Reservoir Hill and Ice Cave Ridge on this marvelous Monday

[link to pictures]
Monday - the day despised by many a person - unless they are on VACATION!  This morning we started out on our adventures a little later then we normally do - but we still didn't have to rush through anything.  Which is good as some of us are still getting used to the exercise in altitude thing.  LOL

We drove down by the San Juan River and hiked what is known to most locals as "the hill".  We know it has reservoir hill.  Basically - this hill is just shorter than many of the surrounding mountains.  It is definitely bigger than hills I climb at home.  (But may be the same as some farther west in the hill country).  Isaac ran up the difficult #1 trail - twice - while waiting for his parents to switch back up the side of the hill on the easier #2 trail.  Matt decided to stay with his wife, otherwise he often takes the 1.  You climb up this side of the mountain/hill and work your way to the meadow.  Then you decide do we keep climbing up to the San Juan overlook or head back down.  We kept climbing and were rewarded with a view that is familiar to us - as we've done this hike before.  It is still pretty breathtaking.
[fyi - we didn't take any pictures on the Reservoir Hill hike]

Instead of back tracking - we continued on towards trail number 14 and wound our way down the other side of the hill.  In total - up and down - the hike is slighty more then 2 miles.  Of course then once you go down the otherside - you have the hike back to your car.  We've done this trail in snow, spring thaw and now summer dry.  You see different things every time.

After a quick meeting at the Wyndham office and lunch in the condo, we were feeling like we wanted to do a little more.  The vote came in and hiking up Ice Cave Ridge won out.  If you've been here before, you know this trail has two claims to fame. . .fissures (big holes) in the ground where ice and snow collect over the winter, and gorgeous mountain views at the top.

At the trailhead  we met 2 couples returning from their Ice Cave Ridge hike. They happen to be from San Antonio.  As greetings were exchanged and of course the comments about enjoying the non-heat here in PS, they told us to try the left fork in the trail up by one of the largest fissures.  You end up climbing about 10-15 minutes farther, but the view is so worth it.  It's right at the end of the bluff.  We were able to see down on the Piedra River, and look across it to the lunch date overlook - where Isaac geo cached and I tried to take some video that wouldn't freak Matt out (btw - I was not successful, he just closed his eyes as he was watching the video.  Sorry dear!) And as you look down towards the river you can really see the River trail - which we will be doing one of these days.

We've decided that this trip to Pagosa Springs we are checking out new trails, discovering new things about some of our favorite trails and enjoying the time with Isaac.

That's all for today.  The hot tub is calling and I'm fixing to get in!