We spent the holiday weekend camping about 15 miles south of Eagle, CO. Once you exit I-70 at Eagle, you lose cell coverage quickly as you pass through some beautiful ranches for about 10 miles. Then you enter Sylvan Lake State Park and have to travel another 5 miles on a rutted and pot-holed dirt road before you reach the gem of a lake surrounded by mountains.
This is definitely a special place and one we didn't want to leave even after three days. The weather was quite windy, but it really didn't matter. We had so much fun being together and entertaining ourselves with nature.
The lake is relatively small and has a trail that goes all the way around. Saturday was too windy to be on the lake, so we ventured out on the trail to stretch the legs. All was good except for a few pockets of gnats that were impossible to avoid. Megan made it abundantly clear she was not happy about having to keep her mouth closed while passing through. At the southern end, you encounter the creek that feeds into the lake.
On Sunday, we got out on the kayaks before the wind picked up again. It was awesome and is super relaxing to float and bob in the waves. Megan & I can still fit in a kayak together and took turns paddling into the breeze.
Even Rocky joined us. Can you tell that he'll be on his best behavior if we just include him in the action?
When we got to the southern end of the lake, Megan & I explored the creek and found where all the BIG trout hang out!
Shortly thereafter, I hopped out and Megan continued to navigate the creek on her own.
On Monday, the calm morning provided another opportunity to get out on the water. This was a big day as Zoe learned to kayak on her own. It took about 10 minutes of figuring out how to turn her ship around, but then she had it and began cruising confidently.
Tanya & I sat on the shore and watched with joy. It was one of those moments where you recognize how fast your "little" kids are growing up. Especially the further they got away from us!
Kayaking was great fun, but we had many more memorable experiences that we'll share over the coming days.
This is definitely a special place and one we didn't want to leave even after three days. The weather was quite windy, but it really didn't matter. We had so much fun being together and entertaining ourselves with nature.
The lake is relatively small and has a trail that goes all the way around. Saturday was too windy to be on the lake, so we ventured out on the trail to stretch the legs. All was good except for a few pockets of gnats that were impossible to avoid. Megan made it abundantly clear she was not happy about having to keep her mouth closed while passing through. At the southern end, you encounter the creek that feeds into the lake.
On Sunday, we got out on the kayaks before the wind picked up again. It was awesome and is super relaxing to float and bob in the waves. Megan & I can still fit in a kayak together and took turns paddling into the breeze.
Even Rocky joined us. Can you tell that he'll be on his best behavior if we just include him in the action?
When we got to the southern end of the lake, Megan & I explored the creek and found where all the BIG trout hang out!
Shortly thereafter, I hopped out and Megan continued to navigate the creek on her own.
On Monday, the calm morning provided another opportunity to get out on the water. This was a big day as Zoe learned to kayak on her own. It took about 10 minutes of figuring out how to turn her ship around, but then she had it and began cruising confidently.
Tanya & I sat on the shore and watched with joy. It was one of those moments where you recognize how fast your "little" kids are growing up. Especially the further they got away from us!
Kayaking was great fun, but we had many more memorable experiences that we'll share over the coming days.
Gorgeous spot... you don't often find pristine places like this.
ReplyDeletereading this made me teary eyed - beautiful place, beautiful people, cute dog
ReplyDelete