Biking in Glenwood Canyon

You can't beat this bike path for views. Fantastic!

Cub Lake

Monet would have loved this lily pond...

Hanging out in the park

These guys have it pretty good here in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Playing the Waiting Game

Since the 7th of July, we have been in Broomfield,Co, imposing on Jocelyn and Kristian while having the hiker worked on. Our plan was to be here for a week and then head off to Wyoming but time moves differently at the place where the work is being done. Luckily for us the kids have been very accomodating. Last Friday we decided to give them a break from us and we took our tent and sleeping bags and headed for the mountains to go camping for real. Well, pretty much for real. We did have a shower for the first couple of nights. It was great to get up out of the heat and be in the the green again. I finally got to check out Glenwood Springs for more than a coffee on the way through. They have a fantastic hot springs spa there and with the Colorado River running through, lots of river rafting and kayaking. They also have a 16 mile bike path that runs by the river, up Glenwood Canyon. We had a nice workout riding our bikes up and back (it's actually pretty level), watching everyone come down the river. The highway has fantastic bridges overhead and the occasional train chugs by on the other side of the river so there's lots of action. Leaving there, we went all through the Rocky Mountain National Park where we camped for the last night. It's so, so beautiful. I especially loved the tundra. The highs up there (around 11,500 ft) are below 50 degrees so it was chilly. Lots of elk lazing around the meadows and bursts of color from the wildflowers blooming everywhere. In the morning we got up and went for a hike up to Cub Lake. So cool to come over the last rise and see the lake, covered with lilies. The only sad part was the acres and acres of dead forest from the pine bark beetle, due to drought and warming temps. It was unbelievable.

We are now back with our very, patient hosts and planning on (keep fingers crossed) leaving Friday. Pics will follow...

Celebrate!!

The fourth of July in Crested Butte is a glorious sight and we had a great time at the parade and the many festivities that followed. The parade is like most small town parades, absolutely the best!! Lots of home grown floats, cars filled with waving people, tons of red, white and blue, ending with fire trucks blowing their sirens and shooting their water hoses. The tradition here is to have a huge water fight at the end. They've had to create a zone so that the non participants can keep their cameras dry. It was hot so Jocelyn and I took the chance and went in to catch a spray or two. The egg toss , pie eating contest, log sawing contest, and other things that took place on the main street (shut down for the day) were so perfect. Then off to Gunnison for a bbq at the koa (home for the week) and a night of fireworks. Spectacular fireworks but very random. It was done in fazes and in between they would light up a square grid of fizzly fire lights in the shape of a duck. We never did figure that out. Cool to have a little bit of mystery.

Raising the Roof in Pitkin

Upon leaving Angel Fire, Stan and I went to Pitkin,Co - a little, bitty town in the mountains where Jocelyn and Kristian have property. The purpose? Building a cabin. It's a beautiful piece of land with lots of water and trees and summer afternoon thunder showers to add entertainment. To get there you go up 3 1/2 miles of unpaved mountain road (very bumpy, steep and narrow) through mountain meadows and canyons. Kristian has a trailer that he used to haul up all the materials and tools for building. I can not imagine how he did it!! The property is at 10.000 ft and off the grid. We spent a few days along with Kristian's dad, Murray,Jocelyn and Kristian, pounding nails, painting, burning wood scrap and generally raising a cabin. I'm telling you, those people can work! Dawn to dusk and then down the hill to the KOA for a shower and bed. It reminded me of building houses on Mountain Dr - everyone coming around, putting in maximum effort to get a jump on a new home. The best way to build of you ask me....