The weekend Wade and I spent together at the Hotel Jerome was tucked inside a brewing storm of days on end packing boxes while trying to find a new place to live. Seeking shelter, we entered our hotel room and our stress levels dissolved. It was time to move forward and unwind the knots that had been tightening with anxiety for far too long.
We relished the chance to be alone together, where we could discuss our true emotions without having to feign optimism to others. Our friends, overzealous with positivity, left no room for self-pity. Millions of people were losing their homes to foreclosure; we were among the fortunate few who had found a buyer. We should be elated at our good luck. And we were. Only, being one to wear my emotions on my sleeve, it didn’t feel right to ignore the pain in my gut.
We walked over from the hotel to a special preview film presented by Aspen Film. It was good the title wasn’t announced until we were seated, or we would most definitely have opted out of anything remotely depressing on our wedding anniversary. The haunting film was In Darkness, directed by two-time Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland. Based on a true story, it follows a Catholic sewer worker who, during the Holocaust, helped a dozen Jews survive in the sewers for more than fourteen months. The pain in my gut dissolved, and my internal whining stopped. We had our health, our love and our family intact. We were in control of our lives. We were more than lucky.
Cathedral Lake
The next morning we drove up Castle Creek Road for our hike to Cathedral Lake. Passing the majestic Elk Mountain Lodge, where we got married, we looked at each other with our hands tightly clasped, and I thought about how our love could not be bought or taken by a bank.
It felt good to be physically active, and we hiked swiftly up the three-mile trail with its 2,000-foot elevation gain. Hearts pumping hard, we took in views of snowy peaks framed by golden aspen leaves shimmering in the sun. At the lake, Wade dipped into the icy, emerald-blue water. Feeling something close to death when he came out, he informed me that I’m not much warmer when I wrap myself around him to steal his warmth on cold winter nights. “That bad, huh?” I asked. He nodded yes and planted a cold, wet death kiss on my lips.
On the way down, we could talk more, since our hearts were no longer in our throats from the exertion, and we took time to review what was happening in our lives, the enormous task ahead and the uncharted course we were heading toward. We were ready.
Celebrating in Town
Invigorated, we returned to our room, popped open Dede’s gift and proceeded to polish off the entire bottle of 2004 Veuve Clicquot. Waste not, want not. Without time to let the bubbles float us to bed, we raced off to our dinner reservation at one of our favorite restaurants in town, L’Hostaria.
Buzzing from a spectacular day outdoors and high on champagne, we waltzed into the bright, airy restaurant and said hello to all the locals we knew, who seemed to be doing exactly what we were doing: celebrating.
I dove into the menu line by line and almost cried reading the poetic description of the aged balsamic vinegar from Reggio Emilia. I had to order the Caprese salad and taste it for myself, and believe you me, there was no indifference coming from this puppy. Next came a divine plate of beef carpaccio with sun-dried tomatoes, shredded carrots and caper berries. A power dinner, raw and delicious. I was ready to paint the town red.
We walked over to the Aspen Brewing Company and danced the rest of the evening away as a friend gave us all he had on the bongo drums. It was a rocking end to a beautiful weekend, and it occurred to me that the magic of this valley lies not only in the house where you dwell but also in the beautiful locals who live here, the cool surrounding Western towns where we all run into each other and the magnificent mountains that give us the ultimate playground to embrace the storm and play in it when it hits.
How to Hike Cathedral Lake
Getting there: From downtown Aspen, head west on Highway 82 about half a mile to the roundabout and take the exit for Castle Creek Road. Drive 12.2 miles up the valley, past Elk Mountain Lodge and the Ashcroft ghost town. Just after Ashcroft, turn right onto the gravel road signed for Cathedral Lake and follow it about half a mile to the trailhead. The road is rough, but most cars with decent clearance can make it if you take it slow.
Parking: The lot fills early on summer and fall weekends, so get there early. Overflow parking is along the access road. There are no restrooms or drinking water at the trailhead.
The trail: Cathedral Lake is about 5.6 miles round trip with roughly 2,000 feet of elevation gain, and the lake sits near 11,900 feet. The climb starts right away through aspen groves up Pine Creek canyon and stays steep past a waterfall at about 0.7 miles. It eases near a boulder field around 1.5 miles, where you get your first views of the peaks, then gets serious again with a talus field and steep switchbacks up the headwall around the two-mile mark. Once you crest the top, it’s a gentle walk down to the lake at 2.8 miles.
Tips: Start early. Afternoon thunderstorms roll in fast in summer, and you want to be off exposed ground by noon, especially if you’re tempted to continue up to Electric Pass. Bring plenty of water, snacks and warm layers, because it’s chilly at the lake even on sunny days. Late September is magic, when the aspens turn gold along Castle Creek Road. The trail is in the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness, so if you want to camp, you’ll need an advance overnight permit from recreation.gov and a bear canister.
