Rockin’ on the Rockies

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In late October 2021, my friends Lucy, Randall, Kaveri, Stefano, Ivory, Karen, and I went on another mountain cabin trip. This time, we relaxed and rejuvenated in the majestic Rocky Mountains, located in the state of Colorado. All of us were fully vaccinated, and that enabled us to enjoy a more fulfilling vacation.

Ivory and I flew via Southwest airlines into the Denver International Airport (one of the biggest and busiest airports in the US), and we met up with Kaveri and Stefano. The four of us rented a four wheel drive SUV to aid in our 2.5 hour excursion into the mountains and to the cabin we rented in Grand Lake, CO. Thank you to Stefano for driving us up the mountains safely and back!

After leaving the airport, we stopped for lunch at the ToCabe Restaurant, which is a Native American eatery in downtown Denver. I had this delicious grilled chicken stuffed taco that was fried and topped with fresh veggies, salsa and chipotle sauce. You can see a picture of it in my slideshow below. There are about 7,000 people from the indigenous community that currently live in Denver today, a little over one percent of the total city’s population. Coming back from the mountains, we got donuts from Parlor Doughnuts. This place is known for their layered croissant-style donuts. Yummy!

We booked our cabin through the Vrbo website. If you look at the cabin photos on the site, you’ll see the microwave is up on a higher shelf. I contacted the cabin owners prior to booking and they said the microwave could be moved to the counter so I can access it. The owners also provided a step stool for me to use when we were there. To ensure a safe and smooth stay at any facility, don’t be afraid to be as specific as possible about what you need . One of the highlights of this cabin was that we had our own private access to Shadow Mountain Lake. Since it’s in the mountains, the stairs leading down to the lake are long and narrow. We also were able to use the canoes and kayaks the cabin owner provided. During our stay, we bought groceries and cooked all the meals in the cabin. There weren’t a lot of eating out options nearby and many of them closed early in the day.

If you ever decide to take a trip to the Rocky Mountains, be sure to give yourself a couple of days to get acclimated to the high altitudes. My friends and I went on a hiking trail the first day and some of us had a hard time adjusting to the mountain elevation (heart palpitations, headaches, heavy breathing and sinus pressure). The trails we went on were 1-2 miles above sea level so it’s important to listen to your body and pace yourself. I also recommend wearing layers in the fall and bringing good walking shoes/boots. On our last mountain trip to the Smokies, Karen let me use one of her hiking sticks. I bought the same exact pair following that, but it didn’t end up fitting in my carry-on bag. If you plan to bring hiking sticks, see if you can put them in a checked bag or check them in as a separate item. Southwest Airlines allows you to check two bags for free. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea if the national park had hiking sticks for people to rent on the trails.

Before going on hiking trails, do your research ahead of time to determine how accessible the trails would be for you. The Rocky Mountains National Park labels certain trails as ADA-compliant, which means that it meets the design requirements set by the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and are accessible for people with disabilities. However, that was not the case for the two trails that we went on which were designated as “ADA-compliant” (Adams Falls and Lake Irene trails). My rule of thumb is that if a wheelchair user can’t navigate the entire trail smoothly and safely, then it is not accessible. The trails were flat in some parts, but rocky and sloped in others. The Lake Irene trail was also icy and I had to hold on to Kaveri’s arm most of the way. Adams Fall trail took us to a really nice waterfall, but there are drop offs that no one who is afraid of heights should go near. Though I was able to hike these trails, it doesn’t mean everyone else can. If the national park can’t redesign the hiking trails, then they need to be completely honest on how accessible the trails really are. That way, people with dwarfism and other disabilities know what trails to avoid, and we can plan our trip without getting disappointed and running into any issues that can be potentially be putting someone’s life at risk. A helpful website/app you can check out is AllTrails, which provides real reviews and photos of various hiking trails by regular people. It can give you a better idea of what the trails really look like, what other people experienced and exactly how accessible it may be.