Boyd Lake

May 16th, 2025

I could only get a 4 day reservation at St. Vrain State Park during the middle of the week. On weekends, the park is full and it is difficult to get a site. So, I moved to Boyd Lake State Park for the next week.

By staying at Boyd Lake near Loveland, I was still close enough to Lafayette to get to my doctor’s appointment on the 7th. During that appointment, I was told that I had a small shadow heart beat related to the Atrial Fibrillation that was treated 2 summers ago. This could be corrected by another ablation procedure on the other side of my heart, but would not be necessary unless or until I notice any deteriorating symptoms while hiking or other heavy exertion. So far, averaging daily hikes of over 4 miles, I have noticed no problems.

After a couple of days of rain, it finally turned sunny, so I tested out my new paddle board on Boyd Lake and also spent a day on a scenic drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park.

The last time I was by the Chapel on the Rock, the roof was being redone. That work is now complete, so I took a new photograph. The Chapel is just a small work of art built by man on the edge of the wilderness. And God is there. If you pray, he will listen.

Starting back in 2022, each spring I pass through the Boulder, Colorado and Front Range area to visit with my son, see my cardiologist, and wait for the high country to warm up enough for camping. Each time, I make a day trip up to the gateway town of Estes Park and drive up into Rocky Mountain National Park. It is becoming a tradition. There are a lot of memories tied to the visits I have made since 1975. Most are good memories, the first trip in 1975, two more when I brought my boys here right after their mother left, and the year I visited with my two friends from India. There are also a of couple trips that I wish I could forget. That is the way life works, I guess.

It has still been pretty cold up high at night. I was supposed to leave Boyd Lake on Tuesday, the 13th. But, I discovered the site right next to me was available for 3 more nights. So, my Tuesday trip was a total distance of about 20 yards. After about 1 hour, I was set up in a new site, making for a very easy travel day. On Friday, the 16th, I will move up into the mountains to the west.