On the road to the dumpster

On the road to the dumpster, we stopped 'cause of this sunset.

Cindy's pic with her basic camera, turned out to be better than mine, I think.

Don't you like that the grass looks like a B&W,
while the flower and the sky kept their colors? 

Cool, I think!

Checking out our elk herd

Went yesterday to check out our elk herd.
They like the meadows close to the lake, about 5 miles from the cabin.

Found them easily.

I tried to do a panoramic shot. It took 21 pictures to show them all.
I had no luck. Since they kept moving, I could not join up the frames.
These pics are panoramics of just 2 shots each.

Didn't see hardly any males; those we saw looked juvenile.
Guess the mature guys are off doing manly stuff...until hormones brings them into the herd.

There were tons of babies, though.

This particular mom had two babies feeding off her, on & off.

I counted a total of 148 elk.
Cindy says there were closer to 200, because so many babies were lying down; 
hard to see in the grass..
Last year we counted a total of 96, but it was a little later in August.

I think as the season grows longer, a few wander away to be by themselves.

This gal was in meadow by herself, about a mile from the herd.
And there were 4 others at the edge of the woods, 
but they hid as soon as we got close.

We'll, if you don't like elk, 'cause you think they look a little "funny",
there are other hoofed animals to look at here, too.

Yes, there's lots to see, when you are out in the woods.

Bike riding at Forbes Park

We went bike riding 'round our cabin in Forbes Park.

It was quite enjoyable with nearly 80 degrees weather, at the middle of the day.

Found this place with a view of the road below, 
and the closest neighbor far off in the distance to your right.

Imagine your house, surrounded on 3 sides by pines, about 1 1/2 the height of telephone poles....
and in the clearing below, around meal time, perhaps 100 elk!

Thought it was a nice price for this 2+ acres spot.

Maybe the cheapest Mt. land in Colorado.

Making it up the pass

At Breckenridge's Art Festival we were very pleased with the quality of the art.
Much much higher quality than many we have seen. 
Make a stop if you are in the area next year around this time.

But, it was time for us to go. Even in retirement there are things to do and appointments to keep.
So we put the pedal to the metal and climbed Hoosier Pass, at over 11,000 feet.

Our dog Dallas, who likes to run next to me as I bike (in Texas' flat country),

couldn't understand why we were in such a hurry, 

when we could have used our bikes to make the climb, like this young fellow.

We were not even tempted to try it, though. 

So we drove on south past South Park (yes of TV fame)

and made one last night's camp, on the east side of the Collegiate Peaks.

They are a series of mountains, each over 14,000 feet high.

Most familiar to you might be the names of: Mount Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia.

But there are 4 other Fourteeners for you to climb here, if you wish.

So, we took in the sunset reflecting on the clouds to the East

before resting, then hitting the road once again, and heading to the cabin.

From Dillon lake to Breckenridge

From the lake we headed south on Hway 9 for a 20-30 minute drive to Breckenridge.

There you can take the gondola up to the top and just sit with a cup of expresso if you wish.

Or...you can zip-line above the trees, ride a wheeled sled through the toboggan trail, or just ride down the slopes along the mountain bike trail. What fun.

Lots of super rich folks have built huge houses along the lift trail . 
And, in fact, the gondola makes two stops there to pick up those folks, right there in their neighborhood!

But, there are other spots in which you can stay.

Personally, these along the stream, down by the city seem more appealing to me.

If you get tiered of looking at the slopes, and hearing the stream rush by, right besides you,

you can just take a look at the local wildlife or flowers.

Tour through Central Colorado

After finishing Camp Rio and sending everyone back home, 
we decided to take a "vacation" ourselves, 
and tour a small part of Central Colorado.

We packed up the van and headed to Dillon Lake.
It's close enough for a day's outing from the city of Denver, right off IH 70.
It's close to many of the ski areas:  Copper Mountain, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, and Breckenridge.

So, this is what you might expect to see:

( I got this off the internet, 'cause of what happened below)


We camped at the National Forest, on the other side of the lake from the marina, but took a bike ride there.
Lots of boats are docked and kayaks & paddle boards to rent. 

But we had to hurry along: rain was on it's way. 

It didn't start pouring (fortunately) till we got back to the camp, but it rained for hours. 

Finally, just before sunset, a little sunshine came out...

enough to snap a picture.

And, by 7 AM the next morning, this is what we saw out our window:

kayakers already out on the water.....
and a dog with an expression on his face, telling us it was time to get out and, please, have some fun!

Hike form The Great Sand Dunes up to Mosca Pass

Each Wednesday a group form Forbes Park takes a hike. 

This is the first one I have taken this Summer.

It was from the Great Sand Dunes up 2,200 feet in elevation, to 9,700 feet, through Mosca Pass. Then, lunch overlooking the valley on the other side of the range.

It was not easy for all to get there.

But after eating half my sandwich (and 80% of my water), 
Big D was ready to play in the flowers again!

The views on the way are quite nice.

But seeing the dunes on the return, is specially rewarding.... 

 because we are almost back!

Until our next hike, Adios.