colorado part two (mountains!!!!!)

To be fair, I wrote this post immediately following the one about Denver and there are only two reasons I split it into two posts which are:

1. I’m incredible wordy and without intending it to everything I write gets twelve times longer than I ever expected it to be, so for the sake of the three and a half people who read my blog (one of whom being me just reliving old memories) I assumed it was a better idea not to have a trip recap the size of a literal novella. 
2. I’m typing this at work while I cover the front desk receptionist’s lunch and keeping these posts shorter makes it more viable for unknowing bosses to assume I’m writing an actual email, and not a completely unrelated to work blog post about places I wish I continued to be INSTEAD of work.

Also I’m about to post sixteen thousand pictures of mountains because it’s been almost two weeks and I’m still NOT OVER THE MOUNTAINS, folks.  Literally you’re driving and you can see them in the distant background and they’re pretty and snow covered and you’re like well this is really lovely, and then you make one hairpin right turn and suddenly there are gigantic million feet tall jagged chunks of earth on either side of you. Happened more than once, I promise you.  Which brings us to highlights of Fort Collins:

• Rocky Mountain National Park – The 8,000 texts I sent my Fort Collins host Nate gleefully proclaiming my excitement for mountains must have tipped him off that my #1 concern after many pints of craft beer was to tramp through the mountains live and in person because Friday morning he drove me all the way out to the most gorgeous national park to play in the snow with me while I flailed around excitedly and consumed an entire Ziploc baggie of walnuts (told you I was not to be trusted around trail mix).  Other highlights include stepping out of the car to an insane gust of FREEZING wind that blew gusts of equally freezing cold snow at our woefully winter-unprepared selves so violently (thanks, giant snow blower across the parking lot) that I nearly bit it before we even stepped foot on the trails, and also climbing trees on scary tall rock outcrops about a billion feet up in the mountains (if it isn’t dangerous it isn’t fun, right????)

Turned a corner, found these.

My mountain tour guide :)

Ohhhh.

Climbed some trees just hanging around overlooking this.

• Epic brunches – I don’t even have true words for the meals I consumed while I was in Fort Collins, except that they were 75% breakfast and 1,000% amazing.  Look at this nonsense:

Snooze OMG French Toast stuffed with marscapone & strawberries and eggs benny over herbed polenta, brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes.

Trout Pontchartrain, poached eggs with bearnaise sauce, grits, some sort of cajun potatoes, and a gigantic biscuit with homemade strawberry rhubarb. 
Thanks, Lucile's.

• Patio beers – IT WAS SEVENTY DEGREES.  I drank a fabulous milk stout at Odell’s, on the patio, wearing short sleeves and sunglasses.  I drank a beer the name of which I will still not say because it makes me feel like I ordered a wine spritzer but suffice to say it was delightfully summer saison with cranberries, at Coopersmiths, ALSO on the patio, ALSO wearing a t-shirt.  Remember: it’s February and I’m from Michigan. Mind blown.  Also for the record indoor beer was consumed at Equinox & Black Bottle before the trip was over, bringing the total Colorado brewery experience number to an even 10.

• New Belgium Brewery Tour – Okay I know we here in the Midwest who like to think we’re oh so exclusive with our beer and oh Fat Tire, that’s nothing special and blah blah blah, but you guys. I could write you a ten page letter on why this tour was the coolest thing ever and you should immediately change your opinions.  Let’s just discuss a few points.

1. Pre-tour we had a few samples of some frigging wonderful sour beers and I can say, 100% accurate, I promise, there is probably nothing in the world like a fresh glass of La Folie on tap at actual New Belgium.  If you could see me right now I would be holding my arms literally as far out as possible to suggest the difference between what we get in Michigan, and what you get there live and in person. Holy hot damn.
2. During the tour, which was given to us by the literally most fabulous and possibly somewhat drunk tour guide ever, we had about a million more samples, which included some help yourselves glasses of Abbey Ale, a handful of other mini-glasses full, a full can of Fat Tire, and a bottle of Slow Ride snatched right off the bottling line itself. After this tour was over I took several selfies of myself & Nate with the sign out in front of the brewery that I don’t necessarily remember, so there’s that.
3.  Peter Bouckaert, yes ACTUAL Peter Bouckaert of Rodenbach, taught me how to use the water chemistry and calcium additions to replicate the lagering process without needing an actual lager chilling equipment set up. Swooning forever.
4. There’s a curly slide at the end of the tour. Game over, your arguments lose.  (Some girl who’d been on the tour before told me to lift my feet up to go faster – yes it works, yes it’s a harrowing death spiral, and no I did NOT spill my beer.)

Ted's Beer, Transatlantic Kriek, La Folie; what a pretty beer rainbow.

All the barrels!!!

Photo op on the Slow Ride couch ;)

• This view – Because we drove maybe 15 minutes and were smack dab in the middle of this.  What a perfect lovely morning.  That’s something awfully close to perfection, nature.  Gold star.

In retrospect, my excitement over mountains has faded exactly 0%, my desire to drink more Colorado beer and eat more brunch (with a possible side of burgers and cheese plates) has been only mildly satisfied, and I enjoyed the company and the shenanigans more than a little bit, so I guess I’m going to have to go back.