Beauty and reflection: Layers of peaks welcome self-reflection, motivation, and inspiration, as seen from Brother’s Lookout.[/caption]

Happy New Year, my dear reader! I hope the holidays treated you well and you’re ready to begin a new year of discovering our colorful Centennial State. I contemplated how to start our 2024 Colorado adventures for a long time. It was challenging to decide.

I landed on my favorite thing to do: hiking. We’re heading to the Alderfer/Three Sisters Park in Evergreen. Many families favor this park due to its many easy trails that network from one to the other, making it a little confusing, so study the trail map closely.

It was just as autumn was ending, and the weather was still pleasant, yet I could sense the chill of winter around the corner. I had been feeling unusually insecure with the early onset of menopause. I was starting to feel I had no idea who I was or where the real me went.

I took to the mountains for an adventure of discovery with one particular location in mind: Brother’s Lookout. According to my AllTrails App, the trail offered great views of Evergreen and surrounding areas.

After a short 3-mile hike, I reached the top. I carefully sat near the edge to take in the 360-degree view. I could see the trail I had just been on, Evergreen Lake in the distance, and views of the Rockies as far as the eye could see.

I have hiked fourteeners and felt how massive the world is, but for some reason, I never felt smaller than I did at Brother’s Lookout. I think this fed into my insecurities. That’s until I kept staring at the peaks in front of me.

I fell into a trance, and I could almost see the peaks part, making it easy to see forever across the Rockies. The peaks reminded me that menopause is only another climb on another mountain of my life, and I refuse to let it defeat me.

You may have to wait a while before you head out to Alderfer/Three Sisters Park. Due to recent forest health mitigation, some trails are closed until hiking season begins or until further notice.

The good news is, as of December 2023, only the west side of the park was closed. Check out the link below for updates. The park is dog-friendly and allows bouldering, biking, running, hiking, and picnicking - all good reasons to add Alderfer/Three Sisters Park to your Colorado adventure bucket list.

Before returning to the parking lot, I took one more look at the peaks, remembering that regardless of what my body is going through, I will continue climbing my way to bigger and better things.

Alderfer/Three Sisters Park is located on Buffalo Park Road, Evergreen. To learn more, visit https://www.jeffco.us/980/Alderfer-Three-Sisters-Park or connect with them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jeffcoopenspace.