Every
year around this time, I begin to think about the upcoming holidays:
gifts, cards, cookies and decorating. It can be overwhelming. But
let's face it, reminders are everywhere and most of us will strive to
focus on our own traditions. Asking ourselves, how can we balance our
time with friends, family and ignore the commercial noise that has a
way of seeping through?
For
us, we anticipate our December tradition of going to the mountains to
cut our own tree. Even if it is windy and 20 degrees, we will bundle
up, throw in extra wraps and go.
This
began in the late '70's (1 car, 5 of us), but now has expanded to
about 8 young families in a caravan of cars, pickups jostling along
the bumpy snowy road near Red Feather Lakes. (Sometimes you are lucky enough to see Smokey the Bear.) Arriving, boots are
pulled on, hoods and jackets zipped up...and with saws in hand,
everyone is off in different directions to find the perfect tree.
Will it be a lodgepole pine or more delicate Douglas fir this year? An hour later,
dragging trees through the snow to the vehicles, they are stood up
and twirled around so everyone can see. Perfect! Soon then hoisted
into the back of the pickup or tied atop a van, and now everyone is
hungry. A few camp tables and chairs are pulled out and we have set
up a hearty outdoor spread. Camp stoves are fired up so there is hot
chili, corn bread, decorated cookies and more. Hands wrapped around
hot mugs, the adults catch up and after a while begin to talk about
their progressive dinner – a full evening of going house to house,
admiring each others trees. We enjoy the scene and usually remark
later “isn't this the best time?!”
Let us know...What
is your “best time” in December?
If
you go:
Northern
Colorado: Red Feather Lakes area
(Leave early and allow
at least 1 hr to get there)
4
WD or chains (Bundle
up and don't forget your saw and rope!)
Open
Dec. 7-15, 2019. Entrance open 8:30-2:30
Permit
($20 per tree) Cash only...on weekends pay at entrance station to the forest.
If
you go on week day, permits (cash) can be purchased at
US
Forest Service in Ft. Collins 2150 Centre Ave., Building
E (closed Wed)
More directions plus a good map! Google - Christmas Tree Sales Roosevelt
National Forest
What a beautiful description of a special time with family! And I appreciate knowing how to get to the area. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSuch traditions of gathering together are what make the holidays a time to look forward to!
ReplyDeleteI have always thought going to the mountains to get a Christmas tree would be lots of fun. When I was a child in northern Arizona, we did it several times. What I remember most of all was the problem of choosing the right size of tree. A tree that looks just right out in the open, can turn out to be monstrously large inside a modest house!
ReplyDeleteYour story brings back a cherished memory about getting a Christmas tree. My grandparents owned a forest property that was located away from the family farm. From when I was about 5, my Grandfather and I would go by horse and sled (we had snow in those days) to get the Christmas tree from that property. We would stop at other farms and visit on our way, as this was an important event that took us far from our usual haunts, and you weren't supposed to pass by your neighbors and friends without saying hello. After all it was almost Christmas. The sled was a special, short and low model with moveable parts and short runners. It was used when transporting logs in and from the woods. The runners had metal sheets nailed to them and made an awful, screeching noise when hitting rocks or bare spots. Although there were tractors on every farm, this traditional equipment was still in common use. Going by tractor wouldn't have been the same, and we would still have been on our way to get the tree.
ReplyDelete