Boat Ride on Horsetooth Reservoir – In A Colorado Minute (Week 179) [HD] from Luci Westphal on Vimeo.

Just west of Ft. Collins, Colorado, lies Horsetooth Reservoir: the oasis of water, hills, plants, rocks and stunning views of the sky in all conditions. While I had visited the man-made lake (built 1949) in years past, it was this summer that it became one of my special places – especially Satanka Cove, which I consider one of my Happy Places.

This past week, I finally got to see the entire reservoir from the waterside, when Scott and I rented a small boat at Inlet Bay Marina. It was a glorious day and all of us, including Whiskey, enjoyed zipping around the almost completely empty water (highly recommend weekdays for such outings) and stopping in various coves for fishing, filming, swimming and fur-shaking.

What makes a boat ride at this time of year especially unique, is that the water is extremely low – as you can see by the amount of rocky shore beneath the treeline. This also meant that our happy place rock in Satanka Cove, from which we used to step into the water, is now about 10 feet above water level. It’s the one in the video shot from below on which the light and water reflections are dancing.

Another special place are the bright sand-colored rock beaches with the large boulders. I’ve spent a lot of time there with Scott and Whiskey or just with Whiskey or even just by myself – and have already published quite a few photos and videos from there.

Oh, and to anyone who knows the reservoir well: yes, I did edit this very freely to work with direction of movement and rhythm, so the geography is a bit thrown off.

And if anyone is wondering, yes, I did drive the boat as well and did not crash it into any rocks.

The song is a slightly sped-up version of the song “Butt Naked” by Jason Matherne.

Taking a boat across Horsetooth Reservoir in Ft. Collins, Colorado

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