June 13-15, 2022
If I had known earlier, I would have come sooner.
As we came off Hoosier Pass into the small ski town, elevation 9600’, I could not have been more “gobsmacked” by its utter beauty. Surrounded by snow-laced mountains and cedar forests, it is all fairly “new”, having been built into its current ski-destination identity since 1960, when three Nordic friends emigrated, saw its potential, and established the first lifts. Now it is a year-round outdoor-enthusiast destination – and the people keep coming.
We checked in for two nights (a spontaneous decision — but high temps would be in the 60’s and 70’s) at a little ragtag motel tucked between two less-than ragtag condo communities. LOGE Camp (Live Outside Go Explore) appears to be run by very energetic, hard-working young people, catering to those enthusiasts. The rooms have no AC, a tiny shower, and feature two sets of hooks for hanging bikes, sturdy hooks in the wall and ceiling for hanging your hammock, trays for muddy boots, and a Stanley cooler for storing ice and extra cold stuff that doesn’t fit the little fridge. Very simple and well thought out. The windows all open wide to welcome that 40-50 degree overnight temp.
Since we had not walked except around downtown Manitou Springs, but the elevation being what it was in Breckenridge (which we felt the entire time), we opted to walk around the local reservoir, slightly uphill from the main town and surrounded by trees, the mountains just glimpsed over their tops.
Clouds were on the move, across mountain faces, across the sun, and obscuring the nearly full moon – but the entire effect was just stunning.
We dined at the Flip Side on Main Street and retreated back to our room to rest and recoup. Little did we know what we were in for on the next day.
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