SHOPS & A HIKE

On our second day at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, we first indulged in Breakfast in Bed (courtesy of the Club Lounge), and then we embarked on a shopping adventure, followed by a gorgeous guided hike (where we saw a black bear!).

Take a look!

BREAKFAST IN BED

After going to bed early in a food coma, Michelle and I thought we’d continue the trend by grabbing breakfast to go from the Club Lounge and indulging in the comfort of our own hotel room… while watching reality TV. We stayed there for 3 hours before heading out into the sunlight. An introvert’s paradise!

BEAVER CREEK VILLAGE

Next, we took the complimentary shuttle over to the Villages at Beaver Creek, since we had a couple hours to spare before our scheduled private hike with a Ritz-Carlton Naturalist!

Here I am in front of the main ski area, ready to explore.

We perused the shops but weren’t all that impressed. Looks like this area is pretty dead and boring when it’s not peak ski season…

I did enjoy this cute little babbling creek that runs through the Village.

Somehow I managed not to venture inside this Gelato and Fine Chocolate Shop. Must’ve been still feeling the extravagant food from the previous day!

Instead, Michelle and I split a veggie and hummus wrap from a nearby gift shop and deli. It hit the spot and wasn’t too heavy; we wanted to stay limber for our hike!

After that, we were pretty much done with Beaver Creek and decided to call the shuttle to bring us back to the RC. We decided to just enjoy the fabulous weather at a picnic table, play some lawn games, and wait for our RC Naturalist, Sami Fairchild, to arrive.

By this time, I was energized and ready to go!

A GUIDED HIKE

Sami led the way and patiently took the 100 pictures of Michelle and me, who couldn’t help but look like we were a couple on our honeymoon. Ha! Whoopsies.

Sami took us on a 2-mile loop around the mountain, stopping to tell stories about the geography, the wildlife, and the history of the area. We learned a ton!

We also saw a ton. Right after the above  photo, we saw a black bear in the distance… supposedly on the part of our trail  we’d be coming back on. Eek! I was nervous the rest of the way, but Sami assured us we’d be fine with bear spray and a quick lesson in what to do, etc.

It was a gorgeous view! We ended up seeing a very protective hawk circling its nest, a handful of sweet, grazing mule deer, and cute little snails on the trail.

As we passed where the black bear had been, Sami took us to Anderson’s Cabin, a part of the property I’d been dying to see. After burning out in the mining industry, many single men took advantage of the Homestead Act and built log cabins in what is now called Bachelor Gulch (named after these unmarried male settlers). This one remains, albeit restored, and was named after the man who built it.

It now is used as an event space, which can be rented out for parties as large as 35 people, or as small as two. The interior is cozy and rustic. So cute!

Here we are at the end of our hike, happy to not have seen our bear friend again. We grabbed our backs and headed back to Denver on a Friday afternoon, having felt like we already got a great weekend in the books!

Missed Part 1 of this adventure? See it here.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A BLACK BEAR?