Red Shoes, the Angel Wants to Wear Her Red Shoes

Sorry for the Elvis Costello reference, but that's the best I can do to explain Lauren's latest purchase. Unhappy with her performance footwear, my lovely wife went down to Ute Mountaineering and demanded a shoe that could keep up with her aggressive new lifestyle. She scoffed at Saucany, pshawed Pumas, and mocked Mizunos. Only the Salomon XA Comps, commonly referred to as "trail tanks" to those in the know, were shoe enough for her.

Let me be the first to tell you, these shoes are the real deal. They come with a Gore-Tex outer, so your feet stay dry even if crossing a stream. The lace locks are standard, so you need never be bothered again with such a menial task as tying your shoes. And most impressively, if Lauren clicks her heels together three times, the shoes magically transport her to the Fares Christmas party, regardless of the time of year. Or maybe the salesperson just made that last part up to close her hundred dollar sale. You never can tell with those people.

Hike #2: Weller Lake

..Weller Lake.

Also located off of Independence Pass, Weller Lake is exactly that, a high-alpine lake nestled in a bowl between Difficult Peak and New York Peak. Unlike the Grottos, we had to work much harder on this hike, as the climb from the trailhead to the lake was steep and unforgiving. The rewards, however, were spectacular.

Climbing along the rock-strewn singletrack, with thick forest seemingly extending for miles, it doesn't seem possible that a huge body of water could be hidden amongst the trees. But as you ascend the final short climb, there it is: the clearest lake you've ever seen, comprised solely of run-off from the snow of winters long ago.

If you look closely at the upper right hand corner of the picture, you can make out a large "missing" patch of mountain, the result of an avalanche that pulverized everything in its path. It's an amazing thing to see.

Hike #1: The Grottos

There's your Jersey girl, posing on a bridge traversing the Roaring Fork River. Fully equipped with hiking shoes, a North Face backpack, and a Camelback hydration system, Lauren was ready to take on her first high-altitude hike as an Aspen local: the Grottos.

Starting at 9,000 feet and climbing gently, the Grottos has it all -- pools, ice caves, overlooks, forests, rock cliffs, and as you will see below, beautiful waterfalls. Lauren and I got going at around 9 AM on a bluebird morning, making the drive up Independence Pass until we hit the Grottos trailhead.

Her confidence soaring, Lauren cancelled her plans for a mid-morning pedicure and instead insisted on moving on to our second hike...