Goodbye, Colorado
We left Colorado for 2013 heading NE on I-76, picking up I-80 east at the Nebraska border. After spending a night in central Nebraska, we traveled across Iowa camping near Iowa City.



Sibling Stop
We stopped in eastern Iowa where my brother and two sisters drove down to meet us for dinner. It had been three years since our last get together, so it was great catching up.



Good Friends
Our next stop was to visit good friends who live NW of Chicago. All was fun, but the Kids especially liked the boat ride. Even though we explained the concept of fresh water to the Pups, Mitzy continued to hunt for dolphins. :’>







Door County
We had planned on heading down to the Homer Glen area to visit some other good friends. However, the weather forecast was not favorable for us going around the bottom of Lake Michigan. Hence, we headed north, stopping for two nights in Door County--the Wisconsin peninsula between Lake Michigan and Green Bay. We had a wonderful time driving/walking around this very pretty area.







Mackinaw Morning
From Door County we headed west to the town of Green Bay, and then north into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, taking Highway 2 east along Lake Michigan. After crossing the Mackinaw Bridge, we set up camp in Mackinaw City. The next morning, the pre-dawn sky was the rusty color of old trucks. I grabbed my camera, a couple of lenses, and Gorrilapod to take some pics. Just me and the seagulls.

Here are a few shots taken in pre-dawn light and a 30-second video clip.













Back to the Sleeping Bear
From Mackinaw City we headed south on I-75, at Gaylord we took 32 east and then snaked over to 131 via County Road C42. We took 72 west to Empire, and then north to D.H. Day Campground.



It was great to be back! We spent two months camp hosting here last year, and have returned to assume our old role. All of our previous camp-host friends from last year are here, as well as most of the professional and fun campground staff. Looking forward to a great stay.

Jan’s Old Signs
Here are two old signs that Jan selected and I shot.





Old Trucks
Here are five old trucks I shot along the way.











See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Old Signs, Old Trucks, Nature Photography

On to Breckinridge
From Highline Lake State Park, we rambled down to I-70 and headed east on one of the most picturesque interstates in the entire country. We arrived with snow-topped mountains surrounding us as we camped at 9,100 feet and 34 degrees.

Colorado Trail Hike
Adjoining the campground is a segment of the Colorado Trail, so at dawn one morning I hiked the steep trail for a two-hour round trip.

Return to Denver
Monday it was back to Denver, where we set up camp at Cherry Creek Park.

Quick Trip to Chicago
Tuesday morning I flew to Chicago where I spent most of the week working with a good client.

Jan’s Old Signs
Here are two old signs that Jan selected and I shot.





Slug Bug
While hunting old trucks we ran across this old VW bug.



Old Trucks
Here are five old trucks with both rust and style.











See you next week.

Tags: Old Cars, Old Trucks, Old Signs, Colorado

Salida to Buena Vista
If you like the outdoors, the area in Colorado we have been staying (Salida/Buena Vista) is just about Nirvana: rafting, hiking, paddling, kayaking, hot springing, goat milking, bingoing, mountain viewing, mountain climbing, duck racing, jeep off-roading, ATVing, fly fishing, and more can all be done via the Arkansas River, National Forests, and really big mountains. The people are colorful as well. Here is a pic of a couple of locals who stopped for “breakfast” at the Coyote Cantina, a joint we frequented.



Duck Race Revenge
Our campground sponsors an annual Memorial Day Duck Race and it is a blast. The rubber ducks navigate a narrow, skinny creek that goes right behind our RV site.

Now, Jan and I are no stranger to duck racing, having been involved in the Calusa Pine Island Duck Race for 15 years. During that time we have bought hundreds of tickets and never won squat. Here at Chalk Creek we both bought one ticket each, and I placed third and Jan won! Yes, young man, persistence does pay off! Here is a shot of Jan the winner and a few more.









PaddleFest
While we were there, Buena Vista hosted its annual PaddleFest.

Paddling Pups
Here are some pics of pups that attended, and one shot of Austie taking his first kayak paddle.











Hamster Balls
As part of the Paddlefest fundraising, there was a “hamster ball” concession, where kids (or anyone) could step into a plastic bag the size of a huge ziplock, have it blown up with air to form a ball, then be pushed into a pool of water and try to run like a hamster on a treadmill. Here is grandson Austie giving it a try.





Move to Crawford
After the Memorial Day crowds had dispersed, on Tuesday we broke camp and motored our way south from Nathan on 285 South, turning west on U.S. 50 at Poncha Springs, stopping at Gunnison for subs, continuing on through the Curecanti National Recreation Area. Instead of following the most direct route, we picked up 92, going west and north along the West Elk Scenic Byway and the east side of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The mountain roads where as crooked as a politician in an election year. Snowy mountains, gurgling creeks, greening hills, and black and deep canyons bordered our way the last 30 miles until we set up camp at Crawford State Park.













Black Canyon East Side
Late afternoon we drove the dozen miles to the east side of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park where we took a short hike and then drove the park road stopping at overlooks. This is one impressive gorge. We’d been to the west side twice before, but this side is superior--great views and very little traffic.



Black Canyon Hike
Early one morning we drove to the North Rim Ranger station to hike four miles at 7,700 feet on the North Vista Trail, going to Exclamation Point and back. On the way we saw deer and elk. The muddy trail took us through meadows and woods with several vistas overlooking the canyon. We shared the experience with bunnies, chips, meadow larks, magpies, and falcons as we wandered among lupine, larkspur, early paint, cannis, spring beauty, false lupine, and flowering cactus. There were no other humans in sight.













Foxes at Play
On the ride back to camp, we ran across six young foxes playing alongside the road. I was lucky enough to get a few shots of these playful pups as we watched them romp for a couple minutes.



Back to Highline Lake State Park
Two years ago we camp hosted at Highline Lake State Park about 30 miles northwest of Grand Junction, close to the Utah border. While there, we made great friends with our camp host colleagues and wanted to see them again. To get there, we decided to once again take the road less traveled, taking 65 North, the Grand Mesa Skyway.







After setting up camp at Highline, we reminisced over dinner and s’mores over a campfire. The next morning, I hiked the trail around Highline Lake along with my small buddies, Mitzy and Jerry.







Jan’s Old Signs
Here are two old signs that Jan selected and I shot.





Old Trucks
Here are five old trucks from Colorado.











See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Colorado, Buena Vista, Crawford, Gunnison National Park, Black Canyon, Highline Lake Park, Old Trucks, Old Signs

If you like to hunt and shoot old trucks, it is great to be in Colorado! Forty-eight new beauties have been added to the collection this week. See the last section of this blog post for a few of the distinguished old girls.

Over 7,700 feet in elevation, the mornings started cool in the low 40s, working up to high 60s/low 70s later in the day. We had an excellent variety of weather: calm and sunny, cold and windy, snowy and sleety, and thundering and lightning. Here is a view from our campground and a view of fishermen right behind our coach.





Sunday Truck Hunting Day
I took Sunday off, and by 8:15 a.m. Jan, the Pups, and I were out the door and in the car hunting old trucks and other good photo ops. We went west to Poncha, and then took highways, scenic byways, gravel and dirt roads north, east, west, south, and back, hard on the scent of rusted steel.



Scenics
Our constant guardians, the Collegiate Peaks, were always in the background, and their snowy tops combining with pillowy clouds and perfect light made for some pretty scenic photos.





We eventually made our way up to highway 24 and took that east, stopping off at the Antero Reservoir.

Antero Reservoir
The Antero Reservoir is deep blue water surrounded by mountains. Wrapping our coats up tight, we got out to enjoy the view. Here is that handsome devil Jerry breathing in the scenery.



Hartsel Lunch Break
At noon we stopped for lunch at the best place in Hartsel (the only place in Hartsel) and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of our meals (Jan had the burrito and I had the house special). Here is a shot of Cindy, the bartender/waitress/hostess/busboy/cashier (however, I don’t think she cooked).



Monday Mountain Thunder
I worked all day Monday, but late afternoon it was time for a family drive. We took the back roads and found more old trucks. In the outskirts of Salida, I took a few shots. Here is a fun one of a big smokestack from a smelting plant long closed down.



National Forest
After exploring the town, we took a county road that turned into a forest road--left and right, down and up, over and back in the San Isabel National Forest. We found the remnants of an old town called Turret and drove through blowing snow to view the mountains being engulfed in dark clouds lit by the occasional bolt of lightning. Every few minutes the almost-spooky quiet was interrupted by thunder that started as a moaning growl, grew to a rhythmic rumble, and then crescendoed into an angry bellow that commanded both respect and a little fear to all within earshot. Here the term “awesome” does perfectly apply.



Afternoon Trips
Cottonwood Pass
One late-afternoon family excursion took us up to Cottonwood Pass. At over 12,000 feet, spring had not yet sprung, and there was enough snow to fool you into thinking it was still February. Here are a couple pics from this trip.





Critters
Here are a few shots of pups and other critters.









Old Signs
Here are three old signs that Jan selected and I shot.







Old Trucks
Here are five old trucks (the others I shot are in the Old Truck Reserve for future weeks when the hunting is scarce).











See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Old Trucks, Antero Reservoir, Hartsel, San Isabel National Forest, Cottonwood Pass, Old Signs, Old Signs

In the Air
A busy business week started Sunday and ended Saturday with trips to Baltimore and Dallas. I had two excellent sessions with fun services personnel from a software client. Mostly my views on this trip were of flight attendants, hotel lobbies, and conference tables, but I did get to see some intriguing vistas outside my airplane windows, and the sharp crack of lightning striking the port wing widened some passengers’ eyes to the size of serving plates at an Amish restaurant.

Flights were smooth except for one glitch: A mechanical problem caused by a running toilet motor that wouldn’t stop triggered enough delay so that I could not get back until Saturday. Oh, well…



Baltimore Inner Harbor
My hotel in Baltimore was located in the Inner Harbor, so I did have a chance to enjoy a stroll or two by the water.





Move the Bus
Finally back to the motorhome, we broke camp at the Colorado Horse Park Saturday around 1 p.m. and took an enjoyable trip a couple hundred miles to our next location. Jan piloted the bus south on Colorado 83 and I-25 down to Colorado Springs. On Colorado 115, we drove by the area we stayed at last year among the smoke from the huge wildfire. We continued on down to Canon City, home site of the Royal Gorge, then ambled along side the Arkansas River another 60 some miles.



Salida
We are parked at the 4 Seasons RV Park, just three miles east of Salida. This is a magnificent location, as BERT’s (Big Expensive Road Traveler) behind almost hangs over the Arkansas River, while our view from the front of the coach is the Collegiate Peaks, home of eight of Colorado’s 14ers (mountains over 14,000 feet). Here is a shot of our campsite and a picture of a couple boaters floating down the river taken from our picnic table.





It is going to be a great stay!

Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks--two were parked at our campground.







See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Salida, 4 Seasons RV Park

Baseball Game
Sunday was a “boys-only” Colorado Rockies game. They lost to the Rays, but the weather was pleasant, the hot dogs were tasty, and our third-base view was a fun location for photography.









Quick Trip to New Orleans
I had a quick trip early in the week to New Orleans were I facilitated the U.S. pilot of a new engagement. Smart, fun group--should be a great project.

Redheads and Bubbles
Of course, we had a few times during the week to enjoy the grandkids. Here are pics of Austie and friends going red, Natty in the tub, Natty ‘fessing up, and Natty hanging with Charlie the Pug. And, here is a comic pic of Aaron doing some deep reflection on his future.

















Prairie Dog Hike
Late in the week the frost disappeared, the temperature rose, and the skies transitioned from rainy gray to vibrant blue. Jan and I took our first 2013 hike in Colorado, traipsing four miles among gentle hills with first spring flowers making their debut poking up reds, whites, and violets against the brown of the earth. Birds of all denominations sang for us and the brilliant plumage of bluebirds darted across the sky like smoke in a breeze.



The hike highlight, though, was a solid mile path right through the most impressive prairie dog town I have ever seen! Well-fed prairie dogs of varying sizes and hues greeted us at the rim of their dens chirping out their intruder alarm. Many times we were within 15 feet before these guardians of the plains scampered down their holes. In case you did not know, our rat terrier, Jerry, loves prairie dogs. He has leapt out of our car window to get close to these large, mobile gophers.

As Jerry tugged at his leash like a sailor weighing anchor, he sometimes drug Jan right to the top of the varmints’ dens. Standing proudly erect like a marine out of boot camp, a broad smile etched on his chiseled face as ripples of pleasure moved up and down his well-muscled physique. I don’ think life gets any better than this for a rat terrier. ☺



Hunting Old Trucks
Late one afternoon we piled into the car and headed east in a search of old trucks. There were dark clouds all around us as we drove through the occasional rain shower and watched a stray bolt or two of lightning dance across the horizon--perfect weather for photography! Here are a couple of old trucks from our hunt, plus a cool old truck sign.







See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Colorado Rockies Baseball, Old Trucks, prairie dogs

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Along with Christmas highlights and pics, I’ve included a link to our 2012 animated Christmas card if you’d like to take a peek.

Colorado Christmas
We spent Christmas in Colorado enjoying the grandkids (and their parents of course :’>). Natalie is eight months old and Austin is now 5 and a half. Both approached/attacked Christmas with gusto! Also great to see the displays of holiday lights, experience the falling snow, and feel the chill of 7-degree weather…yikes ☺















Alexander Christmas Card
This was fun to put together! If you have 3 minutes and 33 seconds to spare, check out a few of my favorite photos from this past year.



Old Trucks
Just one special truck this week.

Headlights

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Christmas 2012

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

This week brings more old trucks, a Tiny Town trip, and full coverage of the capture of two notorious desperados.

Sunday
This was a quiet day at Snowy Peaks working on the computer, watching the U.S. open, driving through and around Leadville, with everything bookended by a morning lake and an afternoon reservoir hike.



Monday



Back to Chatfield
In the morning Jan guided BERT the 120 miles through valleys, along streams, and over mountain passes to Chatfield State Park in Littleton, CO (SW Metro Denver).

Austie and Brody
In the late afternoon, daughter-in-law Kelly brought our grandson, Austie, and his buddy, Brody, over to spend the night. So it was the usual--playground, swim beach, playground, family movie night, and S’mores.

Tuesday
Tiny Town
After years of talking about it, we finally made the trip (just 30 minutes from Chatfield) to Tiny Town. The boys had a great time, riding the tiny train and exploring all the tiny buildings.









June 20, 2012, Tiny Town Telegraph Feature Story

Notorious Parker Gang Ringleaders Captured in Tiny Town!

Today was a landmark day for Colorado as two of the most despicable, mean, ornery, outlaws of the West were finally incarcerated after years of pursuit by the Colorado Highway Patrol, the Texas Rangers, the FBI, the Canadian Mounted Police, and four relentless nuns.

In disguise as Boulder left-wing hippies, “Automatic Austie” and “Bad Boy Brody” had snuck into Tiny Town unnoticed. The town sheriff, however, became suspicious when she noticed that both of the desperadoes ordered swirly ice cream cones--the trademark of the famous bandits. Before they could say “Dag Gummit,” she had them locked up in the Tiny Town jail awaiting sentencing.



Just look into their eyes and you can understand the raw terror felt anytime these two hombres rode their horses into town.

Wednesday
Work Work Work
Wednesday was a “head down” day consisting primarily of interviews, as I’m conducting a search for a services executive for a client.

Thursday
Back to Business
During the day I facilitated a workshop in the northern part of Denver that went very well.

Fun Reunion
That evening, though, was just great. Our two nieces, whom we hadn’t seen in years, have both moved to the Denver area and drove over to spend the evening with us. They are both very smart, lots of fun, and even prettier than I remember.

Friday
More Business
I finished up my second client day.

Saturday
We broke camp and drove the 40 miles, mostly south, to a campground south of Castle Rock.

Old Trucks
Here are some old trucks from this week.







Wonderful week.

Headlights

June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado S:prings, CO
June 28-29: Colorado Campground, Pike National Forest
June 30-July 4: Mary’s Campground, Estes Park
July 5-7: St. Vrain State Park
July 8-12: Travel East
July 13-14: McHenry, IL
July 15: Homer Glen, IL
July 16-17: Travel
July 18-?: Traverse City, MI
???

RV Park Review
Check out www.rvparkreviews.com for my reviews and those of other travelers of recent campgrounds we have stayed at.

See you next week.

Tags: Old Trucks, Colorado, tiny Town

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Rough and narrow, steep and winding--the title of this week’s blog describes our road trip up and over Cumberland Pass at 12,000-plus feet. This week you’ll see a bighorn sheep that is helping out the postal service, a dedicated marmot with a mission, a Chihuahua that bites, a bird or two and, by popular demand, more old trucks.



Sunday
Gunnison National Forest
Mid-morning we pulled out of Montrose and drove the 115 miles to One Mile Camp in the Gunnison National Forest northeast of Almont (east of Gunnison). Yes, you have heard it multiple times from me, but it was a gorgeous trek along this stretch of West Elk Scenic Byway--tall mountains, lush valleys, gurgling streams…ho-hum….

Postal Service Cutbacks
As you all probably know, the U.S. Postal Service is in financial trouble. Here at Almont they are taking an innovative approach. They have sold all their mail trucks and are using bighorn sheep to pack the mail along the routes. Here is one guy who got his days mixed up and came to work on a Sunday.



Monday
Guardian of the Valley
Brrr…22 degrees when I awoke. I am all into this hiking thing, but that is a tad chilly. Hence, we all loaded into the car at 6:30 a.m. for a wildlife-spotting drive. We took the back roads leading to the Spring Creek Reservoir admiring the scenery as we drove. Several miles up the road we pulled off to let the Pups stretch their legs in a valley. I heard a shrill whistle, and then spotted a marmot on guard duty across the valley. After our walk on our drive out, I spotted this same fellow perched atop a boulder. He was attentively watching our every move, sounding his warning call at regular intervals and showed no intimidation as I photographed him. In fact, by the look on his face, I think he would have attacked if I got out of the car. Here he is sounding the alarm.



Crested Butte
That afternoon I needed to make a business call (no AT&T at the camp or nearby areas), so we drove back to Almont and then east to Crested Butte. This area is known for its beautiful wildflowers, and that is one of the reasons why we chose to stay in this area. Alas, lack of rainfall had a big negative impact on the flowers. After my call and a nice lunch, we both walked and then drove the streets of this attractive burg. Here is a shot of a home on a side street.



Gothic
From here we continued north, first through nearby Mt. Crested Butte, then along a dirt road to Gothic. On our return home, we took a ranching country shortcut where I shot these cowboys and their dogs having lunch along the river, and later I captured this bird of prey in flight.





Tuesday
Big-Time Road Trip
At 5:30 a.m. we were out of camp, heading up to the Taylor Reservoir. I shot a bighorn on the dam, but aside for chipmunks and a few birds, that was all the critters we saw for the first hour of our journey. We spent some time at the charming town of Tin Cup, first viewing its cemetery (complete with Protestant Ridge, Catholic Ridge, Jewish Ridge, and Boot Hill), and then back to town for a hardy breakfast at Frenchy’s. In town this handsome Violet-green Swallow posed for me. Also, here is a shot of a canoe at Frenchy’s.







From town we drove up the two rugged miles to Mirror Lake. We hiked around the lake, drove down the mountain, and continued on. As we ascended, our road gradually narrowed down to about a lane-and-a-third, the rocks enlarged from golf ball-sized to baseball-sized, and the switchback became more severe until we could see the back of our car trying to pass us around corners. However, the view from the more than 12,000-foot Cumberland Pass made it all worth it. Jan took this shot at an old mining camp on our return.



At Pitkin we stopped for snacks, and I took this shot of a boy and his beloved Chihuaha (he bites).



Here we picked up the road, continued on to Gunnison, then back to Almont, and then returned to camp completing our all-day, 100-mile journey.

Wednesday
Nathrop



After a nice hike along Taylor River, we broke camp and drove the 99 miles to Chalk Creek Campground in Nathrop, Colorado.

Thursday
Camping Grandkids
Our Grandkids (along with their parents and our Grandpup) arrived in the early afternoon for a mini-camping holiday. The highlight of the day (along with a campfire and S’mores) was a visit to the local hot springs.





Friday
Horseback Riding
Our big event on Friday was horseback riding. Here is another pic.



Saturday
We packed up and moved about 15 miles to the Snowy Peaks RV Park just north of Buena Vista. I kept my head down at the computer while Jan did her work.

Old Trucks
I’ve gotten several positive comments on my old truck shots, so I will make a regular blog entry.













Trivia Update on the Million Dollar Highway
Last week I mentioned the Million Dollar Highway south of Ouray. My friend Gene is a successful gold prospector and responded back to me with the real story of how the Million Dollar Highway was named: After the road was built, they discovered gold in the gravel, and someone estimated there was a million-dollar’s worth! Thanks, Gene.

Wonderful week.

Headlights

June 17: Snowy Peak RV Park, Buena Vista, CO
June 18-22: Chatfield State Park, Littleton, CO
June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado Springs, CO
June 28-29: Colorado Campground, Pike National Forest
June 30-July 4: Mary’s Campground, Estes Park
July 5-7: St. Vrain State Park
July 8-12: Travel East
July 13-14: McHenry, IL
July 15: Homer Glen, IL
July 16-17: Travel
July 18-?: Traverse City, MI
???...

RV Park Review
Check out www.rvparkreviews.com for my reviews and those of other travelers of recent campgrounds we have stayed at.

See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Wildlife photography, Bird photography, Colorado, Gunnison National Park, Cumberland Pass, Old Trucks

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Cowboy Country
Mid-morning we pulled out of Cortez and drove the 115 miles to Ridgway State Park, five miles north of the town of Ridgway. We took Highway 145 through Dolores, passed through Rico, passed by Telluride, turned east at Placer, and north at Ridgway. We were fortunate to reserve a site overlooking a pond adjacent to the Uncompahgre River--just gorgeous. We spent time relaxing outside admiring the fly fishermen and watching kids play around and in the water. There are trails all over and the mountain views are fantastic. This is one nice State Park. Fans of Western movies might recognize the Ridgway area from viewing How the West Was Won and John Wayne’s True Grit, which were filmed here.

Monday: Back to Durango



We had business that required us to go back Durango, so early Monday morning we got onto the San Juan Skyway and headed south. Just 19 miles down from our campground is the town of Ouray, billed as the American Switzerland--a beautiful town in a stunning setting. Just south of Ouray is the 12-mile stretch that is referred to as the Million Dollar Highway. I’m not sure of the reason behind the name, but it sure provided million-dollar views as we drove along, up and up around curve and curve with snowy mountains above, flowing waterfalls across, and deep valleys below. My hunch is that the contractor for this job started running out of money at this stretch of road. Many of the most extreme curves over really deep fall-offs had no guardrails, and, at some of the most door-handle-grabbing sections, the pavement seemed to be a couple feet narrower than normal. No wonder many RV drivers avoid this road like caster oil, preferring to detour many miles to travel less stressful roads! At over 11,000 feet we crossed Red Mountain Pass, later Coal Bank Pass, and finally Molas Pass before reaching Durango. This is one gorgeous drive. We stopped along the side of the road to shoot this old truck.



On our return trip just south of Coal Bank Pass, we saw a small bighorn sheep jump down from a rock onto Highway 550. The car in front of us luckily slowed way down, and I pulled off just 20 feet from this large lamb. He let me shoot him for at least five minutes before he methodically bound from rock to rock back up the mountain. Handsome fellow, isn’t he?



Little Molas Lake
Later in our journey we stopped at Little Molas Lake to enjoy the view of this postcard setting.



We then stopped in Silverton to check things out. Shortly after we finished lunch, the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge train pulled into town. We walked down and took a few photos. Here is my favorite.



The Million Dollar Highway always requires vigilance, but it is far less stressful going north rather than south, as you can hug the mountainside instead of treading on the edge. So this portion of road was child’s play compared to the morning’s trek.

We drove around Ouray, and when the lightning started we darted into the Historical Museum of Ouray County for an enjoyable and enlightening hour learning about the local area. They had some beautiful flowers showcasing their facility.



Tuesday: Really Big Cat
The day started with a brisk, one-hour walk starting at the edge of our campsite and winding up and back the Uncompahgre River. I took a few shots of flowers along the way. Here is one of a false lupine.



Later in the day, we took a scouting car ride into the Uncompahgre National Forest. I was hoping to find some potential trails for hikes later in the week--typical forest roads, rocky, narrow, and steep, with switchbacks that provided the occasional wonderful view. Fourteen miles up the road (close to an hour’s driving), we turned a sharp corner to see what first appeared to be a dead elk with its mother/sibling standing by its side.

As we approached within 30 feet, we discovered that the standing creature was not an elk but a really big mountain lion who had just made a kill. Finally noticing our presence, he slowly raised up from chomping on the carcass and looked our way as blood ran down his chin. This guy appeared to be in robust maturity, tall at the shoulders, square of head, and sporting a tail that looked long enough to jump rope with. Two big bounds and this master of the woods was out of sight, probably watching us and waiting to get back to his lunch. Although I had my big camera on my lap, the three-second or so delay in taking action meant it was too late!



Wednesday: One More Time
Although the odds of seeing the Big Cat again were phenomenally against us, we couldn’t resist the lure of trying. So before dawn we re-traced our steps to the location of our sighting the day before. No carcass, no cat, but we continued to drive up, seeing patches of snow and numerous deer and elk. At one point we saw a newborn baby elk hobble across the road testing its legs as it followed its mother in retreat from our presence. We drove past the pass and went on and on all the way to Silver Jack Reservoir.



Here we unloaded from the car, and with the Kids in the lead we hiked for an hour along the lake, through a meadow, and then up into the woods. Our path ended at the dam where we decided to walk the dirt road back to our point of origin. Another beautiful hike with head-turning sights everywhere.







Box Canyon
Late afternoon we went to Box Canyon, housed within the city limits of Ouray. Along with a beautiful waterfall, Box Canyon is one of those rare places on the planet where black swifts nest. Apparently the swifts had just returned from their winter migration in Brazil and had not yet started their nests. The photographic challenge is that the black swifts are black and swift--we didn’t see a one, but enjoyed our visit.





Thursday: Telluride



Another scenic drive took us to the famous ski town of Telluride. We started by driving the streets lined with quaint shops and well-groomed houses (and an old vehicle or two), and then drove to the edge of town by the old mill to take in the view of Bridal Veil Falls. Next, we parked and walked the streets before taking the free tram to Mountain Village, Telluride’s sister city. This was the Pups first tram ride and they handled the affair with calm and dignity, just as you would expect of these worldly canines.





On our return home we took a diversion off of 145 taking Fall Creek Road south, down to the Woods Lake recreation area, another isolated location. Driving into the campground we saw this marmot.



Friday: On to Montrose



We took the short but pretty drive to Montrose. Here we had a very enjoyable evening visiting with Marge and David, our camp host friends from last year at Highline Lake State Park.

Saturday: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Early in the morning we drove the 20 miles to Black Canyon National Park. We parked at the campground and took the two-mile Rim Rock Nature Trail along the canyon wall trek to the Visitor’s Center and back. The Pups enjoyed the walk, and we had some nice views of the canyon. After that we took the scenic park drive stopping at some of the lookouts. We ended our time in the park by taking the East Portal Road down to the bottom on the canyon and on to the dam. Just as we turned onto this stretch, we saw this female dusty grouse cross the road.



This is Jan’s kind of road--hairpin turns and 16 percent grades.

Once again we ended the day with a nice visit with Marge and David talking about old times and new adventures.

Bonus Pic
Here is a pic from last week’s Anastazi ruin, Lowry Pueblos, visit that I neglected to put in last week’s blog. I really like this image, as it communicates the feeling of isolation and foreboding.



RV Park Review--Great RV Resource
Before I book a park I find myself going more and more to www.rvparkreview.com to get opinions from others who have stayed there. In fact, this is now my main resource. I was starting to feel guilty about using this great tool without contributing anything, so I am now writing reviews after each stay. If you are an RVer, I strongly recommend it.

Wonderful week.

Headlights

June 10-12: One Mile Camp, Gunnison, CO
June 13-15: Chalk Creek Park, Nathrop CO
June 16-17: ???
June 18-22: Chatfield State Park, Littleton, CO
June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado Springs, CO
June 28-29: Colorado Campground, Pike National Forest
June 30 to July 4: Mary’s Campground, Estes Park
July 5 to 7: St. Vrain State Park
July 8-12: Travel East
July 13-14: McHenry, IL
July 15: Homer Glen, IL
July 16-17: Travel
July 18-???: Traverse City, MI

See you next week.

Tags: Wildlife photography, Nature Photography, Colorado, Montrose, Ridgway State Park, Durango, telluride

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: The Six-Miler
We started off the week as we left off--ambitious hiking. From camp we drove the dirt roads around the Vallecito Lake for 25 minutes, ending at the Pine River Trailhead. This was a pretty trail. Our journey took us through green, sweet-smelling forests, over and along boisterous streams, among flowered meadows, and gently upward into wild mountains.

I was loaded down with gear, so when we came to a tricky stream requiring crossing/fording, Jan carried the Pups over the rocks and logs one by one. (The Kids are troopers, but they don’t like to get wet!)

As we approached our third mile up, we met a young couple descending the trail. Along with a large, obviously full backpack, the woman carried a two-month old baby papoose-style. This family had camped for three nights along a lake 17 miles up the trail! I was impressed. Their dog also had a job. It carried a pack on its back full of diapers--clean on the right and dirty on the left!

Six miles for us old-timers was very good, and back at camp Jan and I were satisfied with our efforts but tired, and Jerry and Mitzy were just plain exhausted.



Monday: Memorial Day
No hikes today! Just a couple of close-by walks.

Tuesday: No Luck
We were up early at the Ute Recreation Area hoping to shoot some birds down by the lake and around the marshes. Beautiful morning, but no keepers.







Wednesday: Quiet Day
We returned to the nearby Vallecito Creek Trail for a brisk morning trek, and then I stayed close to the rig working while Jan went into Durango for supplies.

Thursday: The Hunt for Anasazi



After an exercise walk, Jan pointed the bus south and then west on to Cortez. After setting up, we drove the short distance to Anasazi Center up by Dolores. This place was the headquarters for the Canyon of the Ancients--helpful staff, excellent resources, and an extremely well-done museum. If you are into geology, history, photography, or old Indians, stop here.

Friday: Trail of the Ancients



At 5:30 a.m. we departed camp, taking a gorgeous pre-dawn, 42-mile, one-hour-and-10-minute drive across the valleys and hills of southwest Colorado ranch country and into eastern Utah. Along the way we saw lots of equipment (some new, some old). As we entered Hovenweep National Monument we saw this female coyote scooting across the brush.







Our well-thought-out plan was to take the main two-mile trail starting at the visitor center, seeing the main ruins in the cool morning before things heated up. Of course, no one else was there.





The trail was steep, rocky, and narrow, but we enjoyed seeing the ruins and the surrounding rock structures. The Pups had a marvelous time leading the way.

At a junction of two trails, I took neither, leading us into what turned out to be a remote canyon. We took this difficult “trail less traveled” (it kinda, sorta looked like a trail) until we could go no further, and reluctantly re-traced our path. However, our “accident” led us to spot a “Category III” ruin (a ranger later told us that they purposely don’t tell the public of their existence), so that was kind of cool.





From then on, though, Jan took special care to make sure we followed the correct trail.



After three invigorating hours of hiking we returned to our starting point, the visitor center, were we talked with the lone ranger. Next, we drove four miles on a four-wheel-drive road, and then hiked again for a mile or so to observe the Holly Ruins. Not a soul shared our exploration--a common occurrence in these remote areas...well, except for this colorful collared lizard.





Back at the car it was 10:30 and already quite warm. We leisurely drove our way home, stopping every now and then to check-out and shoot birds and enjoy the scenery.

Saturday: Canyon of the Ancients
We first drove northwest of Dolores to the McPhee Reservoir. At the observation point, we took the Can Do Trail along the canyon walls through the junipers spotting lots of birds along the way. After driving through the rest of McPhee, we decided to head north and, since the light was good, check out the Lone Dome Wildlife Area for photo ops. As we headed northwest on 491, it got darker and darker with lightning coming from the west. When we saw a Canyon of the Ancients monument sign pointing into the storm’s direction, we made an executive change of plan, heading west into the storm hoping to get some cool shots of the weather over the ruins. Even though it was mid-morning on a weekend, there was not a soul at the national historic landmark. We wandered at will, taking lots of photos of the skies darkening over Lowry Pueblo--our bet had paid off.







From here we drove to the Dove Creek Diner in Dove Creek for lunch (Jan had a burrito with Pinto beans), filled with gas, and spent most of the rest of the day exploring, stopping at the beautiful Dolores Canyon Overlook, and then into Lone Dome and other dusty paths inside our good friend, the San Juan National Forest.











Wonderful week.

Headlights

June 3-7: Ridgway State Park, Ridgway, CO
June 8-9: Cedar Creek RV Park, Montrose, CO
June 10-12: One Mile Camp, Gunnison, CO
June 13-15: Chalk Creek Park, Nathrop CO
June 16-17: ???
June 18-22: Chatfield State Park, Littleton, CO
June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado Springs, CO
June 28-29: Colorado Campground, Pike National Forest
June 30-July 4: Mary’s Campground, Estes Park
July 5-7: St. Vrain State Park
July 8-12: Travel East
July 13-14: McHenry, IL
July 15: Homer Glen, IL
July 16-17: Travel
July 18-?: Traverse City, MI

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado State Parks, Utah, Colorado, Hovenweep, Cortez, Lowry Pueblo, Vallecito Lake, San Juan National Forest, Nature Photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Hikes and Day Trips
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Durango. Along with business, each day was filled with hikes and road trips (short and long). Here are a few shots from the first part of the week.



















Shooting Trains
The famous Durango-Silverton narrow-gauge train runs parallel to highway 550, just the other side of the road from our park. Twice in the morning we heard the train whistle as the 8:30 and 9:30 trains chugged and puffed their way to Durango. Twice each day in the afternoon we heard them return. Thursday morning Jan and I walked the five minutes from BERT to the train tracks and set up our photo gear (on the tracks) awaiting the train. At 8:50 a.m. as planned, this old steam engine chugged north and I took a few head-on shots while Jan shot me shooting the train.

Note: We thought of tying Jan on the tracks (just like in the movies), and I would take shots as the train approached. However, since I had no rope, we decided against it. :’>







On to Vallacito Lake
After shooting the train, we broke camp and were out of Alpen Rose by 10:15 taking the short trip to Vallacito Lake and Blue Spruce RV Park. We stayed here three years ago and just love the place--trees, mountains, water--it has it all.

After setting up, we drove the half-mile to the San Juan Forest Vallacito Creek Trail trailhead and headed out into the Weminuche Wilderness for an hour-and-half hike.

Friday: The Challenging Hike
By 6:17 a.m., the four of us were at the Lake Eileen trailhead. The air was heavy with the sweet smell of pines, and the temperature was holding the line between light and medium jacket attire. The literature said it was a “challenging” two-mile trek up the mountain, but well worth the effort to make it to Lake Eileen. The literature was right on both counts. Our four-mile round trip took a full four hours. We walked up and up the rocky path full of switchback turns, going over/under/around fallen trees that blocked our path. With the constant bubbling of Vallecito Creek in the background, we stopped several times straining to locate the source of the sounds of buzzing hummers, singing mountain bluebirds, and tapping three-toed woodpeckers.

Twice we had to cross the speedy creek--one time the only option for the Pups was to walk over the racing water about 20 feet on the top of a fallen pine. Mountain Mitzy and Jerry the Wild were up to the task, fearlessly walking the dead trunk in the same fashion of the Great Farini high-wire crossing Niagara Falls.



Here are a few more shots from this gorgeous, yet trying, hike.















Saturday: Even More Challenging Hike



After breakfast, we took a 20-mile driving tour to Lemon Reservoir to see the sights, scope out possible future campgrounds, and hike the Burnt Timber Trail. All we knew about the trail is that it eventually hooked up to the Colorado Trail. Well, if we thought the trip the day before was challenging, then this baby was grueling! After 50 minutes of what seemed like straight up, we turned around and found some meadow trails that were more to our liking.

Wonderful week.

Headlights

May 27-30: Blue Spruce Campground Vallacito, CO
May 31-June 2: Sundance RV Park, Cortez, CO
June 3-7: Ridgway State Park, Ridgway, CO
June 8-9: Cedar Creek RV Park, Montrose, CO
June 10-13: One Mile Camp, Gunnison, CO
June 14-17: ???
June 18-22: Chatfield State Park, Littleton, CO
June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado Springs, CO
June 28 on: ???

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Durango, Colorado State Parks, Bird photography, Vallacito Lake, Lake Eileen

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Mother’s Day Adventure
After a brisk walk in the 34-degree daylight and breakfast, everyone loaded into the car to celebrate Mother’s Day with a hike and a road trip.

Golden Eagle Encounter
Within 300 yards of leaving San Luis State Park, a mature (meaning really big) Golden Eagle swooped up from the desert directly to our right then cut across our path no more than six feet off the ground and within six feet of our car windshield. We could see every feather detail of this mottled brown giant as we barely missed a collision. I’d had my camera on my lap, but had no photo op during this three seconds of raw action. In my mind I hoped our new friend would circle back, but he kept on flying. Added to the consumption of a pot of strong coffee, I was buzzed for the day.

Zapata Falls Hike
Just five miles south of the Dunes is the Zapata Falls Recreation Area run by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). We took the three-mile path up the bumpy, curvy gravel road, ascending a couple thousand feet in the effort. At the trailhead we trekked up the old stream bed, stopping off to enjoy Zapata Falls. From here we continued up the mountain, climbing another mile before retracing our steps. Along the way we had panoramic views of the Dunes and the entire San Juan Valley. Wonderful hike.





Jan decided she’d like to see some yet-explored sights for Mother’s Day, so instead of turning south at Mosca we turned north.

Colorado Gator Farm
After careful but short deliberation, we passed on visiting the Colorado Gator Farm, continuing on past Hooper.

UFO
However, just a mile or so past Hooper we were “forced” to turn into the UFO Watchtower just as though a cosmic energy took possession of our Honda Element. What a place!



Ute Theater and Cultural Center
We continued going north on 17 with mountains on all sides to look at and not much else. We took a left at the junction of 285, deciding to explore the town of Saguache. As we turned down the main drag of this old town of 500 residents, I decided I wanted a cup of coffee to go. Pulling into a parking spot, I walked across the street to the local cafe. When I returned, Jan had found/created a new lifelong friend named Denise, the proprietor of the Ute Theater and Cultural Center. She had been drinking Mimosas outside of her establishment and had invited Jan inside to view the snack bar, wine bar, and old-time theatre…



Back in the car we returned home to the Park via Center, Hooper, and Mosca.

Monday: Breaking Camp
After four days, we had seen most all the sites in this area we had wanted to see. So by 7:45 a.m. we were on the road out in the brisk morning sun. We took the back roads all the way to Highway 160 West. As an example of the remoteness of our travels, even going 35 miles an hour for a big stretch, we drove over 30 miles with no one coming up behind us. Talk about stress-free driving.

Tuesday: Durango
We started the day with a downtown walk and stops at the Colorado Wildlife and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) offices to get ideas for hikes and locations for spotting wildlife. Later in the afternoon we took a road trip checking out both the town of Mancos and the Mancos State Park. Adjoining our campground is a ranch where horses run.



Wednesday: Junction Creek
By 6:45 a.m. we were at the Junction Creek trailhead of the Colorado Trail at the base of the San Juan Forest. We took a two-hour hike up Colorado’s most famous trail, then drove to the top of the world to Animas Overlook where we took in a vista of tall mountains, forests, and valleys.



Late afternoon we scouted out our hike for the next day.

Thursday: Hermosa Trail
This morning we took the high-altitude Hermosa Trail in the San Juan Forest.











Friday: Scenic Skyway Trip
Took an hour walk along the Animas River.





Early afternoon we took a 50-mile drive up Highway 550, part of the San Juan Scenic Skyway all the way to Silverton. Oh, yes, scenic it is! Made several stops along the way scouting out future hikes and future campgrounds.





Saturday: Navajo Country
Late morning we took a road trip south into the Ute Reservation, checking out Ignacious, Arboles, and driving through Navajo State Park, considering it for a stay in the future.

Wonderful week.

Headlights

May 20-23: Alpen Rose RV Park, Durango, CO
May 24-30: Blue Spruce Campground, Vallacito, CO
May 31-June 2: Sundance RV Park, Cortez, CO
June 3-7: Ridgway State Park, Ridgway, CO
June 8-9: Cedar Creek RV Park, Montrose, CO
June 10-13: One Mile Camp, Gunnison, CO
June 14-17: ???
June 18-22: Chatfield State Park, Littleton, CO
June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado Springs, CO
June 28 on: ???

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Durango, Mosca, San Luis Valley, Nature Photography, Wildlife photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Baby Owls
Within 20 yards of our campsite at Chatfield State Park was an owl nest occupied by a momma Great Horned Owl and her two owlets. We could hear her hoots most early mornings.



Canada Work
On Sunday we traveled back to the Colorado Horse Park and set up camp. Early Monday morning, Jan and the Kids drove me to the Denver airport where I flew to Canada for work. My engagement went very well and I got back to Denver late Wednesday night.




San Luis Lake State Park
Thursday, after I conducted a webinar from BERT, Jan drove us to San Luis State Park in the San Luis Valley, just ten miles west of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. It was like we had the campground to ourselves--the busiest night of our stay had only four other campsites filled! From our site, 7,500 feet of elevation in the high desert, we had awesome views of both the Sangre de Christo Mountains to the east and San Juan Mountains in the west.



Friday: Dunes and Birds
Great Sand Dune National Park
We started the day by scoping things out, first stopping at the first-class visitor center at the Park to help us plan our priorities. We had visited here three years ago and this is one of our favorite places.





Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
We drove to the town of Alamaso, and after stopping at their visitor center and having a very nice Mexican lunch at Ninos, we drove to the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. Here we had a great time enjoying the marshes and lakes full of a variety of birds with the handsome mountains serving as a background. The evening brought the much-wanted sounds of a constant rain that soaked into the parched desert.









Saturday: Snowy Hike and Stormy Birds
Mosca Trail
Leaving the Kids to guard the coach, Jan and I headed out early driving back to the Dunes and up to the Mosca Pass Trailhead. We were the first ones at the trail and almost the first ones into the park. (Lots of slackers sleeping in, I guess. :,>)

Within a quarter mile, our topography changed, and a soft, white, and wet visitor joined us and stayed along as a companion throughout our upward journey. The snow added a strong visual contrast to the greens and blues of the surroundings and highlighted the occasional reds of a blooming prickly pear cactus. The senses were further heightened audibly with the constant gurgling of the creek that bordered the trail, spiked with a birdcall every now and then. In addition, the intense fresh smell of the forest after rain and snow added a feeling of newness as we ascended above 9,500 feet. Wonderful hike.







Medano Creek
From the trailhead, we drove down to Medano Creek to try and get a few pics while the light was still soft. We walked along and through the rushing water (only ankle deep) admiring the landscape and enjoying the families with kids and pups playing in the water or hiking up the dunes.







Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
Next, we drove back to Alamosa and had breakfast-lunch at a local diner. From here we took the back roads to the Monte Vista area, spending time exploring the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge (associated with the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge we visited the day before). What a perfect day for finding/watching/photographing birds--a big storm was brewing in the mountains so all the birds were out in the air, swimming, flitting, and flying around, all alert to the possible dangers of the weather.













Wow, what a week!

Headlights

May 13: San Luis State Park, Alamosa, CO
May 14: Navajo State Park
May 15-24: Alpen Rose RV Park, Durango, CO
May 25-31: Blue Spruce Campground Vallacito, CO
June 1-17: Ridgway? Montrose? Gunnison? Crested Butte?
June 18-22: Chatfield State Park, Littleton, CO
June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado Springs
June 28 on: ???

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Colorado State Parks, Bird photography, San Luis Valley

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

We continued to camp at Chatfield State Park close to the grandkids, with Austin spending most of the time with us.

Netting Birds
One morning we drove to a nearby Audubon property to watch them net, examine, measure, weigh, tag, and release birds caught in their special nets. Austie got a big kick out of the whole procedure. Here are a few shots.











Early Birthday Present
Before the whole hullabaloo surrounding Austie’s upcoming birthday erupted, we decided to give Austin his present early. Here is a shot of him opening up his present--a waterproof, dust-proof, shockproof camera (we shall see). There’s also a shot of me shooting the box-opening action.





Afternoon at the Zoo
We took Austie to the Denver Zoo to let him try out his new camera. Here is a carousel shot of Austie and a couple of birds from the afternoon.







This and That
Here are a few odds-and-ends photos of this past week.













Baby Natalie
The little sweetie is getting cuter each day! Here is a shot of her alone and one with proud grandma. If you want to see more, click here.

Headlights

May 6-10: Colorado Horse Park
May 11-14: Great Sand Dunes National Monument?
May 15-24: Alpen Rose RV Park, Durango, CO
May 25-31: Blue Spruce Campground Vallacito, CO
June 1-17: Ridgway? Montrose? Gunnison? Crested Butte?
June 18-22: Chatfield State Park, Littleton, CO
June 24-27: Cheyenne Mt. State Park, Colorado Springs
June 28 on ???

See you next week.

Tags: Bird photography, Colorado, Chatfield State Park, Denver Zoo

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Late Sunday morning we broke camp and drove for about an hour to Chatfield State Park, our home for two weeks.

Baby Natalie
Here are two pics of three-day-old Baby Natalie—she’s almost grown up already.





In case you missed them and have an interest, last week’s shots of just-born Natalie (all downloadable) are available by clicking here.

Austie Camping
For most days this week, Jan has picked up Austie from pre-school in the afternoon returning him back the next morning. During our time together, we walked the Pups several times a day, built superhero Legos every night, played at the park at all hours, and discussed world issues continually--good thing I’m in shape for an old guy.

Morning Hikes
I had the luxury of taking long morning hikes every day with a few photo ops.







Birding Walk
On Saturday morning, Jan and I joined a group of about ten for a birding walk inside the park. Joey, our leader, was a library of both avian and park knowledge, and he shared his favorite places for finding migratory birds. Also had the chance for a close-up with a mature bull snake.













Bath Night
Here is a picture of the always-feminine Mitzy on bath night.



Culinary Shot
All that hiking and fresh air takes a lot of energy. Here is a shot of Jan’s Thrasher Beef and Veggie Soup.

Headlights

April 29-May 5: Chatfield State Park
May 6-10: Colorado Horse Park
May 11-14: Travel south and west
May 15-24: Durango, CO (near Denver) to visit family
May 25-31: Blue Spruce Campground Vallacito, CO
June 1 On: ???

See you next week.

Tags: travel photography, Bird photography, Colorado

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The wind finally settled down and we had a nice view of the Guadalupe Mountains as I took the Pups for a long walk in the chilly air (49 degrees). After breakfast, we broke camp at Van Horn at 9:30 and took a nice and leisurely 63-mile trip north on Highway 54 to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, gently rising to 5,600 feet.

Carlsbad Day Trip
After getting situated, we unhooked the car and drove the 60 miles to Carslbad, New Mexico, for a wonderful lunch of Mexican for Jan and barbecue for me (of course we brought the Kids a treat). Carlsbad Caverns National Park was right on our path, so we pulled into the visitor center and I looked around. It wasn’t hot but we didn’t want to leave the Pups in the car so we were unable to explore the caves--some other trip.



Monday: Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamagorda, New Mexico
Morning Hike
Before dawn, Jan and I drove to the Frijole Ranch Trailhead in Guadalupe to hike the 2.3-mile Smith Spring Trail. It was quite chilly at sunrise, but slowly warmed, and at the end of the trek I was ready to shed my jacket. We enjoyed the walk along the stony path, going up and over the hills, and around a pond and by the springs.



Shortly after returning to camp we were packed and heading west on Texas 62. At El Paso we turned north on New Mexico 54 then turned into Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, about 12 miles south of Alamagordo. After getting settled in, we drove to White Sands National Monument, stopped by the Visitor Center, and then took the drive to scope out our photography hike for the next morning.

We can see for miles looking out from our high desert campground. This park is at the very tip of the Chichuahuan Desert in the foothills.





Jan has had quite a time watching the dust devils (baby tornadoes) as they suck and spurt among the cacti and the scrub. At any one time you can see six to ten of these little turbos.

Our camp host is an amateur astronomer of over 40 years, and he was kind enough to share his views of the heavens with Jan and me. Through the viewfinder of his 12-inch reflector, we peeked back into time viewing growing stars and dying nebulae. Just a wonderful experience. Makes me want to consider a new hobby :’>>>

Tuesday
White Sands National Monument
The gates to the Monument don’t open until 7 a.m., so we slept in, leaving BERT at 6:20 to drive the 30-minute journey. Because the morning was chilly, the Pups got to go. Jan and I took the Dune Life Nature Trail hike, and after that, drove through the Monument, stopping several times when we saw something interesting. This is a very interesting and unique park--one I feel most people would really enjoy.











Dune Dogs
Both Pups love running in the sand and they thoroughly enjoyed being off the leash. Here are a couple of my favorite photos of them.





Day Trip



In the afternoon, the four of us took a day trip to some small towns east of Alamogordo within the Lincoln National Forest.

Wednesday: Sugarite Canyon State Park, Raton, NM
Morning Hike
Before dawn I hiked a short trail within walking distance of our campsite. Here are a few shots of desert flowers.











When I returned, Jan already had the Pups on leashes so we took them for a nice stroll/run before getting on NM Highway 54 north at 9:00. Once again, a beautiful day. We finally stopped at another New Mexico state park a few miles outside of Raton, close to the Colorado border.

Thursday
Morning Hike
Jan and I drove five miles across the border into Colorado, pulling into the James M. John State Wildlife Area. Here we hiked by ourselves for a couple of miles around Lake Dorothey.









Capulin Volcano National Monument Day Trip



After stopping back at camp to pick up the Pups, Jan drove us west on Highway 72 to Folsom. Here we turned south on 325 to the Capulin Volcanic National Monument. After spending time at the Monument, we returned back to camp via 64 East and I-25 North. Wonderful trip. Along the way we saw scenic vistas and herds of deer and antelope.













Friday: Colorado Horse Park, Parker, CO
Baby Natalie
At 7:30 a.m. we got the call from AJ--Kelly and he were heading for the hospital. We quickly packed up and headed up I-25 across the Colorado border and on to Parker. We set up camp at the Colorado Horse Park, 15 minutes from their home. At their place we walked their dog Hanna Pug, dropped off our Pups, and drove to the hospital. Natalie Marie Helman, all eight pounds and two ounces of her, was born at 11 a.m., April 20. One glance and it is obvious that this gorgeous, intelligent young female will grow into a woman of style and grace. Here is a pic of mom and baby. (Anyone interested in our granddaughter can see many more shots [all downloadable] by clicking here.)



Saturday
Austie and Hanna Pug spent the night with us, and Saturday was quite “active” between walks, games, playgrounds, swimming lessons, car rides, setting up video…. Ended the day wonderfully exhausted. Life is good--very, very good.



Audible Books
Correction: Last week I referenced the dog-car racing book as “Driving in the Rain.” Should have had my coffee first. The correct title is The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. Sorry about that.

This past week we made the miles fly by while listening to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and podcasts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk.” Both recommended.

Headlights

April 22: Colorado Horse Park, Parker, CO
April 23 to May 5: Chatfield State Park, CO (near Denver) to visit family
May 6 - ??: As of now, our plans are to head to Durango and the Four Corners area for a few weeks.

See you next week.

Tags: Wildlife photography, Colorado State Parks, Colorado, New Mexico, texas

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Sleek Mitzy
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday
It was nice and quiet at the chilly State Forest State Park campground. The Pups were anxious to go out but maybe even more anxious to get back to the warm coach.

Soon the four of us were back in the car, driving along the same path that led us to observe the big male and the really big bull elk. Alas, not today. Back at camp we had breakfast, then the four of us took a different route on the Ranger Lakes trail. The chipmunks took great pleasure in teasing the Pups, knowing exactly how far the leashes would stretch until they become taut around their neck with a little gasp. Around the lake we saw many anglers, including several families attempting to lure and capture the abundant trout.

Back at BERT, I worked on an upcoming presentation while Janny readied us for the next leg of our trip.

By 10:45 we were off. Heading south on 14 over Cameron Pass, we slowly dropped over a 100 miles, from 9,100 feet down to 5,000. The three-dot scenic byway was, well, scenic, and we traveled parallel to mountains and fast-moving streams, glancing at anglers and rafters along this often curvy, narrow, and bumpy road. A seasoned veteran of Highway One in California, Jan took the driving challenges in stride, applying the engine brake, hugging the center line, slowing down for yahoos walking on the side of this very, very busy stretch of road. Like a flash, however, mountains turned to plains as we made it to the east side of the mountain ranges, complete with stores galore and malls for all.

By early PM we were set up at Boyd Lake State Park with a view of the lake on one side and the mountains on the other.

Monday: Quick Trip to Seattle
I took the Kids out pre-dawn so that I could let them run before the walkers and bicyclists dominated the paths. We watched the sunrise, took some really detailed sniffs, and got a very good run in before things got busy. After breakfast, packing, and preparing, Jan took me to the airport with the Kids as willing passengers. With no issues, I made it to Seattle.

Tuesday and Wednesday
I taught the services account management workshop sponsored by Service Strategies. Great group of folks who seemed to learn a lot. Just a pleasure to facilitate.

At the airport I boarded a flight to Chicago. All went well, but by the time I got to my room on the Magnificent Mile, it was 1:00 a.m.

Thursday
I had a two-hour session with the senior team of my Chicago client, and I was very pleased with the outcome; a fun group who is getting serious about services and I shared a few things I’ve learned over the years. From there it was back to O’Hare where I lucked out and was able to get back to Denver three hours earlier than planned. At DIA, Jan and the Kids picked me up and we went to Parker to visit our grandson, Austin, his dog HoneyPug, and his parents.

Friday
I took our Kids plus the Pug out for a morning run, then I spent the morning working on the computer. At 2:00 we picked up Austie from pre-school and we took him back to camp up at Boyd State Park. We spent a usual camping evening of playing at the playground, a few strolls and dog walks, and roasting weenies then ‘smores.

As you’ll see in the pics, Grandma showed Austie how to shoot a bow and arrow. Below you’ll see the coaching, then the results! Good thing it was a caricature of Mitzy and not the real girl.







Saturday
Busy morning! Dog walks, Austie walks, getting ready to go. Austie took his Bat Bike on the paths and down to the playground.





At 10:00 we headed for Rocky Mountain National Park, taking 34 east into the park. Gorgeous drive in a splendid park. We drove around, had a picnic, and then drove back to the coach.

We had two trips to playgrounds, a “swim” at dusk, and a campfire with Austie’s special ‘smores with bananas and peanut butter added.





Another great week roughing it smoothly.

Pups Across America

Headlights

August 28: Boyd Lake State Park
August 29-31: Parker, CO
September 1-15: Heading north and east
September 23-October 7: Markin Glen County Park, Kalamazoo, MI
October 8-15: ???
October 16 to 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1 to ???:
??? to ???:
???: Back on Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Sunrise Pups
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Chasing the Sunrise





Upon rising, and while the water is heating for coffee, it is my normal habit to check the weather and forecast online. Although the temperature has risen each day to the low 90s the last week, each morning started in the very pleasant, light-jacket mid to high 50s. This morning, however, it was already 72 degrees at 4:30 a.m. with the promise of quickly heating up. Thus, I decided to walk the Pups quite early, when it was still an enjoyable task and not a bothersome toil. Thus, we were on the Highline Lake Bluffs trail about a half hour before sunrise, my favorite time to be outdoors. With clouds in the East, the colors started to roll in; pastels at first, transitioning to different orange hues, to bold reds and various combinations. Within 30 seconds the pre-sunrise scene you just viewed may have morphed into an entirely different composition.

The Kids seemed to have as much fun as I did on our walk, including a rabbit chase that I was able to at least catch a glimpse of with my camera. You’ll notice that “fast-as-the-wind” Mitzy is the lead chase Pup, hot on the trail--and the tail--of the bunny, with Jerry bolting from the back.



After breakfast I helped Jan pinch-hit for our camp host colleagues, and then I finalized my preparation for my Boston client and tackled some other lingering chores.

Monday: Quick Trip to Boston



Being it was to be a short trip, I left Jan carless and drove to the Grand Junction airport. I took the 6:35 a.m. flight to Dallas, and after a short layover hopped another flight to Boston. I detest driving in Boston, but the cab fare to my hotel and to my client would have been ridiculous, so I rented a car. Had a quiet evening including a nice soaker tub.

Tuesday: Boston
My “what it takes to build a services business” session went very well, and by noon I was back in my rental car arriving at Logan airport in time for lunch. Here I treated myself to a lobster roll and a glass of Sam Adams--there are some benefits of being in Boston! After a couple a flights and a short drive, I arrived back at camp by 9:30 that night.

Wednesday: Rainbows and Computer Screens
Today my hike around Highline was gorgeous. I couldn’t decide which of these two rainbow shots I liked best, so I included both. Which one do you like best?





I spent the rest of the day behind the computer screen, qualifying a new piece of business, giving feedback on a new online course I’m developing, and making and returning calls.

Thursday: Good-bye to Highline
Busy morning! I took the Pups on one last hike around the lake, and after 40-some days of looking, we finally saw the deer herd.



(Note that none of the shots I took this week at Highline had any saturation added--that’s just how awesome the light was those mornings.)

Upon returning I helped Jan get our motor home, BERT, ready to roll, and then headed down to the visitor center to put on a selling webinar (over the phone and Internet) for a couple hundred people in cooperation with my friend Hank from the Professional Services Journal. As soon as the session was over, I walked back and Jan and I finished up preparation for leaving. We said good-bye to friends David and Marjorie and wished them good luck with camp hosting (the new camp hosts replacing us appear to be quite the Butt Heads!).



By noon, Jan was driving, BERT was purring, and the Pups were alternating sitting on my lap, standing on the dash, or sleeping on the sofa. We had a gorgeous 70-mile drive, taking our time through Loma, onto I-75 east past Grand Junction and Palisade, turning east on 85 then east again onto 330. We meandered through Molina, puttered through Plateau City, climbed through Colilbran continuing our upward voyage into Vega Lake State Park.



Golden Eagle
About three miles from the Vega Park entrance, as we turned a corner, Jan and I both saw a large animal of some sort on the side of the road. Within seconds we made the ID—Golden Eagle! As we approached, this very big guy gave us a dismissing look, and then slowly beat his huge wings a couple of times and was gone. I had my camera on my lap, but there was no time for an attempted picture, but the experience was exhilarating. After checking in we got set up and sat outside overlooking the lake and watched the day come to an end.

Friday: Deer Galore
The first thing after coffee, we all piled into our Element and drove back from the park the way we came in hopes of finding the Golden Eagle. No luck this time, but we saw dozens of deer on our way down and back. Instead of returning to BERT we slowly drove around the lake looking for critters. Just before turning into our campground, Jan spotted a young buck on the edge of the forest chomping on leaves. He was not afraid of cars and he let me take several pictures of him less than 30 feet away.



Back at our campsite we had another cup of coffee, then leaving the Kids to finish their breakfast, Jan and I took off in the car once again. Our plan was to take an access road, Forest Road #262 (also called Park Creek Road) for the mile and a half into the Grand Mesa National Forest for some hiking. We slowly crept along the rough dirt road, but the heavy rains from the night before created a fast-running current across our path. After studying the possibility of proceeding, prudence stepped in and we retraced our tracks. Here is a chipmunk munching the top of a tree.



However, our backup plan was a good one, for we hiked the two-mile Vega Trail through an Aspen forest. We saw lots of pretty foliage, flowers, and mushrooms. The pretty but poisonous baneberry was everywhere along with a number of other plants that I couldn’t identify. This is bear country, so Jan carried our bear spray as we headed up and down the narrow overgrown trail that was covered by a thick, dark canopy. We saw no critters, but heard the noise of one very large animal along our way.

As an aside, Vega State Park is at 8,000 feet--it takes a little while getting use to the altitude.







After lunch, I spent time doing business. While I was working I asked Janny to go and find a spot where there was both a good AT&T and a Verizon signal. She came back a couple hours later having explored a large portion of real estate. Taking the Kids, we retraced her steps, driving the 11 miles back toward Collbran, stopping at Gandhi Park. Here I rejoined civilization (I guess), checking for voice messages, downloading e-mails, and responding to those messages requiring immediate action.

In the evening, Jan built a fire, and we sat around watching the activities of the lake and the campsite, smelling the pleasant odors of campfire cooking, and hearing the sound of thunder in the distance.

Saturday: Hungry Hummers, Marmot, and Another Eagle Sighting
I stood outside at dawn, watching the sky colors and the reflections on the lake. I took the Pups out early, down to the boat launch where they could run loose and stretch their little legs.

Hungry Hummers
As soon as we had set up camp the day before, Jan filled our hummingbird feeder and set it on our picnic table. Within five minutes (no kidding) we had a flock of hummers lining up to eat--reminded me of the opening of a new restaurant on the Island at 5:00 p.m. Blue Hair Special time!

By Saturday morning these petite, glutinous avians had devoured the entire contents of the feeder, a concoction of one cup sugar and four cups of water. Jan quickly went into action and filled up the feeder again. These live missiles were so ravenous that one was trying to feed out of the bowl that Jan was using to fill the feeder. Once refilled, we counted 15 hummers either eating or awaiting their turn. Here is not a great shot, but it sure shows the excitement at our picnic table.



A little later the four of us hopped into our car and made the circle of the lake, seeing the occasional deer and admiring the fields of summer flowers. I also took a shot of our campground from the other side of the lake.





At 8:00 a.m. we pulled into the Vega Lodge where we had breakfast overlooking the lake. From there we finished our circumnavigation, stopping to shoot yellow-bellied marmot at their digs. Cute little fellows.







Once back in the coach it was time to work. I’m fortunate in having lots to do, but it was really hard to get motivated to sit at the computer with a setting such as we have! Anyway, after stalling for a while downloading pics, I got to work on my Sarasota project.

Later in the afternoon we decided to go back and look for the Golden Eagle. Jan was driving, I had my camera set up for action on my lap and WHAM! There was the big guy surveying his territory, sailing on the wind over the valley. Jan let me out of the car and went to turn around while I followed this lord of the sky with my viewfinder. I probably got 50 shots off before he vanished from view. The first shot (18 megapixels) was what I saw in my camera, the 35mm equivalent of 640mm (or about 13X if you were looking through binoculars or a spotting scope). I severely cropped the second shot (2.5 MP) just to show a little more of what he looked like. Yes, the light was not the best and he/she was a long way away, but I got my first Golden Eagle photos! I was (and am) one happy camper.





Cowboy Poetry
By sheer luck, we chose to camp at Vega State Park during their annual Cowboy Poetry event. Attendees brought finger food to pass around (Jan made hot wings), and we all sat around on picnic tables and camping chairs listening to local artists playing cowboy songs, followed by readings by cowboy poets. It was really an enjoyable time. Here are a few pics from this event.











If you want to see more cowboy poetry pics, click here.

Pups Across America

Headlights

August 7: Vega State Park
August 8-11: Rifle Gap State Park
August 11-31: Exploring Colorado
September 1-15: Heading north and east
September 23-October 7: Markin Glen County Park, Kalamazoo, MI
October 8-15: ???
October 16-31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Highline Lake Park, Vega State Park, Colorado, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Action shots of the Kids
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday through Thursday: Hanging Around Camp
We stayed at the campground the first five days of the week. Every morning started with a walk around the lake, and most days I walked around the campground looking for photo opportunities. Jan did most of the camp host duties, Mitzy got a summer haircut as you will see in the pics, the young hawks were out and about playing, and I was lucky enough to photograph a hummingbird nest right before the two young ones left the next day.







I spent a lot of time on the computer doing work for a Swedish client, a client in Boston, preparing for an upcoming webinar, and working on my Sarasota partner project. Thursday evening our neighbors, David and Marjorie, took us out to the Feedlot, a steak house in Fruita, for a very nice meal.

Friday: Monument and Dinosaur



It was a pleasant 55 degrees when I took the Pups out early in the pre-dawn. By 6:05 Jan and I were out of the campground, and by 6:30 we were walking down Otto’s Trail in the Colorado National Monument (sadly, dogs aren’t allowed). It was a pleasant hike with a great view of the canyon, but since it was not a long trail and it was still early, we walked part of the Coke Ovens Trail, spent some time admiring the view from the Artist Points lookout, and then slowly drove back through the park looking for Desert Bighorn Sheep. Alas, no big critter sightings today.



Leaving the Monument we decided to stop at Dinosaur Hill, the location of the 1900 dig that led to excavating over six tons of dinosaur bones that were re-assembled as the very impressive display at the Chicago Field Museum that is still there today. We took the trail that walked around the hill showing where the excavation took place, all the while enjoying the views of the Monument, Grand Valley, and the McInnis National Conservation Area.

After a great breakfast of Jan’s, I spent the rest of the day working--spending time on my projects mentioned earlier.

That evening Jan made an outstanding dinner of grilled ribs, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, and key lime pie with fresh whipped cream that we shared with David and Marjorie.

Saturday: Handsome Hoot and Wild Horses
Once again I took the dogs out very early, intending to take another hiking trail in the Monument. Just as I was leaving the campground, I saw two hawks chatting with a crow on the side of the road. I pulled the car off the road and spent the next half hour watching the two young Cooper’s Hawks taking lessons from one of their parents. What I observed was a lot of chasing each other from tree to tree, screaming at decibel levels ranging from loud to alarming, and, the most fun to watch, lots of hopping up and down one after another, each hop two to three feet, complete with the spreading of wings coupled with ferocious looks (my assumption is that this was training time--practicing the skills required for capturing prey). Great fun.

Back in the car I decided to bag the hike and scout around the park for some photo ops. Hence, I walked over to the group camping area along the tree line where Baby Hoot seems to enjoy warming himself in the sun in the early mornings. I did not spot him in the area I expected, so I decided to continue on a tad. Just as I was ready to give up, I located that big rectangular shape positioned in what appeared to be a perfect location (eye level, warm sunshine in his face, great background, and the possibility for me to get close). I gave him a morning greeting and kept up a quiet chatter as I slowly approached, one step at a time. I was able to get off a few shots before a loud noise scared him off. I’m quite pleased with image. See what you think. Sometimes persistence does pay off.



My plan was to work most of the day, as I have a lot of things going on, but an attack of laziness struck as I fired up the computer after breakfast. After several minutes of procrastination, I yielded to my internal strife and we jumped in the car for a quick get-away. We drove east on I-70 exiting at the Cameo exit past Palisade, where we headed north past the power plant onto dirt roads that headed off the beaten path into the 30,000-acre Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property of rugged canyons called the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Canyon. As the name implies, a herd of wild horses roams this large area. Although the odds were slim, we were hoping to get a glimpse of these equine beauties. As we proceeded north, the “road” got narrower and rougher. Our Element did an admirable job, however, we soon reached some areas impassable except for a four-wheel drive vehicle with lots of clearance. Reluctantly we turned around and headed back to more civilized terrain, but it was sure worth the effort.

Deciding to take a different route home, we turned off of I-70 west onto Highway 6 at Palisade. This is fruit country, and soon our back-road tour took us through dozens of orchards where peach harvesting was in full swing. We stopped at a local orchard where we picked up some fresh peaches, preserves and, after a quick taste, some local wine. Nice stop.



David and Marjorie were on camp host duty, but since they had personal issues back at their home in Montrose 80 miles away, we volunteered to substitute for them. The Pups were thrilled, as they enjoy nothing more than riding around on the official camp host golf cart, sitting smugly by our side, occasionally growling at a dog or a kid they don’t care for.

Pups Across America

As regular readers know, I enjoy taking action shots of the Kids. Here are a few more to look at.













Opinion Poll
As you can see, Mitzy has two sides to her “look,” fluffy and sleek. Which do you prefer? Drop me a note on which version of this pretty pup you like best and why. Interested in your thoughts.

NOTE: From Thursday afternoon, August 4, through Monday, August 8, we will have limited Internet and telephone service--please be patient, we will respond when we can.

Headlights

July 24 - August 3: Wrapping up our stay at Highline State Park
August 4 - 7: Vega State Park
August 8 - 11: Rifle Gap State Park
August 11 - 31: Exploring Colorado
September 1 - 15: Heading north and east
September 23 - October 7: Markin Glen County Park, Kalamazoo, MI
October 8 - 15: ???
October 16 - 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Rearview Mitzy and Hanna Pug
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Peace and Quiet

As a change of pace, the four of us decided to walk around the park instead of taking a trail. It was interesting to see things from a different perspective. We saw a doe and her fawn, and of course the usual cacophony of the meadow birds.

It was a busy camp host day, but Jan did the whole job as I was doing work on a report for a Swedish client. Because of the size of the documents involved and the slowness of my Internet, I had to drive to Fruita a couple of times and “borrow” the Internet signal from the La Quinta motel (oh, the challenges of roughing it :’>>>).

If you have read the blog before, you know that I’ve been watching and photographing a young owl, but I have not been happy of the quality of the shots. I’ve made it a personal quest to get at least one decent image of this handsome young avian while at the park. Jan had been doing some scouting for me, and when I returned to camp she informed me that Little Hoot was on a low, unobstructed branch, with a good background. I grabbed my camera and headed for the tree. Finally I got a decent picture! Yes, patience is a virtue. See what you think.



Jan also had been scouting a male flicker, and here is my first shot of this guy.



The weather here gets a little wild at times, bouncing from hot and dry to wet and wild, with lightning and strong winds. For example, early this evening the winds came up and the camper’s tent across from us came down, and within ten minutes of the occurrence they were packed up in their car and out of the campground.

Monday: Close to Home
My 6:00 a.m. European phone appointment was a no-show, so after scanning the papers and drinking coffee, the four of us went out for a hike. Here is a shot of a morning storm in the distance.



The neighbor’s cattle were out so I took advantage of this photo op and snapped a few close pics of the calves.


.
Several small planes in the area regularly fly over the park. Here is a shot of a red one.



The rest of the day was quiet--doing more work on the computer and helping Jan now and then.

Tuesday: Ain’t Flying Grand? (Grand Junction to Grand Rapids that Is)



At 5:15 a.m., with coffee and Pups in hand, we were out into the dark heading for the Grand Junction airport. My flight to Salt Lake City was smooth, and I took a few shots through the scratched glass of some interesting patterns with my pocket camera.





The first 80 percent of the flight to Minneapolis was going well, but as we were just entering our landing pattern, our friends in the tower decided to put us in a holding pattern because of some growing local storms. After 30 minutes they diverted us to Sioux Falls, where we stopped for fuel. The weather eventually cleared as it always does, and we made it to the Twin Cities. I missed my flight, but my good friends at Delta got me on the next plane and I was in my hotel in Grand Rapids by 8:30.

Wednesday: Grand Rapids Client



I spent the morning working with my Grand Rapids client, helping them with their services strategy. On the leadership team was my old client and friend, Bruce. We had kept in contact every now and then, but we hadn’t seen each other in 20 years. The good news is that we are still the handsome devils we were back then. :’>>>.

After a really good session, I took a cab to the airport, but instead of flying back to Grand Junction I flew to Denver. While I was in the air, Jan and the Kids drove across the state and then picked me up from my flight. We drove the 30 minutes to Parker, where our grandson, Austin, his parents, and his pug greeted us.

Aaron had a great meal ready for us, and then we went outside to watch a lightning storm over the Rockies. Wonderful day.

Thursday: “Grandpa, Do You Want a Dog in Your Room?”
I had a conference call with a Sarasota business partner about a new venture we are working on. They are great people to work with, and I’d told them that I was visiting my grandson and also that I was working from the guest room. So, it came as no surprise that during the call they heard a young voice say, “Grandpa, do you want a dog in your room?” Gotta love it.

After wrapping up the call and taking the pups for a run, the Little Man was getting anxious because we promised him a trip to the water park. Hustling up, we passed through the entrance at 10:45 to be greeted by several hundred youngsters along with their parents and grandparents. Like many other parts of the U.S., it was hot, so people were attracted to the water like moths to a light. The sound of splashes from the flowing water and yelps from the youngsters combined with the smell of suntan lotion and the sights of sliding/running/swimming kids. Austie had a great time, and for close to three hours he played and played and played.









Friday: Playground and Aquarium
The day started with a nice Pup walk, and Austie helped me herd our two Kids and the boisterous Hanna Pug pup. If Jerry is likened to a thoroughbred, and Mitzy to a ranch pony, then Hanna Pug is a war horse, running straight ahead no matter who or what is in the way. She has a habit of escaping out the front door and running as fast as her stubby legs will go down the street and out of the neighborhood, mobilizing parents and kids alike in the chase.

Because another hot day was predicted, I took the Little Man down to the playground early. My job was to watch him play, and try to capture a “non-posed” picture or two when he wasn’t aware.





Soon, however, a five-year old Emily took a liking to Austie and soon had him doing her bidding. It was interesting to watch him because he obviously was unsure how to react to this flirtatious young female. Here is a shot I like of the two of them.



After lunch at Austie’s house, we’re in the car heading downtown. After 30 minutes we were in the impressive Denver Aquarium, exploring the exhibits and checking out the fish and other water life, plus spiders, snakes, tigers, and all other sorts of creatures, including mermaids. It was obvious Austie really liked this place, as he ran from place to place, coming back frequently to check out the tarantulas.









This was a big day for everyone! Back home I downloaded pics and caught up on work while Jan “re-built” Austie’s room. Later we hung outside in the neighborhood enjoying the cooling temperatures of the early evening.

Saturday: Drive-By Shootings



After saying goodbyes, we loaded up for a scenic road trip. From Parker we took I-25 north to 470 west where we stopped off at Chatfield State, as we wanted to scout it out for future camping. This is one big park and looks like a great place to camp (loop D) as there is lot’s to do, and it is close to Austie’s place. From there we got back on 470 west turning on 285 west. We drove through Jefferson and down to Fairplay stopping along the way to buy some of the best elk jerky in the West. Jerry heartily agreed, sticking his nose all the way into the package, gulping his piece, then looking longingly at the bag when I put it away. The drive was really pretty, but when we picked up 24 west near Buena Vista and headed NNW on this scenic byway, the quality of the vistas picked up a couple of notches. As we drove, our most common comments were “wow,” “jeez,” “look at that,” and so on.





Drive-By Shootings
When traffic is sparse or when pullouts are abundant, Jan goes very slowly or stops or pulls off for Kodak moments. However, when the opposite scenario is in place, drive-bys are required. Now, shooting out of a moving vehicle at 30 to 75 mph on curvy roads hanging partly out the window, trying to frame shot when the car is in the one-right position while keeping other cars and poles and trees out of the image is a challenge. However, is it a big enough challenge? Oh no, our dogs love to peer out the window, so when I anticipate an upcoming photo op I have to sneak the window down in hopes that both dogs won’t be on my lap, feet on the door and heads pointing at the desired image. This challenge is magnified when the Pups hear Jan shout (which happens often) when we are in picturesque locations. At the sound of her heightened voice my lap is full of dogs, my “window of opportunity” small, and my odds of a good pic diminished. So keep in mind that for the few drive-bys published in this blog, there are scores more with ears and noses that didn’t make it.

At Bailtown we took 82 west, the Independence Pass Scenic Drive. Still lots of snow in this 12,000-foot route and the scenery was wonderful. Not the kind of road we would take BERT on though, often being narrow and sometimes in poor shape. In addition, vehicles were limited to 35 feet in length, eliminating the possibility altogether. This route took us through the manicured and majestic Aspen and up to Basalt, where we stopped for some delicious Chinese. Then it was back on to 82 through El Jebel, Carbondale, then on to Glenwood Springs where we picked up I-70 west and headed back to camp at Highline State Park. After unpacking we ate popcorn while watching a Netflix flix and went to bed early.





Wonderful week.

Pups Across America

Here is a rearview mirror shot of Mitzy hanging out the window as she loves to do, plus a shot of Hanna Pug from one of our walks.

Headlights

July 24 - August 3: Camp hosting at Highline State Park with a side trip or two
August 4 - 7-11: Rifle Gap State Park
August 8 - 31: Exploring Colorado
September 1 - 15: Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan?
September 11 - 25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16 - 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Denver Aquarium

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Sandy pup and new scarves
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Peace and Quiet
I awoke to the soothing sound of rain on the roof. I was prepared to take the Kids on our usual hike, but the sound of distant thunder changed Jerry’s mind. Therefore, I took both of them back to the coach and went back out to look for birds. Basically a quiet day made up of work, camp hosting, and hanging out.





Just for fun, here is a shot of Janny’s breakfast the other day.



Monday: Gateway Getaway



Leaving Janny to run the camp host show, Mers and I left Highline State Park, drove through Fruita and Grand Junction on I-70, took 50 east, then took 141 south for the 42 miles to Gateway (you may have guessed by now—another scenic byway!). We passed through a dozen miles of road construction, but the following scenery was worth the wait, as once again we were surrounded by red rock structures that looked as though they had been carefully sculpted by hand--a really big hand. The town of Gateway is similar to many others in Western Colorado, however, after passing through this rustic village we came upon a large, pristine, very modern compound--a conference center complete with lodging, restaurants, and our main destination, a world-class auto museum. We arrived a few minutes after 10:00 a.m., their first visitors of the day. There were only about 50 cars, but each and every one was fully restored to its original glory. Just a pleasure to walk through the Cords, Dusenburgs, early Cadillacs, and on and on. The paint jobs and detail were phenomenal.

After a highly enjoyable walk through, we talked for a few minutes with the manager. He was a local, and took great pride in the area. He shared some facts and folklore, such as how the Sundance Kid went from being an enforcer for the land barons, to how he robbed his first bank at Telluride riding a thoroughbred horse that he “exchanged” for another after the robbery. After listening to his story we decided to take the big loop back home instead of retracing our steps as originally planned.

So around noon we continued south on 141, driving through some very tall, very impressive canyons. We stopped and viewed the remnants of a flume built inside many miles of canyon walls to haul large quantities of water for the gold mines. It seems that to attach the flume to the canyon walls they lowered Chinese workers over the side and down the wall in rope baskets. Yikes!







We passed the sign showing where the uranium town of Uraven existed before the government completely unassembled everything and covered it up (both figuratively and literally). At Natursa we turned east on 145, passed through Redvale and stopped for lunch at Norwood. Then back on the scenic byway to Placerville where we turned east on 62. At Ridgeway we picked up 550 north, then at Montrose we turned on to 50 taking us back home. Big trip but a very nice trip.

Tuesday: Viva Las Vega



Mers departed early for her return to Michigan. After a hike around the lake, I worked the rest of the morning. Right before noon it was time for another road trip. Loading up the Kids, we took off heading the same way we had gone to Grand Mesa a few days earlier, exiting I-70 at exit 49 and heading east on 65. Instead of continuing on to Mesa, however, we took 330 through Molina, Collbran, eventually ending up at Vega State Park. A beautiful drive up a couple of thousand feet from where we started.

We oohed and aahed the whole trip with the intensity increasing as we drove around the park. Mountain bluebirds everywhere and the wildflowers out in mass and in full bloom.











I was unable to get a decent shot of a mature bluebird with its vibrant blue coloring, but got a shot of a young one.



Immediately upon returning back to camp, I got online and booked the first four nights after our planned departure from Highline.

Wednesday: Rifle Shot



After hiking and working in the morning, it was time to check out another possible camping location. We took I-70 east through DeBuque and Parachute, exiting at Rifle. Here we made our way north on 325 with our first stop being Rifle Gap State Park. The reservoir here holds back an enticing body of crystal blue water, and within minutes of our arrival we knew we wanted to camp at this modern park as well. We took our time driving around, checking out the campsites, and exploring the swim beach, boat launch, and visitor center.



Four miles north and 2,000 feet higher, is Rifle Gap’s sister state park, Rifle Falls. Named after the falls it contains, this older park is made up of a more primitive campground, caves, and trails. We decided that when we camped at Rifle Gap we would do some day-trips here for trail hikes. Should be fun.





Big Load
As everyone who has traveled the interstate has seen, there are plenty of really big trucks hauling really big loads on the road. Therefore, it was interesting to see this 18-wheeler and its Tonka Toy load!



As we made our trip home, the skies got darker and darker and the lightning strikes increased. Seven miles from home we pulled off the road with a southern view looking over the Colorado Monument. The dark skies darkened further, the lighting bolts increased in number and size, the rain started coming down, and the wind increased—up to sixty-mile-per-hour gusts. Jerry sat shaking in my lap as the rest of us enjoyed the show.

Thursday: Kestrels, Hawks, and Owls
Young Hawks
I was up quite early working, but a little after dawn I was standing on the road looking up at the Cooper Hawk nest. I was not disappointed, as soon I saw three bird outlines hopping and jumping from branch to branch. One stayed still for a while, and I enjoyed watching this youngster.



Young Owl
Next I walked around to owl country, and the youngster did not disappoint, sitting on a low branch and looking toward the sweet east light.



Kestrel Pair
Walking through the campground, I spotted this pair of Kestrels--cute and little, but fast and deadly, these two appear to be permanent residents.



New Hike



Jan suggested a new hiking route and I concurred. We checked out a new trail, enjoying the views, watching the Pups sniff and romp, and getting some nice exercise besides. Out on a barren tree we spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk, apparently looking for breakfast. Apparently he was not a welcome visitor to this territory as several smaller birds attacked him on his perch.



I spent most of the rest of the day working on the computer doing projects.

Friday
Colorado Monument Hike
Since the Pups couldn’t go on our hike, I took them out early in the chilly air. I also checked on the baby hawks and the young owl. Soon Jan and I were in the Colorado Monument once again, heading out on the Alcove Nature Trail. After completing this easy one-mile jaunt, we toured the rest of the monument before heading back to camp.

Horsethief Canyon
I worked till mid-afternoon, and then it was time for another road trip. Back close to the Fruita entrance to the Colorado Monument we turned west into Horsethief Canyon, a wilderness area run by the Bureau of Land Management. We traveled this gravel round for about ten miles, checking out the trails and vowing to return early in the morning to avoid the heat.

Saturday
I was out at 5:00 a.m. trying to capture a good shot of the full moon from our campsite. Nothing worth publishing so I took the Pups out for a quick walk.

6:00 a.m. Skype call with Kevin to start to wrap up our assignment with the Swedish company. Always a lot to do at the last moment.

Soon Jan was up and we took the Kids out on the Great Blue Heron Marsh Loop for a short hike. Very pretty, but a dozen or so very busy spiders (the kind that jump and bite) had cast webs across the trail, so we kept a close eye as we walked along.

The rest of the day was devoted to working on projects, and camp hosting.

Pups Across America

Here are pics of David and Sandy along with Jerry and Mitzy sporting their new Cabella scarves that Mers bought them.

Headlights

July 17 - 19: Camp hosting at Highline Lake State Park
July 20 - 23: Visiting our grandson Austie in Parker, CO
July 24 - August 3: Camp hosting at Highline State Park with a side trip or two
August 4 - 8: Vega State Park
August 8: Exploring Colorado
September 4 - 10: Camp with Scott and Deb in Northern Michigan?
September 11- 25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16 - 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Pics of the Kids at their best.
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: No Show Jo
We were on camp host duty all day so we hung around the park. I started the day with an early morning hike with the Pups and was able to get a few decent pics as the clouds freshened the light and added some interest to the scene.







Our friend, Jo, was supposed to fly in to visit, but called and said she missed her flight…bummer.

Monday: Independence Day Road Trip
Hike #1
I went out early taking the mile-plus Highline Lake hike down by the water. The Pups had a great time sniffing critter tracks.







Hike #2
At 7:30 Jan and I drove the short distance into the Colorado Monument stopping at the visitor center. We took a mile-and-a-half hike along the Canyon Rim trail that hugged the canyon. This is one impressive place.





Pick-up Jo
After breakfast and cleaning up, we drove to the Grand Junction airport, and this time Jo made her flight. After a few, quick, “Hi, how are you’s,” we were in the car heading east on I-70.

Grand Mesa
At Marker 49 we headed east on Highway 65. We took this Scenic Byway twelve miles into Mesa where we stopped for what turned out to be an interesting Independence Day lunch. The food was pretty good, however, it wasn’t what we ordered, it came out staggered over time, and napkins and condiments appeared to be valuable extras. Our poor waitress was challenged by either alcohol, drugs, or electrical shock treatment (my guess is the shock treatment), and try as she might, the end results of her actions never quite met her intent. The ambience was further vitalized by a herd of buzzing flies that invaded from the porch and the constant blood-curdling screams of a youngster in the corner.

Back in the car, we up and backed our way to the top of Grand Mesa, the tallest mesa in the world. Here snow appeared in the distance and at the roadsides as we wove through beautiful green woods complimented by deep blue lakes. As is Jan’s nature, she soon tired of the smooth paved roads and took off on the dirt. We meandered for miles until we came to the end of the road, aptly named The End of the Road. We got out to admire the view and came across some extremely tame chipmunk-like critters taking nuts and Fritos out of people’s hands. I took several pictures to turn into posters for Jerry’s room.













The prudent return from our passage would be to retrace our tracks back to Highway 65 and continue south for 30 miles or so, then take Highway 50 west on back to Grand Junction. However, an old sign by the side of the road at the End of The Road, said “18 Miles to Highway 50.” Aha! A chance to save at least 40 miles to get us home. Jan turned our nimble Honda Element to the right and straight down (so it seemed) on a narrow, switchback dirt road. The trip was just gorgeous, lined with wild flowers and view after view. My job was to hold on to Mitzy and Jerry, appear calm, and gaze as far ahead as I could see to warn Jan of incoming traffic. This was important because steep, narrow, loose-gravely roads made meeting cars a challenge. In less than an hour we were back on Highway 50 heading for camp.







However, the excitement of the day had not ended, because later that evening our friend Mers (pure trouble) arrived from an all-day jaunt from Michigan.



Tuesday: Arches National Park
We had been to Arches in the summer a couple years before, and it was hot, 115 degrees. So sharing that information and mentally preparing for oven-like temperatures, we got in the car a little after 8:00 and made our way to I-70, and then headed west for our 108-mile trek into Utah and into Arches National Park. With a decent road, hardly any traffic, and a 75-mph speed limit we made good time. At Marker 182 we turned south on 191. We drove past the entrance and down into Moab for a hearty breakfast. By 11:00 a.m. we were within the park, oohing and aahing as we drove along stopping for several short hikes. The Weather Gods smiled upon us the whole trip--constant cloud cover not only kept the arid temperatures in the comfortable 80s but also the lack of direct sunlight took away the harshness adding vibrancy to the sandstone structures, making for nicer images.

















After having our scenic fill, we headed back to Moab for a couple of pints and snacks at the Moab Brewery. From there we headed back to camp, though this time taking Highway 128, a scenic byway that borders the eastern side of the Park…excellent choice, Alex! Right on the edge of the Colorado River with huge red rock structures bordering our journey, the vistas were as gorgeous of those inside the park. Even after a mind-filling day of great scenery we still found ourselves pulling over for more photo ops.





Wonderful day.

Wednesday: Black Canyon Gunnison National Park
Once again around 8:00, the four of us plus the Pups loaded into the car for a big-day road trip. Out of camp we took 139 south to Loma, and got on I-70 east. After stopping for a wonderful breakfast in downtown Grand Junction at the Dream Café, we picked up Highway 50 and headed east/southeast through Delta, Olathe, and Montrose. Eight miles east of Montrose we took Highway 347 north the six miles into Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

The weather was quite warm but not super hot, so we trounced out for a few short hikes to get a better view of the deepest canyon in the world. This is one world-class canyon with breath-taking views all over the place. If you haven’t been there and you are into impressive scenery, put the Black Canyon on your bucket list.





On the trail to Painted Wall, we heard a guy yelling out at the top of his lungs to hear his echo. When we showed up and doubted his claim that he stood atop a rock overlooking the canyon, he immediately leaped onto his rock, assumed his super hero pose and yelled “Jan, Jan” into the canyon. Quite impressive.





On our return trek home, we stopped off at the cool, just re-built downtown of Grand Junction. We sat outside (along with the Pups) at the Rockslide Brewery for snacks and libation before heading back to enjoy a campfire and popcorn with our neighbors, Marjorie and David.

Thursday
Jan took Jamers and Jo out exploring the Colorado Monument before taking Jo to the Grand Junction airport for her flight back to LA. I spent the day working, including a selling services webinar (number six in a ten-session series) I put on in conjunction with my friend and colleague Hank. Pleased to say it went very well.

Friday
I started the day with an early morning coaching call with a client from Canada, then a hike along the bluffs of Highline Lake. I spent the day working and helping Jan with camp host chores.

Saturday
I guess I’m falling into a pattern, but it is a pattern I enjoy. Out for 75-minute hike with the kids along the water, over the hills and through the marshes. I got some great shots of the Kids, especially Jerry running full steam along the trails. Today, we came across something not seen before at Highline--a mud puddle. I mean a world-class mud puddle, where within minutes the mud turns to a concrete-like substance, something you could easily hold adobe homes together with. Hence both Pups ended up in our shower where Jan had to soak and scrub our Little Adventurers clean.





This time of year is called the monsoon season, and most every day we either receive a shower or the threat of a shower accompanied by black skies, thunder, and lightening.

Wonderful week.

Pups Across America

A few pics of the Kids at their best.

Headlights

July 10 - 19: Camp hosting at Highline Lake State Park with spontaneous side trips.
July 20 - 23: Visiting our grandson Austie in Parker, CO.
July 24 - August 7: Camp hosting at Highline State Park with a side trip or two.
August 8 on: Change of plans. Instead of going to Yellowstone and Glacier, our current plan is to spend most of August exploring Colorado.
September 4-10: Camp with Scott and Deb in Northern Michigan?
September 11-25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama.
October 16-31: Visit Kentucky friends.
November 1: Head back to Pine Island.

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Arches National Park, Gunnison National Park, Highline Lake Park

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Roxie the Boxer and friends
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Last Day in Cherry Creek
Today was a quiet day, a little work and a little play with Grandson Austie. We read a few books, played with superhero action figures, and played at the playground and the beach. In the afternoon his Mom and Dad along with Hanna the Pug came over to chat and have dinner. Here is family portrait of Austie’s clan.



Monday: Up and At ‘Em
By 6:05 a.m. we had broke camp and were headed out the state park gates. Our plan, which proved successful, was to skirt through Denver before the normal rush hour traffic--Parker Road to I-225 South to I-25 North to West 6, then on to I-70 West across most of Colorado. I’m not big on traveling on interstates, but this was just a beautiful trip, up and down, and mountains and deserts. After fueling up at Loma, we traveled north and a tad west a few miles to Highline Lake State Park, where we checked in at the visitor center and were greeted and welcomed by the head ranger, Alan.



Soon we were in the campground and set up at Site 7, reserved for camp hosts.

Tuesday: Rookie Camp Hosts
Highline Lake State Park is an oasis of tall trees, green grass, and blue water. It is very attractive to the desert dwellers within a couple hundred miles who are looking to boat on the lake, relax by the beach on the large lawn, or hang out in the shady campground. Alan gave us a succinct rundown on our hosting duties, but our new neighbors, and existing camp hosts, Margie and David, clued us in on how things worked. When on duty wearing our official state park shirts, we have a walkie-talkie to coordinate with the rangers and the visitor center, and a golf cart to patrol the 31-site campground.

Wednesday: Day Two
The weather since we arrived has been just marvelous--mid-80s, slight breeze, and super-low humidity, just a pleasure to be out and about. Although our core tasks are relatively straightforward--be ambassadors to campers; help register, document, and assist changes as required; keep the camp sites tidy; and sell firewood, ice, and worms--the procedures are a little complicated (well, the paperwork side of things, anyway). We just go along, do what we think is best, and confer with Dave and Margie to keep us straight. Little by little as they say.





Thursday: Day Three
This “job” is quite fun! Almost all the campers are good folks, and it is nice to be of assistance. It is a very family-oriented campground with kids and dogs everywhere.

Friday: Day Four
Keri, another volunteer at the visitor center, is a fellow photographer, and she was kind enough to take me around to where the owls hang out, the hawks and falcons nest, and where the bats reside. I’ve had some fun taking shots of a young Great Horned Owl and hope to get a “just right” shot one of these days.



That evening, while addressing an occasional camper request, we sat around a fire with Dave and Margie and just chatted away over ‘smores--living large in Colorado.

Saturday: Day Five
I have been investing quite a few hours doing consulting work this week, especially preparing a big report along with colleague Kevin for a Swedish client. So I spent the majority of the day hunkered down on the computer, packing, and doing odds and ends for breaks.

Ended the day with a campfire dinner with our neighbors--great way to end a great week.

Pups Across America

Check out a few pup shots from the park.

Headlights

June 19-August 7: We will continue our role as camp hosts at Highline Lake State Park near Loma, CO
September 4-10: Camp with Scott and Deb in Northern Michigan?
September 11-25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16 to 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See ya next week!

Tags: Colorado