Playing Keystone River Course & Color Up To Beaver Lk With Browns 23Sep23-24Sep23

We headed to Summit for some leaf peeping and fun. On Sat MLC came up to play some golf and watch F1 with us ~ golf was super expensive, even though it's past season, so we just played the front nine at Keystone River @ twilight. We got around no problem, even letting a speedy 2some through. The course was fabulous in views, condition, and playing setup. It hits you fast with a 250 ft drop over a long carry on par 5 #1.

We dined @ Baker's and unfortunately learned of its imminent closure. Yep, Cory & Co are closing Baker's Brewery and hoping to sell the entire property, brewery gear and all. This was on the heels of learning an even more prominent fixture of our 'hood, Arapahoe Cafe, was also shutting down. Grrr. 

We watched the Japanese Grand Prix @ Sakusa till after midnight. Matt headed down mountain Sun AM while we assembled our gear and headed out to Eagle Co with Steve & Donna for a great hike up Beaver Ck to Beaver Lk. This was a fine 7.8mi and 1700ft elevation jaunt up the Beaver Ck drainage below Grouse Mtn & Larkspur to a cool lake holding some cutthroat. Steve & I took fishing gear just in case. My newish cheap Apple watch caught the route and even my heart rate. Along the hike we passed plenty of golden aspen from fall temperatures; the temps for us were fantastic and as often in fall, no PM storms were pending or observed. Colorful aspen in the sky and raspberries on the floor as the hike took us into the Holy Cross Wilderness ~ have I been there on this approach before when skiing, dunno. Topping out at the lake on a pass, some assembled fishing gear. I completed the task but Steve's gear was a mess needing more time than our hour stop there allowed. I did catch a ~7" Colorado cutthroat but had to move through many rejections and several rigs to entice the bite. Fish were finicky and few fishermen had any success ~ at least I got the Rodfather Power Pack rigged. :) While I fished Steve fed fat chipmunks and the ladies snacked; I didn't get the purple Columbia dress code. What a blast. We dined at the chophouse at the base afterword on good food.

Thanks for driving Steve ~ he's off to Yosemite for backpacking with nephew in law and Donna is eastbound to continue earning Kala's soc sec checks. Woohoo ~ next up is opening day.