Dana’s Take on Day 1 of the #DBC Explorer 36 Hour Challenge

With the goal of completing 25 locations in 36 hours, we started our adventure at 6am on Friday at our very own Canworks. After a quick shotgun of Incredible Pedal IPA by Brantley, we headed up to Boulder for a 3.2 mile RT hike to lock in our second location, the Royal Arch. We met a few people along the way who were also enjoying the beautiful, blue skies, Colorado morning. One friend we made gave us lots of encouragement about our challenge, saying “each step and each breath is worth it” – we couldn’t agree more.

We hit the road again to Diamond Lake. The 7.2 mile hike took you through a gorgeous high alpine trail which lead you to a rewarding lake and mountain view. We didn’t do our research about this location ahead of time, going into the location thinking my hyundai tiburon could handle the 4×4 rough road, but nonetheless we made it out and back… would it really have been an adventure if we cruised through with a jeep wrangler with no worries? We figured out why we call this a challenge.

Next stop was Rainbow Lakes, another rough 4×4 road lead us to a short 2 mile hike. Discovered some awesome camping spots and a place we both plan on going back to.

After hiking over 12 miles, we made a pit stop at the Conoco in Idaho Springs. Stocking up on 5 hour energies, gatorade, and of course, McDonald’s chicken nuggets. We cruised along the windy road up to St Mary’s Glacier. The 1.5 mile RT hike was beautiful! Next time, I’ll have to bring my snowboard! When we arrived at the top we could feel a storm starting to roll in, so we continued on knowing we were on the way to the top of one of Colorado’s 14ers – Mount Evans.

The drive up Mount Evans is breathtaking – and even more so when you cannot see anything in front of you. We arrived safely to the top with enough time before the storm to hang out with some mountain goats and snap a few pics.

We cranked out the final two spots for day 1 at Vail Pass and Green Mountain Reservoir, both located in beautiful Summit County. In 18 hours, we hiked 16 miles, drove 400 miles and completed 8 DBC Explorer locations. Leaving us with 18 hours to reach 17 locations!

Brantley’s Take on Day 2 of the #DBCExplorer 36 Hour Challenge

Day 2 of the #36HourChallenge started with an amazing sunrise over Red Rocks that reminded me why we were doing this crazy challenge in the first place.  The majestic red sky appearing over a quintessential Colorado landmark was an incredible sight to behold.  Using our newfound energy, we headed out to complete the rest of our locations.  

As we moved from spot to spot, the thought of that cold brew at the top of Lookout Mountain, our 25th and final location, was really pushing me to keep going.  We decided at our 19th location, the Capitol building downtown, that we weren’t sure what was harder: hiking 16 miles as we did the day before, or finding parking downtown.  After a whirlwind dash to hit all our downtown locations, we stopped off for a quick beer at our very own Denver Beer Co tap room to recharge for that final push.

After a final fuel up at what seemed like our one millionth fast food joint, we were ready for our final hike, followed by a scenic celebratory drive up Lookout Mountain.  Words fail to describe what it felt like to stare out into the valley once we were there and take in the beauty of what truly became a test of endurance and willpower.  Sipping that Graham Cracker Porter after the previous two days tasted like victory over the universe.  

To all you #DBCExplorers out there, take it from us, if you believe in the spirit of adventure, pushing yourself to the limit AND drinking some kick-ass beer, you still have time to make your own #36HourChallenge so that you could win free beer for a year! Check out our video on our Facebook Page right here! : https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=940931065949097&set=vb.172134696162075&type=2&theater&notif_t=video_processed