We all had a great time on the first Live By Living cancer survivor and caregiver retreat!  Although the weekend weather forecast was somewhat worrisome, we started off under blue skies on Saturday.  The trail to the Froelicher hut heads straight up the hill, but our group was STRONG! And we didn’t try to race.  We had a lovely snack on the way up by an old ruined miner’s cabin, and arrived at the hut in good time.

After relaxing a bit and learning our way round the hut, we went downstairs to the Alpine Resource Center, a beautiful space that Tenth Mountain makes available to non-profit groups as part of its backcountry exploration program.  We explored the library there, and then settled in for some guided mindfulness training led by Sia Urroz, one of our volunteers.  Soon, it was time for some yummy appetizers, followed by lentil and spinach soup.  The culinary star of the evening was probably the Boston Cream Pie.  In between courses, we watched the sunset colors deepen on the peaks of the Mosquito Range, and got treated to a rainbow.

Sunday, we took a short but rewarding hike to Buckeye Lake, nestled in the cirque of Buckeye Gulch.

Wildflowers were still going strong here, including some star gentian, as well as a striking mystery flower with a long raceme of red flowers.

A few of us hiked up to the ridge above the lake for a view of the Holy Cross and the Sawatch Range.  All in all, a lovely day.

Monday, after a breakfast of peaches, blueberries and strawberries with yogurt and granola, we packed up and headed down the trail.  A brief rain shower on the way down dampened people’s clothes, but not their spirits.