August 18-22
Day 27
Now the real vacations begins. Nothing to do, just follow our friends as they know Keystone very well and hike around a lot. First, easy hike to Wheeler Lakes, 11 km 440 m total ascent, from Copper Mountain trailhead a short drive from Keystone. Landscape around here is how we remembered Colorado Rockies from past trips, quite different from San Juan Mountains in the south – uplifted mountains rather than volcanic.
Day 28
Second, more ambitious hike, almost 20 km return with 750 m total ascent, to glacial Willow Lakes (3425 masl) from Willowbrook Trailhead in Silverthorne. Piotr decided to rest at home and walked around town to find anything he could remember from visits some 30 years earlier. Hikers came back really tired but hike was beautiful. Dinner at The Uptown On Main in Frisco CO was the reward. As we drove a few times around Dillon Reservoir we remembered our last visit when we stayed at Heaton Bay Campground returning from ☞ JMT trek in 2021. We crossed the Rockies on I-70 quite a few times over the years.
Day 29-31
We spent the day walking around Keystone, another concert and resting before driving back to Chicago.
We stopped at Loveland Pass for last (short) walk on Continental Divide in Colorado Rockies and last view from high vantage point above Loveland Pass ( 3675 masl). Sight of I-70 down in the valley means we are going home. Then just driving 1000 miles to Chicago with O/N stop at Quality Inn Grand Island NE. Stopping a few times to buy groceries and for coffee breaks.
