A Big Week: Marcy and I Go Backpacking, Jude in London and Anna in Eugene

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Setting off from Twin Lakes for four days of backpacking

On Monday morning I took Anna to the airport for her trip to Eugene, Oregon. She spent the week at a cheerleading camp there, where they worked really hard and she had a great time overall. Jude was at his soccer camp all week north of London in the town of Oundle. He also had a great time, with a very international group of teenagers. His roommates were German and French.

It was cold and windy on the summit of Mt. Belford, a 14er (Mount Oxford is in the background)

We started our backpacking trip on Tuesday at Twin Lakes and hiked on the Colorado Trail for about 10 miles before setting up camp by Clear Creek. Day two we continued on the Colorado Trail until Pine Creek and picked up that trail for about six miles before setting up camp at around 11,300 feet elevation. The next day we hiked to Elkhart Pass (13,200 feet) and then dropped our heavy packs to summit Mt. Belford, a 14,000-foot mountain (14er).

Hiking down Missouri Gulch after summitting Mt Belford

We then hiked down to the ghost town of Vicksburg, which we found out is not really a ghost town as we met one of the part time residents there. We were looking for a campsite and Clay was kind enough to suggest we camp behind his trailer on the old road. It was a little creepy camping on the old road of a supposed ghost town but the night followed without incident.

Camping on the old main road of Vicksburg

Our last day was our longest and toughest day. We left camp just before 9am and climbed 3,000 feet in less than four miles to Hope Pass where we enjoyed brilliant views of the many 14ers in the area, then it was down for several miles to Twin Lakes. At the end of the long day we checked out the old Interlaken Resort which 130 years ago was one of the top resorts in Colorado.

We made it back to the car just before 6pm on Friday. We had covered 50.5 miles of Colorado backcountry trails with over 11,000 feet of elevation gain. It was a physically demanding vacation but so great to spend some time in nature and off the grid.

Taylor Swift in Denver and Jude Heads to London

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Getting ready for Taylor Swift (floor seats!)

Back in February tickets went on sale for Taylor Swift’s two concerts in Denver. Anna desperately wanted to go so Marcy and I went on Ticketmaster’s site and hoped to get lucky. We did. Marcy was trying for Friday night tickets and I was trying for Saturday night. We bought two tickets for each night because I wanted to see her too.

With their fresh purchases from the merchandise truck

Anna has been building this up ever since then. As the weeks ticked by she got more and more excited. Finally, the week came and it seemed that the entirety of Denver was excited about Taylor Swift. Marcy and Anna went to the stadium on Thursday because they had a merchandise truck. The wait was over four hours! But Anna really wanted to get the merch the day before so she could focus on the concert on Friday night.
The night finally came and it was everything Anna hoped it would be. I was a little worried that she had been building it up so long that it might be a letdown. Nothing could be further from the truth. She was in ecstasy, crying, laughing and most of all singing all night long. Marcy absolutely loved it too.

Getting ready for Taylor Swift night two

It was my turn on Saturday night. I was excited to see her as I know almost every song due to the hundreds of hours I have been in the car with Anna while driving her around (mostly to Cheer practices). Taylor Swift was freaking amazing. I don’t think I have seen a better performer or a crowd that was so enthralled, no more like enraptured. It was something akin to a religious experience for the Swifties.

My favorite Taylor Swift song: All Too Well (10-minute version)

Putting all that aside it was an amazing show. I have never witnessed anything like it, I think she even topped the 1985 Springsteen concert in Sydney for me. Every song was a real performance with its own unique choreography and light show. It was also cool to be part of a concert where it felt like every single person there knew every word to every song.

About to board the plane to London

Meanwhile, before I went to Taylor Swift on Saturday night I took Jude to the airport. He was off to soccer camp in London for the second year in a row. The cost of the camp was actually less than the one we looked at in Florida and with using points for travel it made sense to do this one again. This was his preference anyway.

After some drama with a changed gate and a 3+ hour delay, Jude made it to Heathrow where he met up with the camp counselors and was on the bus to the boarding school north of London where he will be spending the week. Fitting to have a London Boy with so much Taylor Swift in our week.

 

 

The Annual Week in Keystone with the Dahlens

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Our July 4 hike up Independence Mountain

We had one day back in Denver after our trip to California and then it was up to the mountains for the annual trip with the Dahlens. They had driven out on Friday so had a couple of days to themselves.

Chloe and Jude on the beautiful 7th tee box at The River just as the sun is setting

On Monday we went down to Keystone Lake for some stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. Then Jude and Chloe played nine holes of golf at The River Course with Nate and me.

Having lunch at the Ida Belle mine ruins (what a view!)

July 4 was Tuesday and we decided to tackle a long hike. Ever since the mountain next to Keystone resort became public property in 2019 I have wanted to climb it. It is a long, uphill climb but the advantage was we could walk right out of the condo, cross the highway and get on the trail. Most of us made it to the mining ruins of Ida Belle mine at 11,500 feet. A few of us tried to push to the summit and we made it almost to 12,000 feet before having to turn back due to threatening weather. We were glad we did as lightning struck close by, just as we got back to treeline.
I played 18 holes at the River Course with Nate on Wednesday as the others went shopping in Silverthorne. We also went rafting one day and the river was fast after all the snow and rain we have had.

Dinner at Dos Locos outside

It was over all too quickly. On our last night, we did the traditional dinner at the Mexican place. After a trip to the farmers market on Friday morning Anna and I drove down to Denver so she could attend a Cheer camp at North High School. She had a blast.

Anna (second from left, back row) with her South High School cheer teammates and coaches

Summer Trip to the Redwoods and Lake Tahoe

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Walking along the coast in Fort Bragg

The last week was spent in California for our annual family RV trip. Although this time we decided to ditch the RV and stay in cabins and hotels.

Jude braving the 55 degree water at Fort Bragg

We landed in San Francisco, rented a car and drove north. The first night we spent in the cute little town call Fort Bragg, about 3.5 hours from San Franciso. It was right on the coast and we stayed in a motel overlooking the beach. Jude decided he had to take a swim in the Pacific Ocean despite the water temperature being a very brisk 55 degrees.

Getting close to the tall trees, this is the Chandelier Tree (315 feet tall)

The next day we drove to our cabin right outside Redwoods National Park in the town of Trinidad. The next two days were spent hiking in the Redwoods. It was spectacular. These were forests with the largest trees in the world (many over 300 feet tall) and that was impressive in and of itself. But what made the park truly breathtaking was how lush everything was. So, so green. These photos don’t do it justice.

These trees are not just tall, many have a diameter of 25 feet or more

On our second day we did a long hike that went through the lush forest all the way to the beach, then along the beach and back to the park visitor center. Jude said it was the best hike he had ever done and while I love my Colorado 14ers these were completely different and so impressive.

Look closely and you will see two trees growing out of this fallen tree

The best hike of the week: Miner’s Ridge and James Irvine Loop in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

On Wednesday morning we drove from Trinidad to Lake Tahoe. It was an all-day drive with very different climates. We started the day at 52 degrees in Trinidad, we get 93 degrees in the afternoon around Redding and then by the time we got to Lake Tahoe around 6:30pm it was 60 degrees.

Enjoying the crystal clear water of Lake Tahoe

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel right on the lake on the north shore of the lake. The first day there we went for a bike ride around the coast to Sand Harbor and then spent the afternoon on the beach. The water was really cold, about 58 degrees, but with warm, sunny weather it was much more enjoyable than the Pacific Ocean.

For the last dinner of our trip we went to Tahoe City

Our last day we went for a hike to Marlette Lake above Lake Tahoe at almost 8,000 feet. While it was a beautiful hike we all agreed it paled in comparison to the Redwoods. An afternoon of paddle boarding was followed by dinner in Tahoe City.

It was a wonderful trip and while we all enjoyed Lake Tahoe, Marcy and I truly loved the Redwoods and hope to be back there some day.

 

 

Jude Gets His Wisdom Teeth Out

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Two days after wisdom teeth surgery and his cheeks were still a little swollen

On Wednesday morning Jude was up early and to the dentist by 7am. It was time for his wisdom teeth to come out. This was a major surgery and he was pretty much out of it all day. He was numb for hours and then the pain started to kick in. We had strong meds thankfully and he handled it like a trooper.

A Father’s Day hike at White Ranch

His cheeks were swollen for days and he had low energy which was understandable. By Sunday, he was feeling better and he came for a hike with Olive and me. It was a gorgeous day and with all the rain we had it was incredibly green and there were flowers everywhere. In fact, I had never seen it so green.

Amazingly lush green grass

We celebrated Father’s Day last night because Anna left for a cheerleading camp today. We rode our bikes to the RiNo area just north of downtown where we went to Zeppelin Station, a popular new food hall. The food was great and we loved the ride which was mostly by the river.

At Zeppelin Station to celebrate Father’s Day

This afternoon Marcy drove Anna down to the Air Force Academy where she will be spending the next five days. She is staying in the actual cadet dorms, so will get a little window into what life might be like as an Air Force cadet.

Meanwhile after our hike Jude and I spent the afternoon watching the US Open golf. It was a fun Father’s Day.

Anna Spends the Week in Greece

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With her new group of friends in Athens

This was a very big week for Anna. As part of the end of middle school, there was a European trip on offer. We are big fans of lessons learned from traveling to new places so we signed up right away. So, at 3:30am last Monday morning I found myself taking Anna to the airport for her trip to Greece.

The girls at the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio

Anna had a blast. There were other school groups on this trip and she quickly befriended some students from Virginia and Texas. She became close with her roommate Chyann (the redhead above) who is two years older.

At the Parthenon

It was all over so quickly. The highlight for Anna was the cruise they did around the Saronic Islands where they got to swim and see some of the ocean life. They also saw many of the historic places like the Acropolis, the ruins of Mycenae and the Olympic stadiums. Now, Anna has a quiet week at home to recover.

Denver wins the NBA championship!

Tonight, Anna had her first cheerleading practice of the new season. Jude and I stayed home to watch Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Nuggets won in a very hard-fought game and it was so fun to watch the game at home with Jude.

Working hard in the backyard

Marcy and I (mostly Marcy) spent the weekend working in the backyard. We have made excellent progress but it has been a hard slog.

Anna Graduates Middle School

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Mr. Kevin gave the speech about Anna at the graduation

This was a big last week of school for Anna. On Tuesday night we had the official 8th grade dinner where all the class had to speak about who was important to them in their time at Ricks. It was a really sweet evening with lots of tears shed.

Anna received the Outstanding Role Model award

Then the big graduation day finally arrived on Thursday. It was such a beautiful ceremony. Because there were only 13 kids in their graduating class each graduate was able to get some time in the spotlight. Anna’s favorite teacher, Mr. Kevin, gave a beautiful speech honoring Anna and the five years she was at Ricks. When it came time to hand out the awards Anna won the Outstanding Role Model award which is voted on by the teachers and her fellow students in grades 4 – 7. She was thrilled.

The Ricks middle school graduating class

After the ceremony everyone gathered outside for photos and more celebration and then we went back to the school for a lunch provided by the 7th graders. That afternoon Anna went to a party hosted at a friend’s house so the kids could all be together one last time. There was lots of laughter and tears.

With our new graduate

This weekend there was a lot more work in the yard but on Saturday evening Marcy and I went for our quarterly night away staying at the Four Seasons again. It was a wonderful short break.

 

Anna’s Retrospective on School

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Anna doing her portfolio presentation reflecting on eight years of school

It has been a very busy past two weeks in Anna’s life. First, she had the school musical, Beauty and the Beast. While Anna enjoyed it she didn’t have a major role so she was not as into it as she was in previous years.

Some of the cast of Beauty and the Beast after the show

The highlight for me was her portfolio presentation this week. As a parent, it was fantastic. Anna had to do a presentation on her last eight years of school. She moved to Ricks in the 4th grade so it also included some of her time at Waldorf. It was fascinating to find out what Anna thought were the highlights of each year and the lowlights as well, particularly around covid.

After cheer tryouts at Cheer Athletics

Anna had cheer tryouts recently for both Cheer Athletics and South High School. The high school one went really well and Anna has already made it onto the Varsity cheer team we found out last week. For Cheer Athletics, she felt like she did well and we find out this coming week what team she qualified for.

Marcy working hard in the backyard

Our backyard is a mud pit. We tore up all the grass and are redoing much of it. Marcy has taken on the lion’s share of this work, she is spending almost all day every weekend in the yard. I help as much as I can but she enjoys it much more than I do. There is still much to do and the work will continue for the next several weekends.

As for Jude, he is in the middle of finals and so far he thinks it is going well. This weekend is the end of season soccer tournament. So, they are doing well with two wins from two games, albeit in shortened games due to lightning.

Mother’s Day and Anna’s Trip to DC

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Anna and Miss Jenn in front of the White House

It has been a busy couple of weeks in the Renton household. First, Anna spent the week in Washington DC for her annual “Week Without Walls” trip. Anna had a much better time than she expected and they went to see so much in just six days.

At the Library of Congress

They went to see the Smithsonian, the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetry, the Holocaust Museum, George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, the big Ferris Wheel at National Harbor and much more.

About to head up the Capital Wheel at National Harbor

Anna arrived home last Sunday night but I missed her by just a couple of hours. In fact, I could see her plane on the map right by my plane just south of Chicago. I headed to NYC for our big annual conference. Marcy’s mom also flew in on Sunday to look after the kids while Marcy was away (she arrived in NYC on Monday).

On the flight deck of The Intrepid aircraft carrier at our NYC event

The event went really well. We had a fantastic evening on the aircraft carrier, The Intrepid, where we had our big end of day one party. Then on Friday after the event was over Marcy and I went for a long walk around Central Park before heading back home.

On our walk around Central Park

Today was Mother’s Day and Marcy decided she wanted to work around the yard all day. We had quite a bit of rain so it was easy to pull weeds and plant flowers and shrubs. Our backyard is kind of a mud pit right now as we are planting new grass and redoing all the landscaping. Marcy was a trooper, she worked her butt off all day and transplanted lots of plants from the front yard. It is already looking better, although there is still a lot of mud. The work will continue.

 

Anna and Marcy Go To Orlando

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All ready to go to compete at Summit

The final cheerleading competition of the season was this past weekend in Orlando. Called Summit, it is an invitation-only event that is hard to qualify for. Anna’s team not only qualified but they received a paid bid (meaning free entry), the only team at her gym to receive that.

Cheer Athletics Cool Cats

So, there was a lot of excitement as the team left Denver for Orlando on Thursday. The competition was just after 5pm on Saturday. Jude and I tuned in to Varsity TV to watch Anna perform live. We thought they did well, we just noticed one minor slip-up.

About to perform (Anna is second from the left)

These teams were the best of the best and unfortunately, Anna’s team did not make it to the second day of competition, placing 16th out of 24. We were proud of the effort the team gave and that they really went for it but the girls were all very disappointed.

Inside the Millennium Falcon at Disney Hollywood Studios

The good thing about being in Orlando is that you have Disney right there. Plus, Anna’s paid bid came with a two-day multipark Disney pass. So, Marcy and Anna made the most of their free day and spent time at Disney Hollywood Studios where they checked out all the Star Wars stuff.

Back at home Jude and I had a relatively quiet weekend. Jude played soccer on Saturday and lost 2-1. Then we went took Olive for a hike on Sunday near Eldorado Springs.