Mountain Secrets Blog

This week on Exploring 285 we visited The Chill Squirrel at their new location in downtown Bailey. They are an eclectic gift shop offering unique finds, homemade gifts and home décor. If you have not been to their new location, you are missing out! 

Their toy section is full of books, toys and games for all ages. One of our favorite finds is the real aspen leaves dipped in copper to create ornaments or jewelry. They also offer fun candles, rustic home décor, pillows, cigars, Turkish lamps, backpacks, men's toiletries and outdoor décor! 

If you are looking for a small town shop to explore and find something fun, come see the Chill Squirrel in our small downtown of Bailey Colorado! 

Visit their site for more details or to see their products at http://chillsquirrel.com/ . 

As an animal lover, one of my favorite videos for Exploring 285 is when we get to go play with the animals at the local humane society in Pine, CO. This week on Exploring 285 we visited our local humane society in Pine, Co @Intermountain Humane Society.

Currently they have some friendly and playful pups and a handful of kittens available for adoption. Help us find these babies their new furever home by sharing this video of them playing with your friends!

To learn more, apply or donate visit imhs.org .

For any of your real estate needs be sure to check out our page http://www.yourjourneyhome.net

Kayla Maathuis, Team Lead of Your Journey Home 303.507.2751

Do you love pinball OR have you always wanted to play pinball ?
Blizzard Mountain Pinball is located in Conifer, CO and is a fun time out in our local town! They have over 38 pinball machines and other arcade games to play. They also host birthday parties or special events in their fun party room.

Are you looking to entertain friends, family or little ones? Pinball is a GREAT and fun way to do that while staying up the hill!
Did you ever play Mrs. Pac-man back in the day or wish you could play it now?? At Blizzard Mountain Pinball they have Mrs. Pac-man ready for you to enjoy! Check out their fun games in the video below!

To learn more or check out other Exploring 285 videos visit http://www.exploring285.com

This week on Exploring 285 we visited Taspen's Organics in Conifer, Colorado . 

Taspen's offers all one could want for their healing, health and overall wellness. The retail store features their organic line of products Taspen's Organics and Dragonfly Botanicals Hemp with CBD which are all created in house right here in Conifer! 

They also offer a variety of yoga classes and healing sessions with heart-centered practitioners, unique workshops, live music, and yoga teacher training. Taspen's Yoga, Music & Healing Center.

To complete the vision the amazing organic restaurant, Taspen's Cafe & Bakery, offers options for people of all dietary needs such as vegan, gluten free, and those looking for organic/locally sourced meat and veggies. 

Things to Do in mountain towns of Colorado like Conifer, Bailey and surrounding areas. Not in the area? Check out their retail locations along the Denver Metro area, Steamboat, Breckenridge and Boulder! Visit their site for more details and locations: https://taspens.com/ 

For any of your real estate needs be sure to check out our page www.yourjourneyhome.net 

Kayla Maathuis, Team Lead of Your Journey Home 303.507.2751

"The trail began to become quite elusive, covered with debris and indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. To sum it up, it was quite a mess that took some time to navigate and get a good feel as to where the trail "should" be based on the topography. Route finding was demanding and at some point, was more of a guessing game than anything." 

If you are looking for a challenging backpacking loop in the Colorado backcountry for two or three days, this is one you will want to consider. Though it can be done as an overnight trip, we highly recommend at least two days. Three or even four days would be perfect as there is so much to see and explore. 

We all know that shopping locally is the best way to support your community's small businesses who are run by your neighbors and who give back to our schools and area nonprofits, but what if you need something you can't find and have to order online? You can still "give back" to your community if you shop through AmazonSmile!

This week on Exploring 285 we visited Native Vibrations Colorado Crystals & Gifts in Bailey, Colorado . 

They are an eclectic gift and rock shop offering locally mined stones and gems, handmade jewelry, unique gifts, home decor, clothing, bags, CBD products and more! Check out this hidden gem (see what I did there) and go visit them next time you are in downtown Bailey ! Boyd, the owner, is very knowledgeable if you want to talk about rocks too 🙂 

Jessica Ford and I had a great time visiting - we even picked up some stress rocks to help us relax... AHH Visit their website at https://nativevibrations.square.site/ . 

For any of your real estate needs, Your Journey Home is here. Find out more information at www.yourjourneyhome.net . 

Every year, American Express helps small businesses promote shopping locally on Small Business Saturday^®, the movement they started in 2010. Now, 10 years later, small businesses face one of the greatest challenges ever: a worldwide pandemic that has seen millions of Americans lose their jobs, countless small businesses close, and many more struggle to keep going. According to the Amex-commissioned 2018 Small Business Economic Impact Study, 62% of U.S. small businesses reported that they need to see consumer spending return to pre-COVID levels by the end of 2020 in order to stay in business. When you Shop Small^® this holiday season – and all year long – you can help create a big impact.

Colorado Mountain Weather Observing Systems to be Enhanced with Cameras
February 27, 2020 - Denver Metro Area

DENVER – The Colorado Division of Aeronautics and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announce plans to enhance the Division's network of 13 Mountain Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) with real-time camera data. In addition to receiving accurate and certified weather information, pilots will soon have the ability to visually observe weather conditions high in the Colorado Rockies before they've even departed the airport.

It's looking like a mixed bag of weather across the foothills, the Denver metro and the adjacent plains for the upcoming holiday weekend. Some precipitation will be possible, but no big storm systems are expected. It looks like a pretty warm Saturday, followed by cooler temperatures Sunday and Memorial Day. Overall, the rainfall potential doesn't look too impressive, so you may be able to fit in some outdoor activities off and on, but you'll want to watch the skies. Remember, lightning is one of the biggest weather dangers this time of year, and we're expecting some throughout the weekend. So if you'll be hiking, biking or just enjoying the outdoors, keep the "30 Second Lightning Safety Rule" in mind. Thunderstorms and showers will continue to be at least a possibility Sunday and Monday as well, along with fairly cool temperatures.

Wednesday April 15, 2020 - By Meteorologist Steve Hamilton

So, How Much Snow?

That's a tough question to answer right now, unfortunately. The forecast models are not lining up, even though this system appears similar to the last one. To put it simply, it doesn't seem like this will be a major two-footer for our area. Accumulations may end up between 3 and 8 inches for most areas, with lesser amounts for Denver.

 A cold front is still expected to descend into Colorado from the Northern Rockies. We're seeing some snowfall in the northern mountains already, but this doesn't have much to do with the incoming front. It's more related to the current Jet Stream pattern, which has caused some "lifting" (pulling air up from the surface), and thus, some snowfall and gusty wind.

Looking at the front that's on the way, it should arrive over Colorado by this evening. Readings from further north show gusty wind behind the front, as is usually the case. We can expect that over the Front Range Foothills by this evening. Wind should be out of the north or northeast.

 This week on Exploring 285 we visited Intermountain Humane Society to see their adoptable cats and dogs! Meet them here or go check them out in Pine! Check out imhs.org for more details and information! Click Read more to meet the dogs and cats!

This week on Exploring 285 we are visiting a new addition to Conifer Southern Lilies Florist located next to Snowpack Taproom & Kitchen . Their GRAND OPENING is Saturday, February 1st from 9am-1pm. They will be doing a gift card drawing and offering a free beer from Snowpack or 10% off! Go check them out for your Valentine's Day needs, upcoming wedding/event or just because flowers! Visit them at https://www.facebook.com/Southern-Lilies-Florist-103084751235201/ .

Click read more to see the full interview /shop ! 

This week on Exploring 285 we visited 285 Pizza Pies ! They offer delicious pizza for our mountain community! Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/285PizzaPies/ ! Yummy and delicious food for your needs! Bailey/Mountain Strong in Colorado! 

Click Read More to see the full interview with Mike!

This week on Exploring 285 we visited Inglenook Energy to see all the fireplaces they have to offer! Are you looking for a new fireplace to keep warm this winter? Check them out! Pellets, wood burning, gas - they have them all and have grilling equipment! Visit them at https://www.inglenookenergy.com/ 

Click Read More to see their fireplaces and meet the owner!

This week on Exploring 285 we visited Pine Emporium in Historic Pine Grove, Colorado . They have antiques, trinkets, books, photography, collectibles and so much more! Check them out next time you are in Pine! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pine-Emporium/790822087637159

Click read more to see the video and the store!

As new homeowners (or new parents), many of us look forward to participating in those annual holiday traditions - decorating for Christmas, passing out candy at Halloween, etc. When we bought our first house in Conifer, we were so excited to welcome Trick or Treaters to our door that we rushed to Costco to buy the giant bag of candy to be sure we'd have enough. We decorated our house, made sure our porch light was turned on, and sat in eager anticipation of little voices yelling "Trick or Treat!"

That first Halloween, we quickly realized things are done a little differently here from where we'd grown up when we had not a single goblin, ghost, Spiderman, or princess warrior grace our door. With houses spaced out further, and a lack of streetlights, going door-to-door in the neighborhood isn't really an option for kids in the mountains. After polishing off that giant bowl of candy ourselves (ouch), we discovered the fabulous world of Trunk or Treats at local schools, activities at libraries, and Trick or Treating at area businesses!