We left late on Sunday afternoon for a hike in the mountains. We drove on Canyon Road which snaked from Boulder up through the foothills to Nederland and then past the entrance to Eldora Ski Resort. I had never hiked in this area.
Gathering clouds threatened rain, but that didn’t stop our merry crew.
After bumping along the dirt road through the tiny mountain town of Eldora (which I didn’t know existed), we finally arrived at our destination.
Our first encounter was with a couple of serious hikers with a not-so-serious-looking dog. Check out her shoes. They were fancier than mine!
Roxy was so jealous!
We struck Colorado gold along the way.
Chills ran down my spine not only from the drop in temperature as we gained altitude, but from a short story I wrote over a year ago. I had created the setting without knowing a location like it existed near Boulder. I experienced deja-vu while we hiked. Everything I had imagined in my fiction appeared around us.
The story begins when a young woman drives into the foothills to clear her head. She camps out for the night…..ALONE……I know! I love setting up my unsuspecting protagonists. I will post the short story on Friday.
The trail meandered along a river.
After hiking for an hour and a half, we arrived at Lost Lake.
We would like to hike it again sometime and camp out.
Taking a break.
On our way back down, we happened upon an old hiker standing along the trail. He mumbled something and then trudged behind us. It occurred to me that it was getting late and we had no cell service and there was no one else on the trail and he was kind of creepy and we had no idea what he was carrying in his pack and then he stopped to take a break since he was an older gentleman and we never saw him again.
Roxy is camouflaged by the five pounds of dirt she picked up in her fur.
I think she was disappointed not to catch up with her hiking-dog friend. I bet Roxy would like to find out where she could buy those fancy shoes!
Roxy loves her “ghetto mittens.”
She can’t wait to put them on.
“I wonder if Mom will let me hike in my ghetto mittens next week. I feel a video coming on.”
Where do you like to go to escape?
Susie Lindau's Wild Ride 
Damn–we are lucky to live here, aren’t we?
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We are! Thanks for coming by!
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Susie, Colorado is such an inspiration for hikes and all other sports, be it summer or winter. I can’t wait to read your short story. Isn’t it fun to actually see in real life what you’ve written in fiction? I’ve had that happen before. It’s crazy! Now, what about those doggie shoes? I can tell that the mittens are not gonna cut it girlfriend. Roxy’s sights are on a new pair of shoes, especially if she’s walking on rocks and gravel. Gotta have ’em! Thanks for sharing those beautiful, serene pictures. 🙂
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Great photos and I love the doggie boots!
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Aren’t they the mostest! Roxy will have to get a pair…Thanks so much!
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Breathtaking! Looks like a lovely place to hike. And how cool that you saw your fictional world in the real world?
Poor Roxy. No cool hiking booties? Just ghetto mittens? What kind of a mommy are you anyway? I want to see Roxy in her hiking boot real soon. Maybe you could take up a collection on your blog. I’d donate.
Creepy guy on the trail – love that! Our writer’s minds love that kind of stuff. I’m making up crap right now about who he is and where he comes from.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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Hahaha!
There is so much to explore out here. I would like to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park before the snow flies. The elk will be bugling up there by now.
I will have to look into Roxy’s boots! With the way she took to her Ghetto mittens, she would love some real ones!
I am glad that creepy guy stirred your imagination. Maybe he was a sociology professor and was doing an experiment!
Thanks Patricia!
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Susie – Could I just say I’m jealous of the autum colors in your pictures and my shit zue is so bummed out after seeing the hiking shoes and even more so over the slippers. I hope she doesn’t pout for long. Now I have to get my dog loving friends to check your post out –
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Where do you live Sheri?
We do get the gold’s out here and some brilliant colors in town where people have planted trees, but up in the mountains, the trees are primarily evergreens and aspens so it is a striking contrast!
Your poor little shit zue! You might have to strap on some ghetto mittens and let her give them a whirl! All of her friends will be so jealous! Hahaha!
Thanks Sheri!
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More beautiful photographs, Susie. Thank you! And, no, I can assure you that Roxy is not jealous. In doggie talk, she was saying, “Whoa, that is some seriously ugly footwear! I can’t believe your people thought that was a good idea! Poor you…”
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Hahahaha! I wish there was a way that readers could hear me laugh when I read their comments!
I bet you are right and that poor little dog was so embarrassed! Hahaha! Still laughing!
Thanks so much!
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Love your photo essays, Susie, and the doggie is too cute. Thanks for sharing with us:)
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Thanks Stacy! Roxy always steals the show, but this time she shared the spotlight!
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So the day after this idyllic hike with eerie old guys lurking and a peacock disguised as a dog in fancy footwear, was Roxy subject to a visit at the groomer’s to alleviate her of the five pounds of dirt stashed in her fur, or did she just deposit her haul on the sofa for you to Dirt Devil?
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Hahahaha! This time Danny hosed her down in the sink, but that hasn’t always been the case! Her favorite spot to lay down on has a big fake fur blanket covering it. I bet it weighs 30 pounds by now!
Hahaha! You crack me up!
Thanks V!
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Looks like a beautiful hike. And I’m sure Roxy wasn’t too jealous… I don’t see any photos of another dog rockin’ ghetto mittens! She’s a trendsetter for sure. 😉
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She is a trendsetter! I think I’ll share the video tomorrow showing how excited she gets when I pull out her ghetto mittens! Hahaha!
It was a gorgeous place. There are so many places I have yet to explore out here. It does make it easier when I can take these photos with my phone!
Thanks so much Jessica!
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Looks like a fun time was had by all. 🙂
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It was so much fun! They are mini adventures and so close to home.
Thanks so much for stopping by to read!
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love all the vibrant yellows.. and really that poor poor dog 🙂
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Are you serious? Hahaha! I know you aren’t. She begs to put them on. I just made a video of her that proves it. Roxy is one of a kind!
Thanks so much!
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For a second there, I thought Rox was striking the pose of a VERY serious four legged person. And then I looked down. On the serious(er) side, what a beautiful collection of images.
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Thanks Cayman! I just finished editing a video of Roxy’s Ghetto Mittens Revisited. Hahaha! She is hilarious!
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She is most definitely getting down with her bad self.
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Get down Get down! oooOOOoooOOOoO!
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All the photos are beautiful as usual. OMG! But nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to the Ghetto Mittens..I’m crying…hahahaha! Before I even read your caption about the other dog, I gasped and said “Roxy must had been so jealous” Lol!
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You should see tomorrow’s blog. I videotaped her in all her glorious Ghetto Mittens! Hahaha!
Thanks so much! Roxy will look forward to seeing what you think of her new feature!
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Oh I can’t wait!
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She is ridiculous! Hahaha! She really does love the camera and the mittens. I think the treats go hand in hand, literally! 🙂
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I really loved going along your hike with you today, Susie! It was so sweet to see you with your hubs and pup in that photo.. very photogenic family!! Love those dog shoes… but I love your ghetto pup shoes more:D Glad you made it out safely without incident!!
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Thanks so much Barbara! Roxy is a hoot! I just blogged a video of her in them. She thinks she is a star! Hahaha!
I always think of how vulnerable campers are and then up walks the creepy guy! I guess hikers can be too although he was probably just an old timer.
Have a great day!
BTW-My son just got a job at Johnny Carino’s as a saute chef! He is a senior in college. To think I worried about him starving when he moved out of the dorms! Hahaha!
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I love the photos Susie. The autumn colours are lovely. But I think your dog stole the show with those mitten shoes!! 😉
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She did as always! She made her second video and I just blogged it. She really loves her Ghetto Mittens!
Thanks Ellie!
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Beautiful photos! Looks like another lovely hike. Why do they call it Lost Lake? Do you have to be lost to find it? 😀
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It’s halfway up the mountain! It’s a gorgeous site Debra. Thank for coming on the virtual hike!
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Love the paw fashions!
That’s such a beautiful area – fall definitely there.
There are always characters on the trails – I hate to get practically run over by the ones that are actually running the trail…especially if I’m doing good just to scramble along.
Thanks for the Rocky views
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Crazy deja vu indeed. The creepy man behind you, in the woods, alone (or at least with your dude and your dog with mittens) … yeah that sounds like the beginnings of an episode of the The Closer. Love your pictures though wish I had something forestry with a lake nearby but it’s over a two hour drive here. 🙂
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I did write about this before I even hiked it! Crazy…I blogged it today. Not my usual 100 word flash…It creeped me out as I edited! Whoa….
Thanks Guat and have a great weekend!
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Beautiful photos! That crazy dog with the shoes and love the mittens!
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Thanks Renee! I hope to take some more this weekend.
She is one crazy dog who loves her ghetto mittens! Hahaha!
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Gorgeous photos and place!
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Thanks Angela! That means a lot coming from you!
I am an amateur, but am really loving photography. Coming from an art background, I really love capturing these moments and places. It is a lot faster than drawing or painting the scene.
I think I may add a photography category!
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