Trail Tuesday: Shadow Canyon to Bear Peak and South Boulder Peak

This is a great hike to stay in shape for 14er season.  It's a fairly strenuous hike and  there are a few fun variations to get to either or both peaks, but the one I'll write about today is taking Shadow Canyon Trail to the saddle between South Boulder Peak (Boulder's highest peak at 8549') and Bear Peak (Boulder's second highest peak at 8459'). 

To take this route, you'll park at the South Mesa Trailhead (5258 Eldorado Springs Dr, Boulder, CO 80303).  If you're car isn't registered in Boulder county, there is a $5 fee to park.  The parking lot is fairly big but it fills up quickly so try to get there early.  Here is a map, courtesy of the city of Boulder. 

The route I took most recently was taking the Homestead Trail to Shadow Canyon.   Approximately 2.5 miles to the base of the Shadow Canyon Trail, the Homestead trail meanders through fields of wild flowers with stunning views of the front range.  At certain points of the Homestead Trail, you can see the city of Denver and even Pikes Peak. 

Once you reach Shadow Canyon trail, the hike becomes much steeper.  This trail gains close to 2000 feet in 1.2 miles.  The good news is that for most of the trail, you stay shaded by trees.  There are a couple spots where it's a little tricky to find where the trail goes, but you reach dead ends before you can get too far. 

Once you finally reach the saddle, you can either go left toward South Boulder Peak or right, toward Bear Peak.  Of if you want more of a challenge, you can do both - in my opinion, it's definitely worth the small amount of extra effort.

In my opinion, the hike up to South Boulder Peak is a little more challenging, but the scrambling on Bear Peak is a little harder.  Either way, you are guaranteed to have stunning views and a fun challenge.

Summit of Bear Peak

Summit of Bear Peak

Here Come the Turtles for World Turtle Day!

We're excited to announce the long-awaited arrival of our Turtle Wildlights! Did you know a group of tortoises is called a creep? Okay, so these aren't tortoises, but we couldn't resist sharing that fun fact.  They also arrived just in time for World Turtle Day® on May 23rd!  

And they're so cute, some employees needed to buy one before they were even officially on our website (located on page 4). If you're like us and can't resist these guys, place an order on our website,give us a call at 800.441.0132 or shoot us an email!

For some more fun facts about turtles and tortoises, check out this article by Mental Floss.  

Trail Tuesday: Mount Sanitas in Boulder, CO

It's been raining for what seems like weeks here in Colorado, meaning many trails are closed down or extremely muddy - which, for us, is a really depressing thought.  So we thought we'd talk about another favorite hike in Boulder, CO: Mount Sanitas.

The Details: A trail map can be downloaded here.  The parking lot at Centennial Trailhead is usually packed, but you can also park along the south side of Mapleton Ave.  If you get there early enough (and I mean by 7am!), you can usually find a spot without much trouble.

Mount Sanitas is incredibly versatile and can make for a casual hike or a strenuous hike.  It's well-traveled (of course, because it's in Boulder) so it also makes for a good solo-hike.  It's also a great hike even in the winter, so long as you have traction devices.  

 

Overlooking Boulder, it has beautiful views year-round.

If you want a challenging hike, go up Mount Sanitas trail.  This is the StairMaster of the Rocky Mountains!  It gains around 1200 feet in the first mile and makes for a great, heart-pumping workout.  No matter how quickly you go, there will be folks doing it much faster than you, so don't worry! 

If you want a more casual hike, go up the Sanitas Valley trail and turn around before you reach the East Ridge trail.  

This also makes for a fun sunrise hike (although bears and mountain lions are sighted here often). Go with a group of people for safety.  If you don't want to leave the comfort of your bed too early, hike up Sanitas Valley Trail and sit on the bench about 1 mile in.  The view is worth it!  Plus, you can grab breakfast in Boulder right after before the crowds take over.  (We recommend Snooze or The Buff - both extremely crowded if you go later in the day.)

Trail Tuesday: Waterton Canyon in Littleton, CO

A favorite trail within easy driving distance of Denver is Waterton Canyon.  This trail is the terminus for the  Colorado Trail, which is a long distance trail going from Denver to Durango. Waterton Canyon trail is gravel and mostly flat with very little elevation gain making for an excellent walk, run or bike ride.   You travel along the South Platte River and usually hear the moving water as you travel the trail.

While you don't really get the feeling of being in the wilderness on this trail, it's fun with gorgeous views and loads of wildlife.  Chances are high that you will see some bighorn sheep and mule deer!  You usually find the bighorn sheep about 2 miles into the trail (and you'll see many folks with their photography gear walking in to take pictures). 

Try counting these sheep to fall asleep!

 

 

The distance from the trailhead to Strontia Springs is about 6.5 miles.  There are bathrooms and picnic tables along the trail, but Strontia Springs has a good place to rest as well as picnic tables, so bring a lunch!  

Note: As of May 8th, Waterton Canyon is closed while they evaluate structural issues.  Dogs are not allowed so as not to disrupt the wildlife.

 

May the Fourth Be With You - Star Wars Products

It's Star Wars Day which, around here, is a pretty big deal.  

Kids absolutely love our Star Wars products! (And who are we kidding? Adults love them too - we're definitely having fun in the office today!)

Check out our fun Star Wars products!

Yoda™ Keylight

 

Darth Vader™ Headlamp (also available as a Keylight and Torch)

 

 

Stormtrooper Headlamp™ (also available as a Keylight and Torch)

May the Fourth Be With You!

Poetry About the Outdoors

Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, Henry David Thoreau and so many other poets over the years have been inspired to put pen to paper and write about nature.  To wrap up National Poetry Month, here's our attempt to express our love for the great outdoors.  :)  The photo is of beautiful Roxborough State Park in Littleton, CO.

#outdoors #haiku #NationalPoetryMonth: Deep breath in and out/ Outdoors, peace overcomes me/ Feel freedom at last pic.twitter.com/xdG4nsNUXD
— Sun Company (@SunCo_Outdoors) April 29, 2015

Get outside and appreciate nature with our fun products!

Where to Learn about Dinosaurs in Colorado

Dinosaurs are probably the coolest creature to have ever roamed the Earth.  At Sun Company, we’ll always have a place in our heart for dinosaurs – whether it’s a T-rex, Triceratops, Allosaurus, or Velociraptor, we love them all!  

We sell a few different products for our dinosaur fans.  One of them is our extremely popular DinoBryte™ headlamp (equipped with roaring sound!), which was featured in Real Simple magazine and on MSN Living’s website. We also have some smaller T-rex and Allosaurus keychain flashlights. 

We also have the luxury of living and working in beautiful Colorado, home to some excellent dinosaur exploration spots!  In honor of Jurassic World coming out on June 12, here are a few great places to learn about dinosaurs.

1.     Dinosaur Ridge  Located in Morrison, CO, home of Red Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge has a visitor center with a gift shop, as well as two trails where you can view Dinosaur footprints: Dinosaur Ridge Trail and Triceratops Trail. They also offer guided tours and simulated dinosaur digs! 
2.    Dinosaur Journey Museum This is part of the Museum of Western Colorado, located in Fruita.  Here, you will learn about dinosaurs’ place in Colorado’s history through an interactive exhibit.  They even have real bones of Allosaurus! 
3. Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center Another museum to explore and learn about dinosaurs.  There are fossils and skeletons on display, an interactive children’s area and movies.
4.  Denver Museum of Nature and Science  Located by Denver’s City Park, this museum’s dinosaur exhibit is included in the cost of admission.  Better yet, go on one of their free days and don’t spend any money at all. 
5. Dinosaur National Monument  This is actually located on the Colorado/Utah border, but you must venture into Utah to see dinosaur fossils (they even one of our beloved Allosaurus!).  The Colorado side has scenic drives and camping.

Are there any cool dinosaur spots in your state? Let us know in the comments!

9 Uses For Our Animal Flashlights

Our Lifelights and Wildlights are wildly  popular with kids and adults alike!  But they're not just a fun toy; there are also many creative uses for these critter flashlights.  We have some suggestions but use your imagination!

1.  Are you a doctor's office a children's hospital, a paramedic, a pediatrician or an ENT? Do you need to examine scared or anxious children?  Clip a T-rex carabiner flashlight around a lanyard and use it to examine the kiddo's ears, nose and throat.  What kid doesn't like dinosaurs?  And, who knows, they just might look forward to their next visit.  (Or if you're really feeling wild, and want to make them laugh, you could always try one of our Dinosaur headlamps!    

 

2  Lose something in your bag?  It's okay, it happens to the best of us!  Clip one of our Lifelights or Wildlights onto your key chain so you have instant light in a pinch.  (Sorry but we can't help you if you lose your keys... yet!)

3. Sunrise hike? Or how about a sunset hike?  Either way, you're going to be trekking through the dark.  You can wear your grown-up headlamp, but make sure to give your kids some animal flashlights to provide light and courage!

4.  Whether it's an impromptu blanket fort, camping in your backyard, or actual camping in the wilderness, you need a light source.  Whip out one of our animal key chains and tell a ghost story! Or just a bedtime story.  (Check out Real Simple for some great blanket fort ideas!  By the way, our Dino headlamps have been featured in that fabulous magazine!)

5.  Play some flashlight games.  Games are fun for both kids and adults and will keep kids entertained for hours. 

6.  Give some animal flashlights to your kids if you lose power during a summer storm.  It's a lot less scary in the dark when you have your beloved golden retriever (flashlight) with you.  Bonus: this dog doesn't get scared of thunder!

7.  Keep one on your bedside table and use it to guide you to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  Much less intrusive than those pesky nightlights that stay on all the time.

8.  Is your kid like your shadow, following you around when you're trying to repair your car or look at the plumbing under the sink?  Put them to work and have them light the area up with a Lifelight or Wildlight.  As Mary Poppins famously said, "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, then, SNAP! The job's a game!"

9.  Going on a trip to Cave of the Winds or any other cave tours in Colorado?  If you're not, you should!  And you should absolutely get your kids some allosaurus flashlights ... because what's cooler than dinosaurs AND caves?

If you don't already have these, you can buy them through retailers like REI, EMS, or LL Bean. If you don't have a retailer near you, you can always purchase them directly through our website.

Do you have any creative ideas for using our animal flashlights?  Let us know in the comments!