Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

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January 3, 2023

Five Favorite Hikes of 2022

We had such an amazing adventures in 2022 and hiking is always something we love to do when we travel and close to home. It was really hard to choose but here are my top 5 hikes from 2022:

Plan de l’Aiguille to Mer de Glace – Chamonix, France

Plan de l’Aiguille to Mer de Glace

When in Chamonix we rode the cable car to Plan de l’Aiguille then hiked part of the way to Mer de Glace, we would have loved to do the entire hike but it’s 8 miles one way and the kids aren’t ready for that big of a hike (yet, next time!). This area is so incredibly beautiful, this takes the #1 spot for me.

5 lakes hike – Zermatt, Switzerland

5 lakes Hike

The 5 lakes hike above Zermatt, Switzerland comes in second for it’s views of the Matterhorn and delicious mountain top restaurants. Why do we not have these hiker rest areas in the US, they are amazing. It was a bit brown given the time of year we were there, I would love to see it in the spring/summer with all the wildflowers! This is a 6.8 mile hike but it’s mostly down hill. Easy enough for our 4 and 6 year old kids.

Emerald Lake – Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Emerald Lake Hike

We love hiking to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s a bit tricky because the best time to go is in the summer or early fall when everyone else also wants to go. You have to get a special reservation to get to this part of the park and it is hard to come by. That said it is totally worth it. You pass three other alpine lakes before getting to Emerald Lake and the entire hike is gorgeous. It’s only 3.2 miles out and back but I would rate it as moderate difficulty given the altitude and steepness.

Broken Arch Trail- Arches National Park, Utah

Broken Arch Trail

We love visiting Arches National Park in Moab Utah, we are usually at least once a year. It’s hard to pick a favorite hike because they are all spectacular but Broken Arch Trail won out because it has interesting things to see and do all along the trail. Also Sand Arch is along this trail and it’s the kids’ favorite. The trail is an easy 1.7 mile trail and good for almost all ability levels.

Crescent Beach Trail – Cannon Beach, Oregon

Crescent Beach Trail

We LOVE Cannon Beach doing anything on the Oregon Coast is amazing, and you can’t really go wrong hiking any trail here. We choose to go into Ecola State Park because it has beautiful trails, beaches and views of Haystack Rock. This is an easy 3.2 mile out and back hike. You can see the kids are dressed for rain and wind and this was July, Oregon coast weather can be cool even in the summer.

It was SO hard to pick just five, honorable mention goes to:

Tulum Ruins – Tulum, Mexico

Not sure if this counts as a “hike” or just a tour of an historic site, but we walked over 5 miles and loved it so much! A place in Mexico deserved at least a mention here.

Lastly this is not a specific hike as there are many and you can’t go wrong. The “waterfall corridor” in the Colombia river gorge is a dream to hike in.

Please tell me some of your favorite hikes!

We can’t wait to return to some of our favorites and find some new ones in 2023.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Hike, Kids Hikes

December 22, 2022

Winter Solstice Hike + We’re Not Used to This

It has felt like winter for more than a month so Emmy is very confused by today being the first day of winter.

We went to NCAR for a hike to celebrate the winter solstice. It was a bit cold and very windy, I was shocked that the kids didn’t complain at all.

We love this hike in the summer and winter time! You just need to be careful this time of year because ice can be hiding under the dirt in shady places.

Hiking NCAR 2021

Last year when we hiked here it was a struggle to get Emmy to hike more than a mile and now she is loving doing 3-4 miles.

We have lots of hiking/adventure trips planned this year and are going to work on getting up to 6 mile hikes.

We would have liked to go even further but we had to get ready for our upcoming storm and I had a doctor appointment in the afternoon.

we aren’t even getting that much snow but with windchill temperatures could drop to negative 50 and we just aren’t used that that. Cannon’s holiday school party and performance have been canceled and Emmy’s friend’s birthday party also had to be postponed due to the cold weather. We just aren’t used to it being THIS cold!

It was 50 degrees when I went into my appointment and when I left 50 minutes later it had dropped to 14 degrees!

Are you getting hit with frigid weather right now too?

Did you do anything to celebrate the solstice? We usually try to get out in so something to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Summer Solstice Hike

Posted by bethcurtis 1 Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Hike, Kids Hikes

July 10, 2022

Rocky Mountain National Park – Emerald Lake

We finally made it!

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After four years of wanting to take Emerald to “her lake” we got reservations and made the hike all the way up to Emerald Lake. 

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If you include Bear lake this is about a four mile alpine hike. All Trails calls it moderate and I would agree, both kids did really well and hiked the entire thing on their own. 

Nymph Lake
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We had to reserve a spot a month in advance, park in the overflow lot and ride a shuttle to the trail head, but it was worth it for this gorgeous hike. 

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Emerald Lake

I think Dream Lake is my favorite of all four lakes. 

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So proud of these kids! 

Have you been to RMNP? Do you have a favorite hike?

Posted by bethcurtis 1 Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: 52 kid hikes, Colorado, Hike, Kids Hikes, National Park

June 22, 2022

Kids Hike – Lily Lake RMNP

One of our favorite hikes is up in Rocky Mountain National Park called Lily Lake. It’s a very easy to navigate hike with great accessibility. It’s one of my go-to trails when it’s just me and the kids because I know it’s safe and I won’t have to carry Emmy.

The main loop is just shy of a mile and can be navigated with a stroller.

Back in 2018 Cory made it around with our double stroller and a busted Achilles in a boot.

Now the kids hike on their own!

We brought lunch to enjoy while watching all the wildlife. I LOVE summer in the mountains so much.

We choose to add some elevation and distance by going up over the ridge. There are many other trails that connect to the main Lily lake trail so you can add distance if you like. You can also paddle on the lake and the kids want to bring our boards next time.

If you are in the Estes Park area we can’t recommend this trail enough! We have also visited in the fall and winter….all beautiful!

Previous years:

Posted by bethcurtis
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Colorado Travel, Hike, Kids Hikes, National Park

June 10, 2022

Chautauqua Loop Trail

Today was a super fun day, we met seven other mamas at Chautauqua Loop Trail where we took all of our kiddos (at least 14 kids) on the 3.6 mile hilly hike.

It’s so beautiful and the kids did great!

We stopped at the playground after the hike after so the kids could play. We ended up leaving way later than I thought we would.

My favorite trick to get kids to hike further is brining dum dum suckers (we call them power up suckers) works like a charm!

We relaxed for a bit after lunch before heading to the pool.

I am aware that we go to the pool an obscene amount but it’s either that or stay inside when it’s above 85 degrees, and we are always working on 1,000 hours outside.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: 52 kid hikes, Hike

April 23, 2022

Earth Day 2022

Happy Earth Day! I hope you found a way to celebrate the earth and the beauty of nature.

Cory had to work but the kids and I got to run up to Rocky Mountain National Park. Seemed fitting since it’s national parks week.

We found Lumpy Ridge to hike since most of the trails deeper in the park are still covered in snow.

There were so manny wild flowers and bees and birds out.

Lots of stairs, a couple tumbles and a few tears but it was all worth it for the views and the time out together.

After our hike we grabbed lunch then stopped at a playground.

This season of life where the kids love to play and move their bodies is the best. Anytime I can say yes to a playground I will.

On the way home we grabbed a pie to share with Cory to make up for leaving him out of our adventure.

How did you celebrate the earth today?

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Hike, Kids Hikes

March 23, 2022

SPRING BREAK ’22 | Fruita Colorado

We woke up in a hotel on the day we were supposed to drive home, towing our trailer, problem solving our blown tire.

We were stuck in town without a car and being told it would be at least two weeks before they could fix our truck. We rented a car so we could get out to our trailer and get around. My kind parents offered to come and tow us home (huge favor to offer) but luckily a mechanic was able to fit us in between his other work so we didn’t have to leave our Tahoe out in Moab for weeks! We really lucked out with the kindness we were shown! The tow truck driver was also very sweet to us, our crazy dog and two sleepy kids.

It felt like magic when we got our truck back just a few hours later totally fixed.

We got a later start then planned so we decided to drive just part way home to Fruita Colorado.

This little campsite is one of our favorites.

The kids weren’t sad about our extended trip.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Hike, Travel

March 22, 2022

SPRING BREAK ’22 | Goblin Valley State Park

Utah has some amazing National Parks but the State Parks should not be overlooked! We LOVE Goblin Valley State Park so we made the day trip over from Moab. It’s only 1.5 hour drive so not too bad.

In the morning we woke up to a bit of snow in our campsite.

It was a surprise but also pretty.

On our way to Goblin we stopped for coffee and treats.

When we arrived we decided to start with a hike.

We did the Entrada Trail along some drainage areas and it was such a cool, unique experience. Dogs are allowed so Humphry came along with us.

We then made our way to the Valley of the Goblins, which is a big open area full of Hoodoos that you can climb and explore.

It is so fun to see the kids playing in the best (biggest) playground ever.

It’s the perfect day trip from Moab or this is a good stop if you are seeing some of the other National Parks. Last year we camped here on the way home from Capitol Reef.

On our way back to Moab we decided to grab a pizza and go back into Arches National Park to eat dinner.

This was such a fun way to eat dinner I highly recommend. At this time in the evening the park is pretty quiet.

Then we went down to the Double Arch area to go for a little sunset hike.

We have been down to this area many times but always hiked up to the Windows section. This was our first exploring the double arch side and I can’t believe we waited so long, it was stunning!

This hike is super easy and accessible to view the arches. To get up inside takes some scrambling.

The kids loved the sandy trails.

It was amazing watching the sun go down over the desert.

I will never get over this place! Hiking out in the dark was a fun experience since there is so little light out here.

Then on our way back to our camper disaster struck, I won’t go into the long story but we ended up in a hotel overnight, searching for a way to get our Tahoe fixed. Luckily we were all safe and together so it could have been WAY worse.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Hike, National Park, Travel

March 21, 2022

SPRING BREAK ’22 | Arches National Park

We spent our second day in Moab visiting Arches National Park. This is one of my favorite places and it never get old.

We started our day by going to the visitors center.

We needed to pick up our workbooks so the kids could do the Jr. Ranger program and stamp our passports.

The visitors center is super beautiful and has so much good information.

Our first stop was Broken Arch Trail, this one was a new one to us and a new favorite! It was really kid friendly and so fun.

I think this might be our 5th visit to Arches and we still find cool new places to explore. I am excited to do more epic hikes when the kids are bigger.

We had our picnic lunch and enjoyed some more overlooks. Then we went to Sand Arch which is our kids’ favorite.

We stopped on our way out of the park for the necessary picture with the sign.

Then we went into Moab for ice cream then back to the campsite for dinner.

The sunset was amazing!

Then we set out for another night hike because it’s the best way to get some energy out before bed time.

The kids love hiking with flash lights! And these trails are so pretty. Another magical day in Moab, I love this place so much!

Posted by bethcurtis 1 Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Hike, National Park, Travel

March 20, 2022

Spring Break ’22 | Canyonlands National Park

We woke up early in Fruita, Colorado, made breakfast and coffee before hitting the road. It’s only about an hour to get to Moab.

We set up camp on some BLM land where we could have direct access to some awesome trails.

Canyonlands National Park is just down the road from our campsite so we set out to find some hikes.

First stop is to get a picture with a sign.

Then into the Visitor Center so we could participate in the Jr. Ranger program and stamp our passports.

It is so beautiful here!

We hit up some trails we didn’t do last time we were here and enjoyed a picnic lunch.

After a long day of hiking we went to Moab to grab some dinner and shopping. The kids got to pick out a souvenir and new sweatshirts.

Emmy picked out a dino puppet and was hilarious with it.

We had dinner at the Spoke on Center and then went back to our campsite.

Last year we started doing evening hikes after dinner and have continued it this year. It’s the perfect way to end the day.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Hike, National Park, Travel

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We are having so much fun learning to ski as a fam We are having so much fun learning to ski as a family! Ski traffic I could do without 🫠
✨2022✨ I can honestly say this was the best ✨2022✨ 

I can honestly say this was the best year of my life. So many adventures. I am loving the ages of these kiddos and cherish our time together. 

Very unsure if we can top this in 2023 but we are sure going to try!
We hope you had a merry little Christmas 🎄 We hope you had a merry little Christmas 🎄
Winter hiking is just so magical. Definitely not h Winter hiking is just so magical. Definitely not hating winter this year! ❄️
We kicked off the holiday season by visiting the N We kicked off the holiday season by visiting the North Pole and seeing Santa! 

The kids had so much fun and it was way cuter than I was expecting. They said it was better than Disneyland 😂 @northpolecolorado
Happy Halloween!!! Cannon really wanted to be To Happy Halloween!!! 

Cannon really wanted to be Toad from Super Mario this year so we tagged along. 

Scroll to see 2021-> 2020 -> 2019 -> 2018 -> 2017 -> 2016 🎃
We finished up our tour of France with a couple da We finished up our tour of France with a couple days in Disneyland Paris. I love Disney Parks and visiting Disneyland Paris was a dream come true. We had such an amazing time on our entire trip. 

We are trying to plan our next trip. Where is the best place you have ever been? Do you have a favorite trip? I would love to hear about it. My parents say that Ireland was their favorite so UK tops the list currently but Italy or Costa Rica are on the list too.
In our last couple of days in Paris we took a bus In our last couple of days in Paris we took a bus tour to see the major sights. Our favorites included walking the entire Champs-Élysées and climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. We missed out on seeing the Catacombs because we didn’t get tickets early enough. c’est la vie, I guess we will have to go back 😉
A cousin reminded me that I never finished sharing A cousin reminded me that I never finished sharing our trip to France 🫠 better late than never! 

We spent our first day back in Paris with a trip to Versailles. We loved the gardens so much and particularly enjoyed Marie Antoinette’s little farm. The history here is incredible and the opulence overwhelming. We walked over 10 miles on our visit!
Before our long drive back to Paris we did the thr Before our long drive back to Paris we did the three castle hike in Ribeauvillé, France. We climbed up the side of a hill to three castle ruins from the 14th century. It was really fun to explore and a great way to burn some energy before a long drive.
While we were in the Alsace region of France we vi While we were in the Alsace region of France we visited the sweet little village of Riquewihr. Rumor says this was the inspiration for Belle’s village in Disney’s Beaty and the Beast. Can you see it? We could and kept singing Bonjour while walking through town.
After leaving Switzerland we made our way to Colma After leaving Switzerland we made our way to Colmar. This sweet little town in the Alsace region of France near the German border. We loved all the half timber buildings and winding streets. We had some great local food and wine. Colmar was a lovely place to get lost for an afternoon.
It was so exciting to see the Matterhorn in person It was so exciting to see the Matterhorn in person. The peak was never fully clear of clouds while we were there which was a little disappointing but it was still majestic . We took a cog train and gondola up then hiked about five miles down on the five lakes trail. It was a beautiful day and we got to enjoy lunch mid hike. We loved the little (car free) town of Zermatt. We enjoyed some fun Swiss playgrounds in town before dinner. I love Switzerland and it’s mountains!
With the last of our time in Chamonix we took a go With the last of our time in Chamonix we took a gondola and cable car up Le Brévent. We enjoyed hot chocolates and crepes at the top with views of Mont Blanc. 

Next it was time to drive on to Switzerland 🇨🇭
We took a cute cogwheel train up the valley in Cha We took a cute cogwheel train up the valley in Chamonix to Montenvers to visit the Mer de Glace  glacier. At the top you can take a gondola a little way down then MANY stairs to the glacier. It was sad to see the markers of where the glacier was in years past and how much it has shrunk. We did love exploring an ice cave that they dig out each year. We had to try twice to get into the ice caves as the first time it closed right as we arrived due to a storm. It was worth taking the train twice.
After riding to the top of Aiguille du Midi we sto After riding to the top of Aiguille du Midi we stopped half way down for a couple mile hike and a stop at a mountain hut for lunch. This might have been my favorite lunch ever. The views were amazing and the weather was nice. The mountains here are STUNNING!!! #aiguilledumidi #chamonix
We decided to spend a few day in Chamonix to explo We decided to spend a few day in Chamonix to explore the French Alps. The experience we were most excited about was taking the gondola up the 
Aiguille du Midi (highest cable car in France). You switch cable cars half way up so you can enjoy the views. The top outpost is incredible perching on top of the mountain. I’ve never seen anything like it! 

The day wasn’t completely clear but the views were still incredible. #aiguilledumidi #chamonix
After a long drive across the French countryside w After a long drive across the French countryside we landed in Annecy at the foot of the Alps. 

Annecy was such a pretty little town on the bank of a gorgeous turquoise lake.  We got to enjoy lunch at a canal side cafe, wander the streets, enjoy ice cream and playground hop our way through town. 

Very excited about our next few days in mountains of France + Switzerland.
We drove into the heart of France to visit the Go We drove into the heart of France to visit the  Gouffre de Padirac. A large cave system including an underground river. I don’t have many good pictures given the lighting and lack of patience. We loved climbing down into the cave and riding a boat along the river. Probably my favorite cave that I have visited. Kids loved all of it too and are so good about us dragging them along with us across France.
After leaving Mont Saint-Michele we drove to Loire After leaving Mont Saint-Michele we drove to Loire to visit Château de Chenonceau. It was stunning and the gardens were fun to explore. The history here is so rich!
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