Last night we drove out to the trailhead for our hike that we were supposed to do today. With our plan of heading out before the sun came up we like taking time to know exactly where we’re going for the next morning. Imagine our surprise when we were stopped a couple of miles before the trailhead by barricades. We looked at the signs and found out the road was closed due to construction. Due to the length of the trail this addition of five miles knocked it out as an option.

We went back to our rental and went through well over a dozen options before settling on Quail Mountain. Before that time that peak wasn’t even on our radar. It’s not one of the fabled 14ers and isn’t heavily traveled. Based on what we read it sounded like a pretty solid alternative nonetheless.

Our hike today was quite possibly my all time favorite Colorado hike, it was spectacular! The incline certainly kept me breathing heavy, but the views more than made up for it. The trail was perfect! We started in a pine forest and then worked into a aspen forest, each step of the way included a breathtaking view of the mountains all around us. There wasn’t a single step that didn’t include a chance to see something beautiful.

Once atop the peak we saw more mountains all around us than I could count. There were lakes, fields, old mining cabins, and all types of awesomeness in seemingly all directions. My mind is still blown when I think of everything we saw on the trail. It was awesome!

What I’m thankful for is twofold.

First, I’m thankful for preparation. Had we not checked out the trailhead the night before we would have been in a really difficult spot and wouldn’t have had nearly as many options. Thanks to getting ready the night before we had time to come up with a new solution.

Second, I’m thankful for another reminder of how right Mick Jagger was back in the day. “You can’t always get what you need, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.” Funny how The Big Dude Upstairs knows better than I do what I really want. I thought climbing Mount Massive was the plan and would have been awesome. Instead The Big Dude knew I would enjoy Quail Mountain more than any hike I’d ever done in Colorado. Sometimes adversity provides an opportunity to find more joy than we would have expected. Today was one of those times.

Thanks!!!