ringing in the new year

New Years Day was way over a week ago, but I have a bit of blog catch-up to do.  Kalin and I had an awkward Wednesday and Thursday off in the middle of the week for New Years, so didn't have big plans for an extended weekend.  My great, amazing friend from Westmont, Caley, lives in the area, so we set off on a one-day quick adventure with her for New Years Day.

We decided that snowshoeing was going to be the cheapest, most exciting idea.  Caley knew of this trail outside of Copper Mountain Ski Resort.  We strapped on our snowshoes and headed up the trail.  For the most part, the trail was all uphill.  Because it was such a nice day, we started shedding our layers on the way up.  It was such a beautiful hike and it was nice to see that so many people were out as well.  And there were tons of dogs!  Oh man.  It made me want a dog desperately.  Our hike ended (well, for us, at least) at an old abandoned Cabin that was probably at one point housing for mine workers way back when.  People had carved their names into the logs and possibly spent a few nights in one unfortunate looking cabin with carpet remains.  But it was a pretty cool little ghost town.

After lunch, we headed back down towards Denver.  There is an exit off I-70 for the Mother Cabrini Shrine.  I've seen this sign my whole life but never ventured any further.  With a sleeping Kalin in the back seat, Caley and I decided it was about time we figured out what the deal was with this place.  After driving up a windy road that has it's own fund to "fix our road" we arrived at a full parking lot and a TON OF PEOPLE everywhere.  The shrine is under a huge sculpture of Christ at the top of the hill.  So, after we climbed the 370-odd steps, we made it to the Shrine.  The views were amazing:

Mother Cabrini came to the US and was cannonized into the Patron Saint of Immigrants.  She started an orphanage on top of the hill and also created a stone symbol of the Heart of Christ.  And from the amount of people there, she has quite a few followers.  It was a very beautiful place that I would have never known existed.  A ghost town and a shrine in one day?  Perfect.