Dillon, Colorado

We have been coming to Dillon for years.  Kim and I actually spent a weekend here on a road trip in 1991, a year before we got married.  I still remember that trip, back when we were very poor, and had to make a tough decision to camp by the lake in the rain or spring for a hotel room.  The hotel room won!  The mountains and the lake drew us here, and have been drawing us ever since.

About a year after we got married, Kim’s mom Myra and step-father Chuck bought a quarter share of a place here, and it was  used for ski trips for a few years.  In 1997, they finally bought a place of their own, the place we are staying now.  Our son Fletcher had his first birthday here, and it holds other very special memories for us.  Myra decided she wanted the place to stay in the family, so we are now one third owners, along with Kim’s step-brother Dave and step-sister Nancy.

Here is a shot from the balcony during a storm a few days ago.  We love the frequent storms here in the Rockies., as long as we can avoid being stuck out in hail!

We have been here at least a dozen times for ski trips, and have summered here numerous times.  We have never been able to stay here in September and October, since Kim was teaching.  This is the first year we have this time free, and we are looking forward to the cooler weather and the changing colors of fall.

Being here in September has been a stark departure from our summers here.  We are used to walking into restaurants and waiting 20 minutes for a table.  Not now!  Just walk right in!  We have attended a few concerts that Dillon does in their amphitheater, and in the past you needed to set up your chairs in the morning to have a place to sit.  Not now!  This is awesome!

Even the hiking trails are down to just a few locals!  September is a great time to be here!

For you low landers, the City of Dillon sits at 9,111 feet (our townhouse is at about 9,300 feet).  The first few days are spent gasping for breath just from getting out of your chair.  It does take about a week for your body to acclimate, and even then, some of the hiking trails around here are lung-busters!

Our first hike is always Old Dillon Reservoir, which was originally built in the 1930’s to supply water to the original town of Dillon.  In 1956, the residents of the original city were told they needed to vacate and move about a mile away to higher ground, as a dam was going to be built to create Lake Dillon, which now provides water to Denver and other front range cities.  The original location of Dillon is now under 250 feet of water.

Old Dillon Reservoir is a short 1.7 mile hike, and offers great views of Lake Dillon and the surrounding mountains.

The path around the Old Dillon Reservoir was deserted.

Dillon is in Summit County, Colorado, and this is home to more excellent hikes than likely any other part of Colorado.  We love our hikes, and will be featuring our favorites in further posts.  We highly recommend you visit Summit County if you really want to get that “Rocky Mountain High”!  No, that has nothing to do with the fact there is a marijuana dispensary on every corner!