am meeting at the Colorado Welcome Center at the intersection of Prospect and I-25 to begin our journey to Gray's Peak. It was so early that the sun had yet to shine it's first glimmer of light over the horizon, so breakfast in hand and sleepy-eyed, we caravanned two hours to the trailhead. The trailhead was much easier to find than we thought. The rough jeep road to get to the start of the hike gave us a chance to wake up a bit. Once we arrived, we didn't take much time at all to get ready. We put some layers on, grabbed our backpacks and set out for accomplishing the highest point on the Continental Divide: Gray's Peak, and for most, their first 14'er! It was slow at first getting used to the altitude, but once warmed up, it was one foot in front of the other as we climbed each switchback and boulder with deliberate and careful steps. Dawn, her son, Jake, and Brandon, set out quickly to accomplish the task at hand and waited at the top for us for a while. They were already cold by the time we arrived. We stopped for pictures along the way, and we saw some mountain goats at the top of one of the ridges. There were plenty of dogs on the trail to stop and pet, too! There was one border collie in particular that we played leap frog with, and he was doing a magnificent job on his first 14'er! A couple of us stopped halfway and turned around. It was difficult to breathe and the trail was steep in places, but most of us summitted the 14,000 foot mountain, signed in and took plenty of pictures. We hung out on the top for a while and ate lunch and talked to some of the other hikers. Our way back down was much more lively. Talking and giggling, we seemed to be flying down the mountain in record time; however, toward the end of the descent all of us were struggling with blisters and fatigue. We slowed it down, and made our way back to the car just in time for the afternoon showers. On the way back to Fort Collins, we stopped in Idaho Springs for some pizza at Beau Jo's. Some yummy food in our bellies and a great day of hiking and a major accomplishment left us all weary-eyed and happy to be back home.

Congratulations to Dawn Theis, Jake Theis, Brandon Barrett, Jennifer Hahn, and Eric Swab for their 1st 14'er! and to Jacquie Adams and Kristina Brown for their 2nd 14'er! Way to go guys!

Saturday, August 28th - Trail Work Day at Horsetooth Mountain Park! On the same day that we were climbing 14'ers, we had a group of dedicated folks who volunteered their time to working the trails at Horsetooth Mountain Park. The grassroots team at Full Cycle helped organize the event, and we had plenty of volunteers from Don't Hike Alone and Northern Colorado Outdoors! The trail work day was a success, and a big thanks goes out to Ralph Eberspacher for organizing the event and to Backcountry Provisions for their sandwich donations to our trail work crew!

Sunday, August 29th - Venus de Miles, a women's only ride starting in Longmont, Colorado, took off. With women supporting and women riding, it was a great day to be on a bicycle! It's always wonderful to see women of all ages, backgrounds shapes and sizes getting on their bicycles for a good cause! All proceeds benefitted a scholarship fund.

Sunday, August 29th - Monarch Crest Take 2 was unfortunately postponed until later... We hope to get out there again before the snows, but it may be next season before this happens...

All in all, it was a fun weekend, and we were all exhausted from the accomplishments and activities that happened! Looking forward to a major Labor Day Weekend coming up soon, too!

Weekend Update Aug 20-22

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:10:00 +0000

We started this last weekend a little early on Friday, and with all the excitement of New West Fest, we even ended it just a tad early, too!

Friday, August 20th - Hike Mt. Chiquita and Mt. Ypsilon in Rocky Mountain National Park! We finished what we had started a few weeks ago when we hiked up Mt. Chapin. We finished out the CCY with Chiquita and Ypsilon on Friday, and it was a beautiful day for it! It was amazing how much cooler it was at 13,000 feet than down along the Front Range where we were sweltering! We had quite a few adventures along the way. Elk were stubbornly lying across the trail we were hiking, so to be safe, we hiked off the trail to go around them. They didn't seem to mind us much, but their very large antlers were threatening nonetheless. We met up with a friendly little marmot that wanted our food at the top of Chiquita. Turns out that marmots love cherries! Who would have known? We got up to the top of Ypsilon and ate lunch while some clouds rolled in over us. With the clouds building, we cut our lunch short and headed back down the mountain. On the way back, instead of hiking back the way we had come, we went around Ypsilon and Chiquita to the trail. A long and arduous hike, we made it to the trail with relief. We took a break near a mountain stream in a meadow on the way back down. We arrived back to the trailhead exhausted and happy to have finished what we set out to do. We made our way back to Estes Park and picked up some food for the ride back down the canyon.

Friday, August 20th - New West Fest Kick-off! New West Fest is one of the biggest live music celebrations in Fort Collins! People come from all over Northern Colorado to participate in this free event, and they kicked it off with the Flobots on Friday night. We met up with everyone at Coopersmith's and had some dinner and drinks before going out to watch the music. With a fun group of people and great music, how could we not have a fun time?

Saturday, August 21st - Leo Luau - It was a hot day on Saturday, and the best way to cool off is in the river! Meeting up to celebrate our Leo Birthdays, we splashed around in the water with the dogs at a park on the east side of town. With a rope swing and some floaties, life doesn't get much better - except with food and yummy beverages!

Sunday, August 22nd - Women on Bikes Ladies' Choice ride and New West Fest - Our Women on Bikes Ride this week was a marvelous learning experience! We did some route planning, and practiced riding in traffic around campus and the city. Riding along paths that were unfamiliar to us, we found our way along the path we had chosen and made it back to New West Fest just in time for Post Paradise! Even with the hot day, the exercise felt good and the socializing was fun!

We have another big weekend next weekend! We'll be heading out to hike Grays and Torreys - two class II Fourteeners! Then, we'll stay the night to ride Monarch Crest the very next day! It's time to start packing everything in! Project End of Summer is underway!

Weekend Update Aug 13-15

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:10:00 +0000

This past weekend was one of the busiest of the season, and another fun and fabulous weekend with fun and fabulous people!

August 13th: Eat Pray Love, the Movie. A couple of us went for the matinee showing of Eat Pray Love at the Cinemark in Fort Collins! It did a beautiful job of living up to the book. Julia Roberts owned the role of Liz Gilbert, and pulled it off with finesse and grace. The movie was as powerful as the book in its heartfelt way of touching each person in the theatre in a different way. I recommend reading the book and watching the movie!

After the movie, we all gathered at the Tobler residence for Matt's Birthday BBQ! With yummy food and friends, we celebrated all evening by catching up and enjoying the Colorado evening!

August 14th: Mountain Biking Hall Ranch. Again, a few of us set out to discover the trails at Hall Ranch. We got there just at high time, but it didn't seem to bother any of us. We jumped on our bikes and wheels down on the dirt by 10am! The climb to the top of the trail was a little loose and technical but nothing that any of us couldn't handle. We pushed through it and arrived at the top for water and to enjoy the views. It was an amazing day! The weather was cool and the sun was shining! The next push was around the Nelson Loop after the Antelope Trail. It was another climb, but without a lot of the loose rock that existed in the first trail. There were a few technical spots that we cleared and ended up at the top of a hill with a view of Long's Peak just across the meadow! Now, this is where it got really fun! The Downhill! We hopped back on our bikes and bombed the downhill from the top of the Nelson Loop! Fun, fast, buttery trails! When we met back up at the intersection at Antelope and Nelson, we all hopped back on to do the last bit. Another fun, more technical descent to keep us on our toes. All in all, it was a great ride! Awesome weather, fun riding buddies, a great trail = an amazing mountain biking day. After a stop at the Cheese Importers in Longmont, we headed back to the Fort with smiles on our faces!

August 14th: Built to Spill Concert at Mishawaka. We headed up the Poudre Canyon toward the Columbine Lodge to see if we could find a camping spot before the show. Luckily, the folks at the Columbine Lodge gave us a small spot in the middle of the campground to set up tents. Camp was set up in no time at all, and we were hanging out having a drink before going up the canyon further to the Mish. We talked to some of the other campers and walked down to the river to hang out. Finally, our shuttle was ready to go. A little green station wagon and an interesting woman driving us to our destination. It sort of reminded me of something out of Harry Potter - any minute the car was going to take off flying or she was going to strap us in and take us to her lair for soup... Okay, I digress and my imagination was carried off for a moment. We arrived at Mishawaka in plenty of time for the show, so food and drinks were again in order. Now, if you want some good junk food, the Mish has some great burgers, fries, and chicken wings. I have yet to try their salads, but they have great junk food! After some food and meeting up with the rest of our group, we went down to the concert area during the opening band, Fin-Reagans, another Boise band. They had a good sound, although, by the end of their set some of their songs were beginning to sound alike. Built to Spill didn't waste any time going on stage. They came out right after the opening band, and played a great show! Everyone was dancing under the stars in the canyon. Built to Spill really rocked the Mish that night! After they finished their last set, we all went back to camp and crashed among the parties going on around us, one of which we found out later involved the opening band, the Fin-Reagans.

August 15th: Mountain Biking Curt Gowdy- Wyoming State Park - It was time for another Curt Gowdy ride! We were all stoked, and with Petro on a new bike, we headed out to Wyoming for some sweet rides! We followed Brad into Stone Temple and over Ignoramus. Some serious climbs that required advanced technical skills, but we all did well and cleared a lot of the rocks and roots that created the challenge. We followed Ignoramus around to a sweet part of Stone Temple, which was fast and flowy. Then, we jumped onto Albert's Way for some more buttery, smooth singletrack and then finished up on Mo 'Rocka - a technical descent through the trees. Petro, first time on her new bike with clips and a night out, did amazing! The rest of us had a great ride, too, and we finished up with some food from Sweet Melissa's in Laramie and a drive back to Fort Collins!

Canning with Carol - Jacquie's mom was in town for the weekend and generously offered her canning skills to us for all of our harvest from gardens and CSA's. She showed us how to pack the vegetables and fruit, how long to boil it, and what ingredients we needed to add to the jars. All the fruit and veggies looked beautiful preserved in the jars. We canned green beans, peaches, and squash, and can't wait to preserve more from the harvest!

Whew! That's it for our busy, busy weekend! It sure feels good to go back to work after such a fun weekend!

Living Your Best Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:01:00 +0000

I've been doing a series as editor of a Houston Newsletter on Living Your Best Life, and I wanted to share some of those same comments here. Northern Colorado Outdoors is one of the best places to learn to Live Your Best Life. You can interact with people socially and actively, you can learn new sports and new activities, you can get active and get in shape, you can travel and see other parts of the country/world, you can expand your mind through movies, books, culture, and life, and the list goes on and on.

Living your best life is something that Oprah has successfully created as part of her talk show and part of her magazine, and it is so popular because it is so relevant. We are all looking for ways to live our best life. After all, we only have one chance at it, right?

Everyone has their own experiences with this topic, and mine, just like everyone's, involves experience. We are all seeking friendships and experiences in life that are worthwhile. We want to continue to have those magical moments when we ride a trail all the way through for the very first time or when we make up the hill without stopping. These are the moments that make life worthwhile, and kudos to all of our Northern Colorado Outdoors' members for seeking those experiences and continually growing from them!

Most often these experiences come in the form of glimpses instead of long-term experiences; however, it is the consistent effort and the love and motivation that is put forth in our efforts that make those glimpses even more special. I encourage everyone, everywhere to experience something new every day and enjoy life to its very fullest!

Happy Trails!

Weekend Update Aug 7-8

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:31:00 +0000

I have to say, I do have the best job in the whole world! I get to play outside and hang out with really cool people! It was another wonderful weekend in Northern Colorado. Just check out all the fun things we did:

Saturday Farmer's Market & Brunch - A leisurely morning led us to the Larimer County Farmer's Market at Mason and Oak St. in Old Town Fort Collins. There were loads of great buys there with fresh garlic, mushrooms, eggplant and the peaches just started arriving. Afterward, we headed over to Dempsey's for some brunch and people watching. The people watching was light, but the food was good! Fresh squeezed orange juice and rosemary-potato bread toasted! Yum!

Saturday Ruff Hike and Pooch Swim - After some time napping and shopping, we all met up at the Dog Park for some hiking around the lake and a chance for the dogs to get a good swim. They all chased each other through the water and got good and worn out and cooled off from the heat. It was a hot day, but the pooch plunge made it all worthwhile.

Sunday Pedal to the Point - The Pedal to the Point ride was this year out in Wellington. The proceeds from the ride go to the Realities for Children organization. The weather was a little warm, but it was doable. 52 and 25 miles across the Front Range from Wellington to I-25 to Fort Collins and back again! Whew! Great ride!

For those of us that didn't do the Pedal to the Point, we went on an impromptu mountain bike ride to scout out the new trails at Curt Gowdy for next week's ride! It was breezy and cool along the hilly Wyoming landscape. Can't wait to get back out next weekend for more mountain biking, live music, and fun!

Weekend Update July 31-Aug 1

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:31:00 +0000

The summer doesn't seem to be winding down at all! Our segue into August was just as busy as ever!

Friday evening we went up to Laramie, Wyoming, and camped with the Laramie Enduro racers. It was a fun family experience! Lots of kids and dogs running around, a campfire, and dinner in Laramie at Sweet Melissa's Vegetarian Cafe. We had delicious cashew cheese queso, a portabello swiss veggie burger with mashed potatoes, and some yummy beers!

Saturday was the race. We were up at 5:45am getting ready to race at 7:00am. We stuffed our packs full of goo's, loaded up our camelbacks with hydration, geared up and headed out... We waited at the race start for a few minutes before they called the "GO" signal. Once we got started, there was a climb to get to the singletrack, which started to thin people out. It was a fun 16 miles or so. Fast and flowy over jeep roads. We stayed in the middle to end of our pack for a while until we got to the long grueling climb at about mile 20. Once the long and grueling climb was over, we were bonking with no food in our bellies and DNF'd at the second aid station. For not having trained for the race at all, 30 miles felt like a good accomplishment for this year. We will go back next year and conquer the Laramie Enduro! As for the rest of the crew, we had two others DNF at mile 60 for exhaustion and a crash. One finished at 10 hours and a few others finished in just over 9 hours. It was a tough race! Congratulations to everyone who got out there and put in the effort!

We didn't have anything on the calendar for Sunday. We were trying to go tubin' up the Poudre but the weather got in the way. It was all good, though! A few folks got together for a hot yoga class at Breathe that night. It felt good to sweat all those toxins out and get a good workout!

More events are being posted to the calendar for August this week! Make sure and check the calendar often to find out what's going on!

Why do you ride?

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:15:00 +0000

Why I Ride
by Chad Stamper

"I think this is it." I thought to myself while beginning my rocky dual track ascent up what would prove to be an amazing journey. Dark clouds form above me and the sound of thunder a short distance away threatens my ride. Unfazed by natures attempt to knock me down I push on expecting harsh rains and bitter cold temperatures. "Should I turn back?" No, a little rain can be fun but the cold is a little too much to bare. My uncovered hands were going numb. I press on though, thinking the workout would warm me up.

For the next two miles, I endured a steady dual track climb in what felt like freezing rain. The intensity of the ride warmed my lower half while my arms were kept numb by the wind. Reaching the top, I am greeted by a spectacular view of Lee Mountain. Within seconds, the clouds begin to disperse and the suns rays thaw my chilled arms.

Another trail intersect and a steep but quick hill, I made it to the top. The thought of 3 miles of mostly singletrack downhill reverberated in my head. The first two miles greet me with technical rock and root combinations. My calves burn while my toes grip the pedals, hands on weak brakes, I continue my descent.

The scenery changes again with a turn into the trees. I find myself tracking a small stream, hands still clasped tight absorbing roots and splashing my way down. Turn after turn and bump after bump, one of my best rides yet.
Finally, reaching the blacktop, I know the ride is coming to an end. Hands off the bars, arms spread, palms up, wearing a smile. This... is why I ride.

Weekend Update July 24-25

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:04:00 +0000

Our weekend was a little lighter this time around, but still, with plenty to do! Pictures are already posted at the website to give you a little preview of what we were up to!

Backpacking the Rawah Wilderness: Eric led this trip with Andy, and they had an amazing time! Heading out into the backcountry on a beautiful weekend would lift anyone's spirits! And, there was a cool front that came through to top it all off! They saw moose, alpine lakes, and some of the best views in Colorado!

Trail Work Day at Horsetooth Mountain Park: Armed with over fifteen people for our Trail Work Day, we helped to maintain the Spring Creek Trail by replacing water bars, cutting back brush, and taking down burms. It was a successful day, and thank you, NCO for providing lunch from Whole Foods! Not only was it successful, but we all got a great workout, got to know each other better, and had a lot of fun, too!

Beach Party at Horsetooth Reservoir: There's not much better than a dip in the lake after Trail Work Day! We ran back to town and grabbed a few groceries and headed back out to South Bay. Fired up the grills, and had a plethora of food from salads, steaks, hamburgers, and chicken skewers! The chilly swim in the lake cooled everything off. Matt and Jay helped a goose with a fish hook in its neck, and we topped off this fabulous day with a slice of cherry pie!

Women on Bikes: We had a fun day at Women on Bikes on Sunday! We met at the City Park Pavilion and rode into Old Town for some brunch at Lucile's. Afterward, we did a short loop around town and headed back to City Park! We are looking forward to the clinic this week on Wednesday! If you don't know how to fix-a-flat, come on out and learn! Bring your bike, and we'll all fix flats together!

Shakespeare at Sunset: Elise led a group of folks to the Shakespeare at Sunset series again this weekend. Romeo and Juliet was performed at the CSU Theatre across from the experimental gardens. This age-old classic of love and love lost was a nice change of pace to the active, outdoors' lifestyle that is the norm for our group!

Meet & Greet & Photography Clinic

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:41:00 +0000

Thanks to The Photographic Touch for hosting us this week on Wednesday, July 21st at their place of business in South Loveland! We had a great time learning some of the finer points of taking pictures even with a point-and-shoot camera! From cropping and highlighting to software and ISO, they covered a whole range of interesting ways to make our photos better when outdoors on a hike! They will continue to update us regarding their upcoming nature photography classes!

Wilbur's was fantastic for offering a great discount on the beer and wine served at the Meet & Greet, and NCO provided all the food for the event!

Thanks to everyone for coming out!

Weekend July 17-18

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:22:00 +0000

We had a busy weekend again! We have such a fun group, and look forward to each event that comes up!

Elise led the group at the Shakespeare at Sunset theatre production at CSU. They had a picnic before the show and then saw Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Brad led the Brewery Tour on Bikes on Saturday. It was a hot one, but with cold brews, it made for a fun day!

Colleen led a beautiful hike to Brown Lake up the Poudre Canyon. She had a good group of about 10 people! Getting out of the heat from the Front Range was a great idea, and helps remind us how wonderful it is to live in Colorado and have access to these amazing natural spaces!

Kristina led an early morning hike to Mt. Chapin with 10 people. Getting up to the trailhead, it was about 49 degrees and we saw the sunrise as we drove through the canyon to RMNP. During our first steps up the trailhead, we encountered a moose, which was a wonderful surprise! As we hiked further and higher, we saw marmots, pica, and ptarmigans. We made it to the summit of Mt. Chapin before noon, and headed back down snacking in a meadow with a babbling brook running through. We got back to the cars and made it back to Estes for pizza before heading back down. It was a wonderful day to be out on a hike!

Kevin led the group on a Tubin' trip down the Poudre River. On a hot day, this was the best medicine! Some cool water along the way and bbq waiting at the end! The sun warmed things up, and the rapids were just high enough for some fun and laughs!

Great weekend, NCO! We're not even half-way through the summer, either!

Overcoming difficulties

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:40:00 +0000

So, it is Thursday, and the big half marathon over the dams at Horsetooth Reservoir is on Sunday. For those of you who don't know, the run is over some monster hills before flattening out at the end. It isn't an easy half marathon, and I was training hard before I got into the raw food diet.

My good mileage was 10-12 miles on the weekend, and five miles was an easy run during the week. I felt really good by the end of February that I was going to make good time on the half marathon. Then, I came down with a cold. I couldn't get out of bed for a week, and the symptoms lingered for two to three weeks. I didn't want it to turn into anything worse, so I stopped my training.

During that time, I also discovered the raw diet. I did some research and started eating raw as my cold started to retreat. This brought on a whole new set of issues with trying to train. My body was detoxing and healing and didn't want to run the distances that I had been running previously. I still struggle with my workouts even now.

Regardless, in going through all of this, I am now at the countdown of day 3 until the half marathon, and I am going to do it whether I walk it or run it. It may be raining that day, too, just to ice the cake. I've put myself on a mostly mono-diet of bananas to help with my stomach irritations and to provide energy for the upcoming run.

All in all, I know that I won't be running the half marathon at my best time, but with all the changes in my body, it will be a success just to finish it. I'll sign up for the same half marathon next year and hope that this time next year I'm in the best shape of my life and will far exceed my time from this year and previous years.

Inspiring and Aspiring Women of the Outdoors

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:34:00 +0000

The women of Northern Colorado Outdoors continue to amaze and inspire me each and every time I see them. With their every day lives, they are all seemingly ordinary. They all have jobs and families and responsibilities; however, on the weekends when we all go play together, they are instantly transformed into adventurous and warrior women. They try new things, and push themselves to the very limits of their beings.

It's difficult to know where to begin. The story of the woman who came to Colorado to get away for the summer, and she ended up making friends and coming back to live! She tried just about everything from hiking and biking to mountaineering and climbing! She just tried snowshoeing last weekend, and she has more plans for the summer to keep it going! I can't wait to see what she does next!

There's the story of the woman that was going through a divorce when she started with our group, and she was working on losing some weight and getting in shape. She is now signed up for a half marathon and she is running better than ever! She is spending time with her teenage son, and she just joined the board of the Parks and Recreation department! She always has something new happening in her life. She has been trying activities like ice fishing and archery. She has absolutely transformed her life!

There was a woman that I worked with a few years ago that joined the group and wanted to get in shape and lose weight. Now, a few years later, she is cycling in century rides and running in half marathons. She has lost the weight, and she is in the best shape of her life!

These are just a few of the stories that come to the top of my head about women who have inspired me. All of these women are so much more than ordinary, and they are all excited about life and getting out in the world and experiencing as much of it as possible. This is exactly what life is about, and I am happy that Northern Colorado Outdoors has given them an opportunity to find themselves and activities that give them this sense of fulfillment!

If you would like to know more about Northern Colorado Outdoors, visit our website at: http://www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com

The Magic of NCO

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:56:00 +0000

I was in Houston last week with my very good friends, Jenn, Carrie, and Kelly, and I had one of the best times of my life. I appreciate them more than ever now that we live in different areas and don't get to see each other as often as I would like...

Regardless, we went out to dinner and caught up on old friend stuff, and we did the things that we became friends doing. We hiked, we biked, and we stayed active. I went for a mountain bike ride at my favorite place, Rocky Hill Ranch. I was slower than usual, but I could tell that my technical prowess had improved and my stamina had also improved. I felt like I could have ridden all day at the pace I was going...

Anyway, I digress. I realized after talking to my friend Kelly that groups like NCO bring a sort of Magic with them. The ability to get out and have a great time with other people that want to do the same thing is magic. There's nothing short of a miracle about connecting people and helping them to get active and learn new ways to have fun.

Northern Colorado Outdoors, Bayou City Outdoors, Hill Country Outdoors, and all of our other groups have done just that. We have all connected people to some of our best friends so that we can go out and experience life to its fullest with people that share our love of life.

For 2010, Northern Colorado Outdoors will be all over the state of Colorado sharing the connection and the magic of meeting people that have the same interests and may become your lifetime friend! Northern Colorado Outdoors will be living life to its fullest and showing others that they can do the same thing! Watch out Colorado! Northern Colorado Outdoors will be planning an event near you!

Chillin' In the Fort

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:09:00 +0000

The Children's Speech and Reading Center will be hosting a Spooktacular Fun Run this weekend at the Spring Canyon Community Park in Fort Collins, Colorado. On Sunday, October 25th, volunteers and supporters will be dressing up in costumes and donning their running shoes to get out and help this worthwhile community center for children with reading, speaking, and learning disabilities.

If you are available to get out for a run or walk this weekend, this is a great way to meet new people and enjoy the beautiful fall weather that the Fort Collins area has been receiving. In the Spring and Fall, Fort Collins is host to benefit runs almost every weekend. If you are a runner and want to get that long run in with other avid runners, and maybe even meet a new running buddy, too, find a fun run that matches your activity level, and join in!

For more information on the Spooktacular Fun Run, you can visit the Children's Speech and Reading Center Website at: http://www.csrckids.org/

For more information on Northern Colorado Outdoors, visit the website at: http://www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com or email: info@NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com

Changing seasons...

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Ahhh! The Fall is here, and with it, comes beautiful cool, crisp weather and the warm, rich tones of the trees changing colors. The summer is over and the harvest season is upon us. Farmer's Markets are beginning to empty their stocks to eager buyers willing to can, preserve, and freeze the last bit of summer. While still others are heading out to the mountains for a hike through the Aspens in full bloom and quaking with the breezes that blow through their leaves.

For Northern Colorado Outdoors, the Fall means getting outdoors and taking a drive over Independence Pass or heading up to Estes Park for Elk Fest on October 4th. It means going for mountain bike rides and hikes and heading to the farm to help with the fall harvest. More than anything, Fall means a time to join together as a community and get ready for the colder months ahead. We begin to look for things to do indoors and find more time to spend with friends and visiting relatives.

As a smaller community within the larger community of Fort Collins, we are indeed lucky to live in a place with so many options for the changing seasons. With Fort Collins situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, we have lakes and streams and rivers as well as forests of Aspens and Pines. All of which change with each season that passes.

Our diverse landscape is just one of the benefits of living in this community. We have a University that not only holds our academic programs, but also provides our community with art and culture. The University gives us a Fall sports lineup with Football at the forefront, and it has helped us thrive as an agricultural community so that our harvest season really does mean something.

All in all, the changing seasons is an exciting time. It marks the end of the hot, lazy summer days and the beginning of preparations for the shorter days of winter, the beginning of the holiday season, and the beginning of a new school year. Northern Colorado Outdoors is opening up this new beginning and inviting everyone to a few of our fall events this October. You can find our Fort Collins Brewery Tour on Bikes as well as a hike at Pawnee Buttes National Grasslands and our October Meet and Greet all open to the public! If you haven't been to a Northern Colorado Outdoors' event this Fall, join us this month and find out how much fun it is to be active outdoors!

For more information, visit our website: www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com or email: info@NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com

That's Too Cool, Fort Collins!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Money Magazine just came out with their latest "Best Places in the United States to Live" and Fort Collins was once again at the top of the list! With so many great things to do and fun places to do them, it's hard to know where to get started. Northern Colorado Outdoors can help! We plan events throughout the month that are specific to the Northern Colorado area. In June we took advantage of the high rivers and went rafting. In May, we took a short weekend trip out to Moab for some early season mountain biking and hiking. And in July, we are taking a group of adventurous hikers up to the summit of Long's Peak.

Our calendar is full of outdoor activities and even social activities, so if you're looking for something to do this summer, just take a peek at our calendar: http://www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com Between cool social activities that will take you out of the heat to fun outdoor summer activities that will get you active and in the mountains, we have something for you!

For more information on Northern Colorado Outdoors, visit our website at: http://www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com or email us at: info@NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com

Keep Colorado Beautiful!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Colorado is one of the most beautiful places to live in the United States. We have the foothills and just beyond that are the great Rocky Mountains. We have the plains to the East, where you can look out and see for miles. We have wonderful weather (normally). With mild summers and snowy winters, we can take advantage of this beautiful place year-round.

That being said, it is so important to keep our natural spaces beautiful and the trails in our parks maintained. We have many groups in the area that work diligently to make this happen. Team BOB (Babes on Bikes) requires trail work as part of the membership to the group as does Overland Mountain Bike Club. Recently, our own group, Northern Colorado Outdoors and Full Cycle have adopted a trail at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space to help with this very worthy cause. There are so many opportunities to get out and make a difference in our community that it is often difficult to choose what works best for you.

Consider the amount of time that is spent outdoors by most residents along the Front Range of Northern Colorado? All of those people use the trails for mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. The trails get a beating from all of the use throughout the warmer seasons. As residents of this beautiful state, we all have a responsibility to give back and continue to keep our parks and natural areas beautiful We want to be able to go to these places for years to come, and we have to make a difference now.

So, if you're interested in pitching in and helping NoCo Outdoors with our work day coming up on Saturday, July 11th at 8:45 am. Sign up at our website: http://www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com or look up Larimer County for more opportunities to work on the trails in the area. (Lunch will be provided to volunteers signing up for the trail work day on July 11th. Make sure and sign up early as space is limited!)

For more information on Northern Colorado Outdoors, visit our website at: www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com or email us at: info@NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com

Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:04:00 +0000

As we get older, it seems more and more difficult to make new and meaningful friends. If you don't already have a group of friends, then getting out from behind our computers and televisions or out of our comfort zone is a little scary.

That's one thing that I really like about Northern Colorado Outdoors. We have a fun and easy social network in which to make friends with people who have some of the same interests! We have so much to do on the calendar these days that you can meet new people each time you go out! Some people like to bicycle and others like to hike. Some people prefer live music and socializing and others prefer being outdoors. We have such a mix of members and activities that it's never that difficult to meet up with someone that you share interests, activities, or ideas with.

It is the people that really make the club what it is, and we have a really wonderful group of people. Everyone is active, encouraging, positive, and fun! We all help and support each other as well as provide fun and interesting conversations. We are a community in the truest sense of the word, which is more important than ever right now.

If you haven't made it to an event yet, join us for a Meet and Greet or another event soon! We'll be happy to introduce you to our members and tell you all about our upcoming events on the calendar. We also take suggestions! So, if there's something that you want to do, let us know and we'll put something together for you!

If you would like more information on Northern Colorado Outdoors, check out our website at: www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com or email us at: info@NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com

noreply@blogger.com (Kristina Brown, Outdoor Gal) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:31:00 +0000

While the rain made it tragically difficult to get outdoors for the few weeks that it wouldn't go away, it did make it amazingly wonderful to be outdoors after it left. The sun is now shining and drying up the ground and the plants are greener than I've ever seen them. The grass is soft, the trees are full, the flowers are in full bloom. Colorado doesn't get much more beautiful than this. The foothills look like the tropical mountains of Hawaii rather than the arid Rocky mountains.

Hiking in the area brings huge surprises right now. Waterfalls are still running even with the winter runoff coming to an end. Horsetooth Falls is running nicely and the Falls at Lory State Park are also going strong. The Poudre Canyon is full of water making rafting, kayaking, and canoeing some of the best we've seen. Horsetooth Reservoir is full again and ready for a dip at one of the beaches. As you go further into the mountains, the waterfalls are everywhere you look! So, with all of this extra water around, enjoy it and get out and see it! Whether you're playing in it or hiking to view it, get outdoors and be apart of it!

Northern Colorado Outdoors takes hikes on a regular basis around the Northern Colorado area. If you'd like to join us on a hike, visit our website at: www.NorthernColoradoOutdoors.com and Join Today!