We all have "those" places.
Those places we go when we are incredibly happy.
Those places we go when we are sad.
Those places that couldn't make you feel more alive.
Those places that make you breathe and remind you that the petty problems of your life are just that, petty.
I have a lot of favorite places in Colorado, and elsewhere. However, there is one spot that I always crave and always find myself coming back to when I need time to think, or maybe time to not think. And that, for me, is Mayflower Gulch.
Sitting just a few minutes drive from Copper Mountain, there is a parking lot just off the side of the highway. Rather unnoticeable, I actually didn't realize it was a trailhead the first few times I had driven past it. Then, one day, I decided to stop by and see what it was all about.
And that day was truly the day when I found that my love for Colorado was deeper-rooted than I had ever realized.
The hike to the base of the "amphitheater" takes less than an hour, and it is one of the less strenuous hikes in the Rockies that I've done. But good golly. This place is proof that you don't always need to hike miles on end to find amazing views. Not to mention, this place has little trials breaking away all over the place. I haven't even come close to exploring everything it has to offer.
I have come here countless times, now. Exploring the small mining cabin ruins that sit at the base of the ampitheater-shaped peaks. Snowshoeing through the quiet snow-covered trail... and maybe even post-holing a large portion of the way up, before deciding that snowshoes were worth the purchase. I've sat in the sun, and jumped around on rocks. I've gone and made videos and taken pictures. I've gone and not taken any pictures. I've hiked tuna-packet picnics to the top and shared them with Trev dawg. I've cross-country skied back here, and maybe even wiped out pretty good (who knew that was even possible on XC skis?!).
No matter what I do in this magical place, I always... always leave feeling cleansed of the stressors of everyday life.
This place reminds me that God is good, and that life is so much more than just surviving.
This place reminds me that life is for living.
...for breathing.
...for exhaling the bad, and inhaling the good.
...for sharing these moments with others, and for enjoying the solitude.
I have been here more times than I can count, and it will always be one of my favorite places in the whole wide world... winter, spring, summer, or fall.
So much so, that I'm always hesitant to share it with people who do not already know about it.
But, when it comes down to it, I enjoy hearing friends and acquaintances tell me about how much they loved the place. Sharing is caring. So next time you've got the time, swing by Mayflower Gulch and feel all of your worries just slip away...
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