Today was the first day of our fifth season of Colorado CannaVenture Events and I could not have been more excited to get back on the trail with the crew. We loaded all of our gear up and arrived shortly after 1PM to claim a visible parking spot and provide instructions to attendees who were trying to navigate to the trailhead. We met at the lower parking lot near the West Trailhead where the Castle Rock/Parmalee Gulch/Upper Loop trails begin.
As the first few people began to arrive just before 2PM, our sponsor for the hike, Primal Healing, handed out custom wellness kits that included some CannaVenture swag, items for the trail (like Vitamin C and a trail bar), as well as samples of their award-winning CBD-infused topicals.
Once most of the attendees had arrived, we opened with some words of welcome and highlighted some of our new COVID-19 procedures, reminding people that they were encouraged to wear masks when social distancing was not possible and to minimize sharing of consumables if choosing to consume. Primal Healing also gave a bit of information about their topicals, sister massage company, and current efforts to bring self-care into the homes of their loyal consumers.
After welcomes completed, we headed up Parmalee Gulch trail for a quick stop at the bathrooms, just a ways past the actual trailhead. Once the crew was relieved and prepared, we headed out on Castle Trail, the first segment of the Upper Loop. Throughout our journey, we took multiple breaks to rehydrate, take pictures, and consume cannabis. We probably took more breaks on the way to the summit than on the way back, allowing us to truly take time to enjoy the great outdoors around us.
We stopped by the Eagle’s Eye Shelter for old times’ sake (this was where we had stopped during our last CannaVenture on this trail due to hail) and caught a glimpse of the entire mountain range around us, including sights like Red Rocks, as well as the ruins of the Walker House that we would eventually arrive at. We also stopped at the watch tower to catch another view of the expansive wilderness surrounding us.
Eventually, we arrived at the ruins of the Walker House, famously built in 1909 and eventually burned down aside from the foundations that remain. After a dab or so at the ruins, we headed a few hundred yards away to duck off the trail and enjoy a relaxing sesh near this historic property.
Once properly elevated, it was back to the trail where we would eventually make our way to Walker’s Dream (AKA the Summer White House). Walker had envisioned presidents spending their summers here at the house he intended to build but never finished. There is one giant white marble stone that is engraved to commemorate the project, but otherwise, there’s not much aside from the foundation.
Just past the site, there’s a few nice overlooks with gorgeous views of Denver, Golden, and the surrounding areas, as well as a crystal clear view of Red Rocks Amphitheater. The crew spent a while here, talking amongst themselves, taking pictures, and enjoying a strong breeze that brought with it a cool, freshness, and a much needed relief from the sun.
As we all made our way back, we could not help but admire the slowly setting sun, revisiting the views from our ascent, and taking in the time spent with good people who we had not seen in some time. After all, the Crew has not had an event for more than half a year, and it was great to see some familiar and fresh faces alike on the trail.
We made it back to the parking lot just after 6:30PM, a bit later than expected but the crew had a blast. Many of the group decided to continue the adventure with drinks and food at the nearby Rooftop Tavern in Morrison. Once we had enjoyed our celebration, it was back home for everyone in preparation of the week ahead.
I cannot thank you all enough for coming out and kicking off the season with me. Thank you to our sponsor Primal Healing for making this event possible and kicking down some awesome wellness kits to attendees. And thank you to everyone who expressed a desire to attend another CannaVenture ASAP. Trust me, we are working on it!!
As of this writing, our next scheduled hike is August 9th with Smokin Gun Apothecary, but we may have a July hike up our sleeves as well, so stay tuned!
Thank you again and I look forward to seeing everyone on the trail as soon as possible!
Happy CannaVenturing!
Much love,
Cannabenoid
P.S. Don’t forget to join our Group on Facebook.
P.P.S. More photos! Send in yours to have them included!
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