There are stereotypes about Colorado. They’re all true.
On my first real – and sadly very short – trip to Denver, I expected a few obvious things.
- Subarus everywhere.
- Weed everywhere.
- Outdoorsy hipsters everywhere.
For the first time in a long time, I hit up a place that turned out to be exactly how I thought it would be.
I often write about letting a new place educate to challenge and adjust my preconceived notions about people, culture and geography. Happily, my Colorado prejudices turned out to be 100% legit. And that, by the way, ain’t a bad thing.
Admit it, there is a Colorado mystique. Even if you don’t aspire to it, Colorado is something of an aspiration in its very being. Coloradans are just better somehow, baller, aren’t they?
Imagine communing with and still conquering nature, turning tree bark into low-glycemic protein bars or wearing Dri-fit fleece to every occasion. This is to be a Coloradan. Traversing rivers with the ease of a downtown crosswalk, flourishing with aerated lungs above 6,000 feet and selling your home-brewed craft beer out of the hatchback of your Subaru is to be a Coloradan. Skiing, trail-running and fly-fishing all in the same month is to be a Coloradan.
This is the Colorado of legends and as far-fetched as it seems, these idyllic realities are what’s attracted over 100,000 new residents to Denver over the last seven years. In my short 5-day Denver adventure I had the opportunity to live the stereotype in my own amateur way. Maybe it was the altitude, but I definitely feel like a better person for tasting just the tiniest bit of the Colorado majesty.
Here, the random observations of a temporary Coloradan. Thanks for letting me masquerade for a few days.
Man buns are still a thing, but don’t hold that against Denver. If I had to use one single word to describe Denver it would be this: delight. Denver is natural and urban, sophisticated and casual, hip and still geeky in the best of ways.
Judging by the man buns, kombucha shops and craft everything spots, Denver is definitely still a hipster magnet. Yet, unlike other hipster enclaves like Brooklyn or San Fran, Denver somehow retains an authenticity that these other ‘hoods have lost. Wandering through Denver’s diverse neighborhoods is a sensory experience as vintage houses, new lofts, parks and cool eateries and shops collide. This is a fun, cool town.
Subarus are – I hate to admit – legit. I’ve been making fun of this granola accessory for years. Why exactly does every day hiker need this dad jeans car brand that’s not quite an SUV but also not quite a station wagon?
So I finally drove one – from Denver to Estes Park in an Impreza to hike a slice of God’s country. I’m forced to admit that I came to understand the fascination. Amazing suspension, sporty handling, plenty of room for all your gear but still compact and navigable. A solid ride for the variety of conditions a wild and rascally place like Colorado presents, I’m forced to apologize for decades of Subaru derision. Respect.
I cannot believe there’s a single ugly place in Colorado. The hood, the business park, the Wal-Mart parking lot. Even the ugliest or creepiest places in Denver look like a dreamworld with the snow-capped mountains constantly hovering in the background.
No one cares if you just killed a 10-mile hike, don’t look for sympathy or laughs. Everyone else just did too. After traversing the Walker Ranch Loop in Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder, I stopped at Starbucks for a much-earned Soy Flat White. Having started at 7:30 am, trekked in constant rain and avoided passing out from the 7,000+ feet elevation, I was pretty pleased with myself.
Joking with the barrista about how badly I needed coffee after all that produced nary a smile. He had probably completed the loop before work.
This terrain is no joke – get prepped physically and mentally. These are real hills, streams, rivers and canyons, people. Even right outside the city, nature is still in its wildest forms. This is a fact to be revered, respected and remembered.
Note to all granola-aspiring visitors. If you plan to indulge in the loveliness that is the Colorado outdoors, you need boots, you need layers, you need sticks, you need maps and water. Unlike other places where manicured parks pass for natural attractions, Colorado trails are the real deal.
While hiking a few miles of gorgeous trail near Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National park, I was shocked to see how many visitors wore flip flops, carried no water or had no sense of direction. Two miles from the parking lot was all-out, desolate snow. Colorado is no joke and demands preparation.
Pics are great, eyes are better. I write this blog, so I take photos. But it’s impossible to translate the beauty of a place as vast and breathtaking as Colorado. My advice: stow the iPhone and let your brain take in everything that surrounds. Our eyes are more powerful, more discerning than even the most powerful cameras, so I’m trying hard these days to put them to use more often.
Emerald Lake, Nymph Lake, the rapids under Walker Ranch, Alberta Falls. These are just a shred of the incredible natural sites you can see super close to Denver and Boulder. Due to the season, there are still lots of places under snow and I wasn’t quite ready to snowshoe in May. But, can’t wait to get back to see more incredible places.