Yesterday was a gorgeous December day and a girlfriend and I were eager to make use of it before the inevitable snow descends along the Front-Range. (It will come, right?!). We both wanted to escape the suburban views, but needed something close to home and kid-friendly, so we opted for Evergreen.
Over lunch at Bread Lounge and browsing at a sweet home boutique called Nellybelle, we decided to take a drive up Squaw Pass. We stopped at Beaver Brook Watershed Trail, since I was familiar with it and love the way the sun plays on the open meadow near the trailhead. Sunshine is always welcome in winter, no matter how “nice” the weather!
Well, with kids in tow, one can invariably count on a change of plans. With my 7-year-old “Adventure-Seeking Micah” trailblazing for us, those plans came extra quickly. Micah immediately took charge and led us about 1/4 mile in from the parking lot, then veered left, away from the main trail and onto to an intersecting one (which appears to have no name). An enchanting Aspen grove caught his eye, and the trail he hopped on led straight to it.
The Aspen grove was indeed enchanting! And it also housed Lean-To #1—our first surprise (of many to come). The kids adored playing on, and in it…but what came next rocked our wool socks off!
A couple minutes further down the same trail, we encountered yet another surprise lean-to…aptly named Lean-To #2. (Clearly creativity is flowing like a river of solidified cement over here). This was a much larger and technically erected lean-to than the last one, resembling a wooden teepee. It had a front and a back entrance, with the back prettiest. It felt like we were in a fairy tale.
In the distance, through what had now become dense forest, I could scarcely make out a third structure. As soon as I questioned the possibility of another, all four kids (ranging in age from 4 to 9) bolted in that direction. I reminded them they need to stay in view, but excitement grabbed hold of me too and I started sprinting to the next surprise lean-to!
Lean-To #3 was perhaps our least favorite. It lacked the charm and technicality of the previous two. However, Micah managed to utilize the horizontal branch over the threshold as a pull-up bar. He’s always looking for a good workout!
After boredom and the prospect of a fourth lean-to set in, we followed the trail another couple minutes, and sure enough…Lean-To #4! It was the Mack Daddy of them all, and primed for a listing on HipCamp. It was colossal—a lean-to mansion! Number 4 even had a foyer! Whoever had built these had a serious combination of engineering skills and time on their hands. I hope they know how much joy these structures bring the kids (and adults) who encounter them. The builder(s) have our immense praise and gratitude!
Although the trail continued far beyond what we could see, we ultimately decided to stop at Lean-To #5, which happened to be in-progress—not fully built. Actually it looked as if there were two structures being built adjacent to each other. Perhaps they would ultimately be conjoined to make a mega lean-to? Time will tell!
We do look forward to exploring this trail a little deeper and uncovering more surprises, lean-to or otherwise. But the daylight was quickly receding, as it tends to do early this time of year. So we turned around and headed back to their favorite lean-to (#4) for a picnic snack inside, before calling it a day…a very good & surprise-filled day!
(*Quick safety note: don’t move the branches of the lean-to…you just never know if one could make the whole thing come crashing down. Yikes!)
Directions to “Lean-To Hike” from Denver: Take I-70 West to CO-74 toward Evergreen Parkway (Exit 252). After approximately 3 miles, turn right on Squaw Pass Road. After about 3.5 miles start keeping an eye open for a dirt parking lot on the righthand side. There will be a long split-rail fence separating the parking lot from an expansive meadow where the trail begins. Note pictures below:
Trading for Trails 