These chcolate espresso snowcap cookies with their rich chocolate flavor and snowy peaks are just perfect for holidays!

Chocolate Espresso Snowcap Cookies

November 3, 2015November 3, 20154 Comments

It was National Chocolate Day a few days back, and being such a chocolate lover I had to make something chocolaty! I remembered this recipe which I had tried for Akira’s birthday. These cookies are a little bite of chocolate heaven, enriched by the espresso flavor! They have the perfect texture, with a crunch on top and moist inside. So if you want to satiate your chocolate cravings, then these cookies are just right for you!

Also, these cookies are just perfect for the holidays as they look so wintry with all the powdered coating. They look so captivating just like the snow capped peaks of Colorado! With some snow coming this week, I think I need to make a fresh batch of these 😉

Steps for making the Chocolate Espresso Snowcap Cookies

Melt and cool the chocolate

Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or microwave and set it aside for cooling. I used the 60% bittersweet chocolate as I love the dark chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Espresso Snowcap Cookies with a Tall Glass of Milk!

Mix all the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, instant espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Then combine them all together using a rubber spatula. I used the Dutch processed cocoa, which I recently bought at Costco. It gave this mix a rich chocolate flavor, but you can use any other regular cocoa powder as well. You can also substitute the espresso powder with 6 tsp of Medium/Dark Roast Instant Coffee Powder.

Combine all the dry ingredients for the cookie dough

Mix all the wet ingredients

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until well combined. Then mix in the cooled chocolate.

Combine all the wet ingredients for the dough using an electric mixer

Prepare the dough

Now gradually fold in the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture, careful not to over-mix it. I actually used a rubber spatula for folding, but you can also use the electric mixer with low speed setting. Then add the milk to incorporate all the mixture. You can add more milk, if required.

Fold in the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture using a spatula to get the cookie dough

Wrap and freeze the dough

Once all the ingredients are combined together, we have a very soft and fudgy dough. To work with it we need to freeze it to make it firm. So transfer the mixture onto a cling wrap. Flatten the dough into a disc shape and wrap it nicely. You need to keep the mixture in the freezer for at least 45 minutes for the dough to get firm. If you let the dough sit in the freezer longer, the cookies spread out lesser and rise more.

Package and Freeze the dough in a cling wrap

Prepare for Baking

Pre-heat oven to 350 °F. Line your cookie sheets with baking mat or parchment paper. Pour confectioners’ sugar into a medium plate or bowl.

Roll the balls

Once the dough is firm, pinch out pieces to make 1 inch balls. Pinch out 9 pieces first and then roll them in the powdered sugar to work faster. Roll balls in sugar two times, letting them sit in sugar between coatings. I actually did not use the freezer section of the refrigerator for firming the mixture. So even though the dough was firm after 45 minutes, the mixture did stick to my hands a little bit while rolling the balls. This also meant that some of the sugar coating gets soaked in the dough. So mine just had a snow dusting instead of heavy snow 😀

Prepare 1 inch balls out of the fudge dough mixture

Set it for baking

Give them a nice toss in the sugar before placing the balls, to get more snowy effect! Place them evenly on the baking sheet with 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies have spread and you start seeing the cracks, around 12-15 minutes.

Place 9 balls on a baking sheet 2 inches apart

Cool the cookies

The cookies will be soft to touch when fresh out of oven, so let them sit on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack for final cooling.

Cool the cookies on a wire rack

Yup! That is all it takes to make these yummy cookies. Now you just need a tall glass of milk to enjoy along with it 🙂

Chocolate Espresso Snowcap Cookies

These cookies are a little bite of chocolate heaven, enriched by its espresso flavor. The snowcaps make them perfect for the holidays!

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 18

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (for coating)

Instructions

Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or microwave and set it aside for cooling.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, and salt. Combine them all together using a rubber spataula.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined. Mix in the cooled chocolate.
Gradually fold in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Combine them using the milk.
Transfer the dough mixture on a plastic cling wrap and flatten dough into a disk. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with baking mat or parchment. Pour confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl.
Pinch out 1 inch ball pieces from the dough. Working in batches, roll balls in sugar two times, letting them sit in sugar between coatings.
Place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12-15 minutes.
Cookies will still be soft to the touch. Let it sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Notes

Following are some tips:

1. Roll each ball in confectioners' sugar twice to make sure it's thoroughly coated and no dark dough is visible.

2. Freezing the dough longer makes the cookie spread less and rise more.

3. If the dough is not firm/cold enough or if it has been sitting in the sugar for long, you will not enough snow cover on the cookies.

4. Cookies will keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

5. You can substitute the instant espresso with instant coffee powder 1 tsp instant espresso powder = 1.5 tsp instant coffee powder

* This recipe is from Martha Stewart's site

https://www.fanciersworld.com/chocolate-espresso-snowcap-cookies/

Travel Outfits: Las Vegas Trip

October 28, 2015October 28, 20151 Comment

If you still want to feel the summer heat in September, you need to go to Vegas. That is what we did last month when we made a trip to Vegas. My travel outfits had the summer vibe as well.

Loft Sundress (similar here and here) | Custom Pearl Jewelery from India | Next UK Pointed-Toe Ballet Flats | Armani Handbag | Movado Bold Watch

When it was time to hit the casinos, I decided to wear this beautiful silky emerald green skirt. I paired it with a basic halter tee from Old Navy which I bought only for $2. The combination of the rich and basic fabric worked out perfectly.

Ann Taylor Emerald Green Satin Midi Skirt with Halter Top

Ann Taylor Emerald Green Satin Midi Skirt (similar here, here and here) | Old Navy Halter Top (similar here, here and here) | Dior Sunglasses | Armani Handbag | Movado Bold Watch

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. With all the magnificent hotels with the Roman influence, I had to wear the gladiator sandals. 😀 Free People has a great collection of gladiator sandals, and I love these classic Romana Fest Sandals. I paired it with a white VS mini skirt and FP uneven hem skirt for my next outfits.

VS mini skirt with halter top and gladiator sandals

For one of the days, we visited the Death Valley National Park! It was so stark yet beautiful. It is also the place to record the highest temperature ever – something for which I was not prepared, but luckily the outfit was just right for the park. The maxi skirt saved me from the scorching heat while the tank top kept me cool 🙂

Victoria’s Secret Maxi Skirt with slit (similar here and here | Express Sleeveless Henley Top (similar here, here and here) | Express Scarf | Steve Madden Sandals

The last day in Vegas was about all you can eat buffet. 🙂 So I wore this easy outfit from Ann Taylor Loft.

Ann Taylor Crepe Skirt with Polka Dots (similar here and here) | Loft Outlet Layered Crepe Top (similar here and here | Armani Handbag | Tissot Watch | Next UK Pointed Toe Ballet Flats

DIY Halloween – Bottle Cap Spiders

October 20, 2015April 18, 2016Leave a comment

Nowadays, you see pumpkin patches and other Halloween decorations as soon as you enter any store. All the fall festivities around made me want to do some of my own decorations. So I again turned to Pinterest for DIY Halloween decoration ideas and stumbled upon this blog from Vanessa @ Silly Eagle Books. This immediately struck a chord with me as I had lot of leftover bottles and caps from all the hydration drinks Vinay has been taking lately :). So I decided to do this project as it looked so much fun and it indeed is!

Supplies

Recycled Bottle Caps
Pipe Cleaners – from Dollar Store
Scotch Tape
Scissors or Wire Cutters
All-Purpose Glue
Googly Eyes

I already had all of the supplies with me except for the pipe cleaners which I bought from the Dollar Store.

Steps to make the Bottle Cap Spiders

Cut the pipe cleaners to desired length using a pair of scissors, depending on how long you want the legs to be. I used one half of the pipe cleaners to make 2 opposite end-legs for the spider. For bigger caps, I used one-third the length of pipe cleaner.
After cutting all the pieces for the legs, I aligned them and then taped them all together in the center after pinching them and laying them around 30 degrees apart. You can also cut them into separate pieces and then tape/glue them, but I just found it easier/faster this way. For the big bottle caps, I did cut the pipe cleaners into separate leg pieces to save on some of the pipe material.
Once I had all the legs pieces cut and taped together, I simply taped all of them to the back of the cap. You can also use a hot glue gun, but the tape just did fine for the job.
Now it was time to play around with the legs. Start bending the straight pipe cleaners at 90 degrees towards their end to give shape to the spider’s legs.
Your spider is almost done. It just needs its eye! This is the part where kids will have fun gluing the googly eyes on the cap.

That’s it! You have your itsy-bitsy spider with you now!

We made our own team of spiders with all the leftover bottle caps we had. It was mostly black and orange caps to go with the the fall theme, but we did get creative with other color combinations too. Vinay wanted to make one with Team Broncos color combo in Orange and Blue, and that is actually our favorite from the spider team. 😉

I placed them outside on the spider webbing I had purchased, but they never stay there, as Akira always brings them inside to play with 🙂

So which is your favorite spider in the team?

Pleated Midi Skirt + Tall Boots

October 14, 20155 Comments

Off late, you must have seen the midi skirts being featured everywhere. They have become so versatile and fashion forward. Making a trend this season are the pleated midi skirts. They are so sexy, feminine and effortless. Pair it with tall boots and you have a super chic outfit.

For this outfit, I wore Ann Taylor Midi skirt with pleated front. I like the heavy drape and fall of the skirt, which is very flattering on the body. I am glad that the weather is still favorable enough for the shoulder-baring halter top. I completed the look with my go-to boots for the season from Sam Edelman which I recently purchased from Nordstrom.

Oh! And I completely forgot to mention that this skirt has pockets, if you had not already noticed it in my pictures. 🙂 I realized that I have not taken my hands out of the pockets in any picture. Cannot help it, I love pockets with my skirts!

Ann Taylor Pleated Midi Skirt with Sam Edelman Tall Riding Boots

Ann Taylor Pleat-Front Midi Skirt (similar here, here, here and here) | Loft Outlet Cotton Halter Top (similar here, here, and here) | Sam Edelman Penny Boot from Nordstrom (similar here, here, here, here and cheaperhere) | Movado Watch (similar here) | A|X Handbag

Fall Outfits for Aspen

October 8, 20158 Comments

It has now become our family tradition to drive upto Aspen to see the enchanting fall colors. In my previous post on Summer Blues, I mentioned that I was not yet ready to let summer go, but with such beauty all around, I had to embrace the colorful fall. And that meant sneaking into my boots and leather jackets!

I like mixing the hard with the soft, so I wore the lace-up ankle boots and leather jacket with a very feminine berry-colored sundress. Since it was a pleasant day, it worked out perfectly for me. And who does not love scarves! I did throw in a skinny scarf to complete the outfit. I wore the outfit keeping the color palette to fall colors – berry and neutrals.

Victoria's Secret Sundress with Faux Leather Jacket and Steve Madden's Troopa Ankle Boots

Victoria’s Secret Sundress (similar here, here, here and here) | Black Rivet Faux Leather Jacket in Beige (similar here, here, here and here) | Next UK Skinny Scarf | Dior Sunglasses | Steve Madden Troopa Ankle Boots (similar here, here and here)

For the second day, I decided to wear a cozy pair of fair isle leggings which I recently bought from Zulily. I again maintained the color palette to neutrals. This time I wore a wool fedora hat to give a laid-back look to the outfit, keeping in mind the comfort too. 🙂 And of course the leather jacket and ankle boots added to the boho look.

Zulily Fair Isle leggings with Steve Madden Troopa Ankle Boots and Fedora hat

Nordstrom Wool Fedora Hat (similar here and here) | Ann Taylor Outlet Top (similar here and here) | Black Rivet Faux Leather Jacket in Beige (similar here, here, here and here) | Zulily Fair Isle Leggings (similar here, here and here) | Steve Madden Troopa Ankle Boots (similar here, here and here)

I love fall outfits, how about you?

Passport to your National Parks - Gift Idea

National Park Passport – Gift Idea

October 7, 2015October 7, 20153 Comments

I was sharing the pictures from my trip to Bryce and Zion National Parks with my friends at work, when Lindsay suggested that I get a National Park Passport. And I was like – What…A national park passport? How cool is that and how did I miss it before my trips to 20 other national parks! It is then I realised that the National Park Passport will make a perfect gift for Vinay’s birthday this year! It was just perfect because Vinay loves national parks and trails. In fact, he is trails leader for Voluenteers for Outdoor, Colorado. This would be such a great way to capture and record our trip memories.

The idea got me so excited that I was already dreaming about our next trip. But the first thing to do was to grab my national park passport. I got the opportunity when my college friend Aunja was visiting us here in Denver. We visited our favorite Rocky Mountain National Park. I sneaked up to the Eastern National bookstore located in the visitor center, where I bought the “Passport To Your National Parks®” from the store for just $8.95. It was a special one too because now our first souvenir cancellation stamp on the passport was from Rocky Mountain National Park which was celebrating it’s 100th year anniversary. So besides the regular stamp, I got the special 100th Anniversary edition stamp too!

I got so intrigued by the passport program that I started reading more about it at eParks FAQ page, Eastern National and BackroadPlanet. The Passport to Your National Parks program is run by Eastern National, a non-profit organization. The program began in 1986 to encourage travel to the national parks. Collectors of the stamps have formed a non-profit social club, the National Park Travelers Club, a group which holds annual conventions. I also learnt about all the regular and collector’s edition passport and stamps. Now this has become one of the compelling reasons for me to visit these beautiful natural gems of United States.

There are many different options available for the passport and stamps at National Park online store. I ordered the “National Park Foundation Anniversary Book” 25th Anniversary edition to treat myself, and “Kids’ Passport To Your National Parks®” for Akira through eParks Passport page. You will hardly find the 25th Anniversary edition in the national park stores now. But you can still buy it from the national park e-store or maybe through eBay. The only thing about buying online is that you will have to wait for your next trip to get your first stamp and of-course you have to consider the shipping & handling. I was excited to receive my new passport as I had a trip to Death Valley National Park planned ahead, but while packing for the trip I forgot to carry it. Thankfully the collector’s sticker stamp saved the day for me! You can buy the regular or collector’s edition sticker stamps of the park and get it stamped to take back home in case you forget your passport at home. 🙂

One thing which a lot of people do not know is that you can get the cancellation stamps at nearly all of the 408 American National Park units and many of the National Park Service’s affiliated areas, at no cost. You can access the complete list of the cancellation locations here . To stay on top of all these locations, you can also download “Passport to Your National Parks” iPhone app or Android app for free. The app uses GPS to find the nearest cancellation stamping location. Earlier I used to collect magnetic souvenirs with each of my national park trips. Now all that will be replaced with the cancellation stamps and sticker stamps from the park! Aren’t they the best and cheapest souveniers?

Have you gotten stamped yet? Do you have any National Park Passport stories to share with me?

Useful Links

Eastern National – Official Site for Passport To Your National Parks®
eParks.com – Official National Park Online Store for Passports
parkstamps.org – National Park Travelers Club Site
Passport to Your National Parks – iPhone and iPad app
Passport to Your National Parks – Android app

Summer Blues – Sundress + Palazzo Pants

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015Leave a comment

Summer is officially over, but I am not ready to accept it yet. I want to enjoy the warm days as long as I can! This weekend was just perfect with warm sunny days and clear blue skies. The blue sky made me yearn to wear my summer blues.

Last month I had bought this pretty blue sundress from LOFT Outlet on sale, but did not get a chance to wear it. I immediately fell in love with the color and print of this dress. It looked so refreshing for a lunch date with Vinay :).

Loft Blue Printed Sundress with light cardigan

LOFT Outlet Blue Printed Sundress (similar here, here, here and here) | LOFT Cardigan | Custom Diamond and Blue Stone Pendant

Palazzo, flared or wide-leg pants have been a big trend this year. So for the Sunday BBQ grill party at our cul-de-sac, I decided to wear the blue cotton palazzo pants that my mom had brought from India. I paired it with the LOFT Camisole top.

Biba Blue Cotton Palazzo Pants with LOFT Top

Biba Blue Cotton Palazzo Pants (similar here, here, here and here) | Dior Sunglasses | LOFT Camisole Top | Custom Diamond and Blue Stone Pendant

Lace Off-Shoulder Top

September 18, 2015May 5, 20164 Comments

Sexy shoulders are back! Whether it is the off-the-shoulder trend or asymmetric shoulder, this season is about baring the shoulders. It adds a romantic laid back vibe to any outfit, whether it is your maxi skirt, skinny jeans, wide leg trousers or pencil skirt. Most of my favorite brands carried their own version of the off-shoulder top, and I decided to buy lace top from ASOS.

Lace Off-Shoulder Top with Biba Maxi Full Skirt

Michelle Keegan Loves Lipsy Lace Frill Layered Top from ASOS (similar here, here, here and here) | Biba Cotton Maxi Full Circle Skirt

For my first look I paired the top with a maxi full circle skirt. My mom brought this pretty orange skirt with silver embellishments from India! And then I paired it with a fringed ankle boot to give it a boho look. Welcome Fall!

Lace Off-Shoulder Top with Biba Maxi Full Skirt and FP Ankle Boots

Michelle Keegan Loves Lipsy Lace Frill Layered Top from ASOS (similar here, here, here and here) | Biba Cotton Maxi Full Circle Skirt | FP Faryl Robin Prey Ankle Boot

For my next look I decided to pair the top with a dark blue skinny jeans. Bare shoulders and romantic lace lend a modern feel to the outfit.

Michelle Keegan Loves Lipsy Lace Frill Layered Top from ASOS (similar here, here, here and here) | Levi’s Jeans | Coach Kamea Heel | Michael Kors Perforated Bag

For my third look I am wearing the top with the straps, to give it a more formal look. The top along with a pencil skirt actually goes well for my Friday office look!

Lace Off-Shoulder Top with LOFT Pencil Skirt

Michelle Keegan Loves Lipsy Lace Frill Layered Top from ASOS (similar here, here, here and here) | Loft Outlet Pencil Skirt | Coach Tatiana Heel | Michael Kors Perforated Bag

Travel Outfits: San Francisco Trip

September 3, 2015September 3, 2015Leave a comment

Last month we made a trip to San Francisco to surprise our friend with her baby shower. It also turned out to be a perfect family trip, with nice and warm weather, some good sun and of course the San Francisco wind. Here is what I packed for the trip!

Complete outfit with Black and White Striped Full Skirt

Target Black and White Striped Ribbon Skirt (similar here and here) | Loft Linen Top in peach | Loft jacket | Armani Handbag | Movado Bold Watch

The first day of our trip, we were all busy with the baby shower arrangements and the party. I wore the striped black and white skirt for the evening. This skirt is one of my favorites for the season, and every brand carries a version of it. It is so easy to pair up with and can be worn all year round. For the party I decided to pair it with a simple peach-colored top and black jacket from Loft. You cannot go wrong with the classic black and white 🙂

The second day was around the San Francisco downtown area. I decided to wear an easy outfit in which I could spend the whole long day. So I wore the Red ASOS Shift Dress with roll neck collar. The ponte knit is flattering on any body type and the color of the dress surely pops out. I paired it with my comfy Keds sneakers, which I just bought before the trip. These nautical pair of shoes are perfect for a vacation to the coast.

ASOS Shift Dress with Roll Neck in Ponte

ASOS Red Shift Dress with Roll Neck in Ponte (similar here) | American Eagle Mirrored Sunglasses | Keds White Perforated Sneakers (similar here and here)

In the evening we went to Sausalito bay area, where it got a little windy and nippy. A light white sweater from Loft and the coffee kept me warm enough for the evening 😀

Next day, we went up north to Point Reyes Headlands and the iconic Lighthouse. I wore a nautical blue shirt-dress from Loft, which was perfect for the sunny day in the vicinity of lighthouse.

Loft Outlet Blue Shirtdress with white sweater

Loft Outlet Blue Twill Shirtdress (similar here, here and here) | American Eagle Mirrored Sunglasses | Keds White Perforated Sneakers (similar here and here)

For the sunset @ North beach, I changed into the easy Stenciled Leaf Stroll skirt from Loft. The white top with buttons on the shoulders was from Ann Taylor Outlet for below $10 after sale! I liked this T-shirt so much that I bought 2 other in different print and color.

Loft Stenciled Leaf Stroll Skirt with White Top

Loft Stenciled Leaf Stroll Skirt | Guess Golden Mirrored Sunglasses | Keds White Perforated Sneakers (similar here and here)

Next day we went out for brunch with our friends. I wore a Loft Coral Lace skirt. To bring out the color of the skirt I paired it with a white lace top and Grey sweater.

Loft Coral Lace Overlay Skirt with White Lace Top

Loft Coral Lace Overlay Skirt (similar here) | Coach Crossbody Bad | A&F Lace Top | Loft Outlet Grey Sweater | Keds White Perforated Sneakers (similar here and here)

Here is a picture with my little angel in the white summer dress from Gap Kids.

After the brunch, we went to the Mosaic stairs to catch city’s beautiful views. I wore the Loft Logo Sea Green T-shirt with Van Heusen Grey skirt. The color combination and the fit gave this outfit a chic and modern look.

Loft Sea Green Top with Van Heusen Flared Skirt

Loft Sea Green Top | American Eagle Mirrored Sunglasses | Van Heusen Grey Flounce Skirt | Keds White Perforated Sneakers (similar here and here)

For the last day, we hit Cali-1 to drive down south along the Pacific coast. The trip to the beaches here would have been incomplete without a maxi dress. So I decided to wear the Rose Plum Park Stroll Dress by FreePeople.

FreePeople Park Stroll Dress Rose Plum | Coach Crossbody Bag | Steve Madden Sandals

Cover Picture for First 14er Hike to Mt. Bierstadt

Mission I’m-Possible : First 14er – Mt. Bierstadt

August 26, 2015August 27, 20156 Comments

Colorado boasts of 53 14ers and 637 13ers. As a Colorado resident, I have been wanting to climb a 14er for a very long time. Finally my dream came true this August, when we climbed the 38th highest peak in Colorado – Mt Bierstadt. So why “Mission I’m-Possible”? Well if it was not obvious, I saw the latest movie from the series, “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” just the night before we started the hike. Also, I am very much a below average hiker who is not in her best shape or fitness level. But thanks to my super active husband’s enthusiasm, motivation and support, I decided to undertake the mission.

“Every mountain top is within reach if you keep on climbing.”

– Barry Finlay

Mission Target and Time

Trail Snapshot

TRAIL ROUTE Mt. Bierstadt – West Slopes (Standard route)
TRAIL RATING Moderate; Class2
TRAILHEAD Guanella Pass
TRAILHEAD ELEVATION 11,669 feet (West Slopes standard route)
SUMMIT ELEVATION 14,060 feet
HIKING DISTANCE 7 miles round-trip
AVERAGE TIME 2.5 to 3 hours up; 2 hours down
DRIVE TIME FROM DENVER 1.5 hours
DIRECTIONS From Denver, take I-70 West to exit 228 at Georgetown and follow signs for Guanella Pass. The trailhead and parking area are on the east side of the pass. See Google Maps for details.

Since this was our first 14er we wanted to select a peak which is good for beginners and is easily accessible from Denver. Our options were – Mt. Bierstadt, Grays Peak and Torreys Peak. We finalized on Mt. Bierstadt for this trip.

Next we had to decide on when the mission was to be executed. August is generally the best month for mountain climbing, as all the snow has melted and weather is favorable too. But weather on the mountains changes in a blink. You need to account for rains and wind out there. It is also a good idea to start early before the dawn. This not only helps you beat the traffic (if you go on a popular trail), but it also helps you avoid any possible thunder storms post midday. I personally prefer Saturdays for any outdoor activity as it gives a day to rest on Sunday, before you start work on Mondays. So our mission start time – 8th August 2015 5:30 AM.

Team Mission I’m-Possible 14er

For me weekends mean time with family and friends. The Easy 14ers are perfect for family hiking, but my little one is too little for hiking, and lucky enough I had my mom here to babysit Akira. That means no extra baggage for Vinay 😛 So it was just us and friends who could undertake the mission. The agents who chose the mission were:

Group members for out First 14er Hike to Mt. Bierstadt

Akshatha, Richa, Vinay, Sekhar and Kishore (from left to right)

It was the first 14er for all of us but we did have different fitness levels. Vinay and Sekhar could really complete the whole hike in 1/2 or 1/3rd of the duration in which we were able to manage. But it was fun doing it together 🙂

Gadgets for the Mission

Ok, Vinay is Ethan Hunt and Benji Dunn combined in one! He not only loves all the outdoor adventure activities, he likes to pack and plan too (sometimes a bit too much). So here is what our gadgets aka hiking equipment looked like:

Hiking Shoes – Trust me, you need good, sturdy, and preferably high ankle, hiking shoes! Don’t try new shoes which you have not broken into. Kishore had to suffer just because of that. Buy something you will be comfortable in for the whole day over rocks, dirt, pebbles, water etc.
Hiking Clothes – Mountains always have this infamous reputation for changing weather. So always dress in layers. I will not suggest just shorts for the whole hike. It is always a good idea to pack full length clothes as well. Not only do they protect you from the sun, scrapes and bruises on that height, but also help you with the cold blasts atop the peak.
Jackets – Do take a warm jacket, as it always gets windy and cold on top of the mountain. A wind-breaker jacket can also help as a lighter version.
Rain Coat – It almost always rains during the second half of the day in the mountains, so it is a good idea to pack raincoats. We were lucky that we did not get any rain showers on the day of hike.
Hiking Daypack – You need a good hiking daypack to carry all needful items for the hike. It is worth investing in a good pack that can last you many summers and winters. Vinay has promised he will write a post on how to select one. So stay tuned for that!
Hydration Pack – To tell you the fact, I hate them. The taste of water is awful. I know, I need to wash it multiple times to get that taste out, but I still cannot get over it. So if you too do not like them, then the next 2 items are for you.
Water Bottles – Of course filled with water (just me being silly :D)
Energy Drinks – Gatorade or similar that can refill your electrolyte levels for the day
Snack Bars
Fruits and Nuts
Sandwiches or Mini Meals
Sunscreen – At mile-high+, the sun is always so scorching. So do put on a SPF 30+ sunscreen to protect your skin.
Walkie talkies (optional)
Headlamp Flashlights (optional) – If you plan to start early in the dark before dawn to finish the hike before midday, you will need these night lights.
Message Board (optional) – How about taking a picture saying “We did it!” or any other custom message on top of the peak? Don’t forget about the free Which Wich Sandwich!

Journey to the top of my first Colorado 14er

2:00 AM – This is the time we set our alarms to wake up! Vinay just could not sleep with all the excitement and got up to do the final arrangements. I did some lazing around and got up around 2:30 AM. After all I came back home at 11 PM after watching MI: Rogue Nation. We were ready and left the home by 3 AM to meet at a common destination with our accomplices.

3:30 AM – Finally all 5 of us were ready to start the journey to the trail head of our Mt. Bierstadt ascent route. Mt. Bierstadt is popular among beginner and intermediate hikers, not just because it’s so close to Denver, but it’s also one of the easier and more accessible of Colorado’s fourteen thousand foot peaks. It can become quite crowded over the weekends, so we decided to leave early to avoid parking space issues.

5:00 AM – We reached the Guanella Pass trailhead. This was a good point to use the restroom, as there would be none after that, unless one is open for nature’s call :D. We checked our bags and did some final arrangements.

5:30 AM – We wore our jackets and headlamps and headed out on the trail into the valley towards the base of Mt. Bierstadt.
The first mile of the trail weaves through willow thickets, mostly over dirt path and some boardwalks over the marshy areas. This part of the trail gave me hope that the hike is possible, but a false hope too that I can do it in the average time. 😀

After first half of the mile, we crossed the Scott Gomer Creek. Another 1/2 mile and we had crossed the willows giving way to a breathtaking scenery below. If you are not ambitious enough to climb the entire fourteener, a roundtrip from trailhead to this point is worth doing.

7:00 AM – The path ascends gradually through tundra vegetation and a variety of alpine wildflowers. This is where we saw the sun breaking in on the Sawtooth ridge connecting Mt. Bierstadt and Mt Evans.

7:53 AM – We started on the steepest part of the trail where terrain on the slope is a bit more rugged and covered with boulders. This is where Vinay and Sekhar impulsively parted ways with us, in the hope that they can cross over Sawtooth ridge to reach Mt. Evans, another fourteener (a combo hike they had not planned for!).

Meanwhile me and Akshatha started inching towards the summit. An unseasoned hiker like me stopped at every 20 steps in this part of the trail. When we reached rocky areas near the top, it felt like the peak was nearby but it kept alluding us.

9:30 AM – Finally we were able to see the peak which is made up of all rock. In the final pitch, the trail is loosely defined and we had to make our own way to the top through the boulders.

Of course in this part, the wind started getting crazy and I was singing in my head “I can’t feel my face when I am with you, but I love it”. I could do a face-off with Tom Cruise at this point 😉 .

Halfway up the final ascent, Vinay and Sekhar spotted us from the top and encouraged us to give that final push. (They were stationed on the summit 1.5 hrs before us!). I was so glad to see Vinay and that he decided to stay at the summit of Mt Bierstadt.

10:15 AM – Finally all of us were at the summit of Mt. Bierstadt @ 14,060 ft together! After a long & tiring hike up, the breathtaking view over the top of the majestic 14er felt so surreal. To capture this special moment, we decided to bring in a chalkboard to write our custom message (thanks to my friend Lindsay’s advice). While Vinay was waiting for us at the top, he got creative in writing the message over the chalkboard.

We took a good 1/2 hr break at the summit, imbibing all the fresh air and scenery around us and of course the tasty sandwiches we packed.

10:50 AM – Now it was time to start the descent. Descending down the rocks was fun as we hopped down our way. At the end of the rocky terrain, we saw a beautiful white mountain goat hopping up on the slopes.

11:30 AM – Once the rocky terrain got over, we reached the steepest part of the slope. I did not realize how tired and heavy my legs felt. Hiking down this slippery (uhh… the pebbles!) and a bit uneven part of the trail was taxing on my weaker knee joints. But I was inching down clicking pictures and taking small breaks in between.

12:15 PM – Once the steep part was over, we entered the milder switchbacks zone of the trail. This part was much more enjoyable with all the beautiful wildflowers around.

1:15 PM – Finally we entered the last mile or the willow zone. This is where we decided to take our lunch break.

1:45 PM – After lunch we felt refreshed to start. The slope here was much easier and we could pick up some pace. But by this time I was too tired and my joints were hurting, so I kept myself to a slow walk. It seemed like the parking was so close, but the trail just kept going on & on. The pretty sight of Scott Gomer Creek and the captivating lake on our way back, motivated us to push forward and reach our starting point.

3:00 PM – Finally we arrived at the trailhead parking.

Such an elated feeling, but it was super exhausting as well. So after using the restrooms and getting some refreshments from our car, we started the drive back for Denver.

It feels like such a great achievement to complete my first fourteener. Even though I took 4.5 hrs to climb up and 4 hrs to get down the summit (much more than an average hiker!), it has motivated me enough to climb another one of the Colorado’s 53 fourteeners and beyond! Hopefully in the next mission I can climb up in 3.5 hrs 🙂

Are you planning to climb your first 14er too?