If it's Wednesday….

 It must be hiking day…..

Today, the trek of choice was up to the Dallas Divide area out of Ridgeway and turning on to Last Dollar Road.     This route crosses the enormous and beautiful Ralph Lauren Ranch,  the Double RL which is carved into the log over the road.  The ranch is over 16,000 acres and is a working cattle ranch.

The road narrowed and became rough….. There was a traffic jam ahead of hunters coming down the road so Bud walked down to give us a heads up…..he opted for a ride back up.   

The hunters made it very clear that we were trespassing on their territory.     One guy said didn't we know that it was elk season and there were men with guns in the woods.    He advised us to wear the neon orange vests…which some of us had.    I was a bit wary about wandering about in the woods ….. granted, I probably  don't look like an  elk but I also know that some of them have lousy eyesight and a strong urge to bring home a rack of antlers.

We parked in a lovely meadow….. in sight of hunter's campsites and the magnificent peaks.    This trail was voted the most beautiful in 2012 for this area.    

Paul and Jessica.     I didn't take my camera and I'm using the iPhone….resulting in blurry shots and images that needed to be lightened when I could …. but you get the idea.  

The trail  was  very pretty….like walking on gold coins.    Altho rated "easy-moderate", most of us felt it was either very steep going up or very slippery and steep going down.    We were above 9000 ft and went between 4-5 miles.     We were doing some serious breathing on the very long ups and watching our footing very closely on the downs due to hidden rocks under the leaves.    Plus we had some serious stream crossings.       But, it was probably my favorite hike so far.    The views were always front and center.    The aspen's smell is sweet and the color contrasts so sharply with the blue spruce.

A rare flat area in the aspen grove…..


 I'm always impressed with our old bodies and how well they respond to challenges…..and believe me, this hike was a challenge….. and how quickly we recover.   We came home with a feeling of accomplishment and good fatigue…. and a few achy parts.    I will miss these outings.    It has been a privilege to walk these trails and breathe the clear air and hear and see the birds and know that the beasts of the forests are watching ….. and waiting for us to leave.      

 

Time marches on ………..

The B&B might be closed but the Welcome Mat is still out and Dean and Diane took advantage …..They are in their MH taking in this beautiful country and fortunately, all roads lead to the mountains.    

 We had good intentions of sharing a mountain pass or two but we neglected to bring the snowplow.    All passes are closed until spring…… : (

There is still some aspen color around and occasional 70+ temps  but the days they are a-changing…..

We are beginning to gather our thoughts and our plans and to think of moving on out.    I have many mixed feelings about leaving this majestic area.    But, on the other hand, the thought of sunny and hot warm days is also appealing.   

Last night we joined a big crowd to help an amazing couple celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary.   They had a 50's Rock and Roll theme and most everyone came appropriately garbed.    The decor was perfect down to the tiniest detail, the DJ played and the crowd of mostly lively seniors outdid themselves on the dance floor.   They served Sloppy Joes, cole slaw, potato chips and root beer floats…Perfect !!   Vera and Rich are two of the most active people we know. They are the first to lead the group on our hikes, active golfers and have a wonderful joie de vivre.     And great role models for all of us of a certain age.    

And speaking of aging …. when you have the time, skim thru this interesting piece on living past 75.   I have to think about it a bit before I comment.     http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/09/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329/

Yes, more aspen color……….

Today's hike was to Grand Mesa. Thanks to my brother who alerted me to some facts re: the Mesa.   It is the largest flat topped mountain in the world.   It is bordered by the Colorado River on the north and the Gunnison River on the south.    It receives 20-30 inches of snow in the winter when the temperature rarely goes above zero.   It is a popular area for snowmobilers and cross country skiers    At 11,000 ft, we wandered among the large pines on a crisp fall day  (40 degrees when we started ).    Our group of 9 slogged easily along the muddy trail and patches of snow.   We had two very rambunctious dogs with us and I suspect they kept our wild life sightings at zero.    There weren't even that many birds flying or calling out.    Our snack break was overlooking far off ridges with golden aspen. 

  

 It was a beautiful fall day and we managed to use up all those burned calories by having really good Mexican food on the way home.   We were very apologetic about the muddy clumps our boots left on their clean floors.


On  Sunday, Michael was the Microsoft Rep at the Broncos/ Cardinal game…..he's in the brown jacket behind the red cases.   Thanks Josh for capturing the pic .    We looked and looked but missed finding him on TV.  The NFL has a contract with MSF to use the Surface tablets and Mike was their troubleshooter.

The other day we headed in another direction to seek out more color.     I'm going to have to find other subjects for my photography soon.
 

These are views of Courthouse Peak, on the right and it sort of looks like a massive courthouse building.    That is the street we live on so of course, we had to be able to identify the namesake mountain.  

 Silver Jack Lake ……..

 Large wasp nest hanging on an aspen.  

 Rowdy Lake, accessible by short jeep trail….nice reflection.

Rain tomorrow and probably on the weekend……I suspect that will trigger the end of the color….but then the snow will blanket the peaks and give another perspective to nature's beauty.

Changing seasons…...

We love catching up with old friends.     Guy and Judy Hatlie showed up on their long drive from their summer  home on  the lakes of Minnesota to their beautiful home in Manhattan Beach, CA.    Our paths cross every year or so and none of us have aged one bit !!!    They are avid world travels and make us want to follow in their footsteps…… we even talked about meeting up in the spring !    Stay tuned, maybe it will work out !!         

 

 They only stayed over night and we headed south with them to Ridgeway to meet up at Kate's for breakfast…..  always a favorite.    

We have not seen blue skies for several days but knew that the mountains were getting snow.    It has been very fall-like and the jeans and sweaters feel just right.     After hugs and promises to start making our plans, they continued on their journey and  we headed out on back roads to see if the aspen were still hanging on after the heavy rains and winds.  

Rounding a hill, this was our first breathtaking view of the snowy San Juans.
 

We weren't the only ones who were out capturing the changing seasons.  

 The aspen leaves are starting to fall…..

More photographers on the trail……The hunters were out as well.

The temps are dropping down to the high 30's at night and in the 60's mid day.    It is so refreshing to be out and about.  

The B&B is closing for the season but we hope everyone will come back next year.    We still have another few weeks here before we head south.    Part of us is anxious to get back to the sun and a big part of us is very content to stay and soak up the beauty that is Colorado.

IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS, YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH !

The world in color……..

The most beautiful season is upon us out here in the West.    Everyone thinks of New England color when fall comes but I think we can rival that easily.  

My much younger ( everyone seems to be younger than me ) brother Tom and my SIL Regina left the beautiful California Sierra's and came east.    The aspen put on an amazing display.

 This year there is a heavy mixture of the red/orange color.     And the vibrant aspens contrast with the dark green pines to really glow.

This is right out of the camera, no enhancement, no coloring, no brightening….Mother Nature' masterpiece.    Yesterday, the snows came to the mountain peaks and once the rains and clouds have been pushed away by the sun, I will be out to capture it.

Tom and Regina left this morning to explore the NP's of Utah….Bryce and Zion and others.    He left a bit of his creativity behind but I need to take a video of it.     Stay tuned.  
And now, it's time to change the sheets and await our next guests.    Hope the aspen stick around a bit longer so we can share.    

Sharing the Views

We recommended that Mark and Annette take the train after flying into Denver from Michigan.   We had heard that it was a leisurely, but long, and beautiful ride thru the mountains and canyons.    Several of our friends here have raved about the convenience and beauty of the ride.    What they didn't mention is that it is ALWAYS late !!     True to form, the train, scheduled in at 4:47 pm, finally pulled into Grand Junction at 10pm.     We felt bad.    It is about an 8 hr trip but adding on the long delay and it becomes an ordeal.      But we tried to make up for it the next day by heading to the hills. 

  

We headed up out of Ouray (pronounced U-ray, named after Chief Ouray of the Ute tribe) to Yankee Boy Basin.    It is a very scenic ride to the waterfalls and old mines.
 

 The next day, hoping they were getting acclimated a bit , we headed over to Silverton.   The aspen are starting their show stopping color change.

 We took the Jeep trail up Ophir Pass……it's very mild but the views are majestic and the altimeter tops out about 11,700 ft.       The aspen grove is not a crooked picture….that's the way they were growing.

The Gondola ride up and over the mountain to Telluride is always a highlight.    It's like a Disney ride only it's free !!

 The Hotel Sheridan ( on the left )has been a fixture since the late 1800's .   The Farmer's Market is always fun to browse but buying takes $$$.   The produce is lovely and mostly organic  and I picked up some fresh spinach.

 They waited patiently while we window shopped.

 No trip to Montrose is complete without a short drive over to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP.

All too soon, we had to drive the Holtans back to GJ to catch the train.     Yep, late again ! (90 min)
We had a great time sharing out part of the world.    Stay tuned, we're doing more sharing.

And yes, it was a thrilling game and yes, the blow-up Bronco was on the front lawn, and yes, I had my orange colors on and yes, I wasn't happy.  

A good weekend……...

 Guess who tagged along when we came west ??    He's quite popular out here in Bronco Country.

 Last week, our view on the  5+ mile "walk" in Dennis Weaver Park.    Check out the link for details but yes, this is the same Dennis Weaver from Gunsmoke (for those of a certain age ).   It is a beautiful place with stunning views and a haven for wildlife and birds.    Supposedly, it is a good eagle sighting area altho still early in the season.   Signs at the nearby Ridgeway State Park indicated recent sightings of mountain lions and bears (including a mother with cubs).  

Early Saturday morning I went over to the State Park for a program on bird banding.    The bander looked about 12 but she has been doing this for 7 years (traveling about the SW) and is working on her Master's in Biology.  

The first bird caught in the nets was a robin.    Even I could identify it even if the red breast didn't seem as vivid as I remember.

 I don't think you can see the netting in this pic but they hang them in various locations and check them every 10-15 minutes.   In cold or hot weather, they check more frequently.

 They place the collected birds in colorful homemade bags.

 The next bird was a Wilson Warbler.    She placed him upside down in a pvc pipe on a scale to weigh it.

 The tiny metal band filled with info on how to contact authorities should you find him someday.

 The next bird was a scrub Jay ….. she is measuring his leg to determine the proper sized band.   He was a fighter and it took two to manage him.

 On each bird, she blew on the breast feathers to determine the amount of fat on the bird.   Their skin is transparent (think featherless baby birds ) and fat deposits are visible.    The Jay kept grabbing her fingers with it's very sharp talons ( or is it claws ?….I looked it up and talons are on birds of prey altho it indicated that other birds have them as well….I thought talons sounded more fierce than claws).   He was given a pencil to hang on to and that seemed to quiet him….and saved her skin.

Next up was an orange crowned Warbler but I never could see the orange.

 We were on the banks of the Uncompaghre River which flows from the mountains to join the larger Gunnison River.    It irrigates our valley and Ridgeway Reservoir provides excellent recreation.
It is a beautiful river.
 

  It was a fascinating morning.   I can't identify many birds but I appreciate those who can and all of the efforts to educate the public.  

On Sunday, I enjoyed the 'Savor The San Juan's Tour' of 7 area homes with a local chef preparing food  from the local farms.    I had the most amazing bread pudding, incorporating local peaches,  savory and delicious salisbury steak from our Cobble Creek chef .    The gazpacho was delicious, the asian cucumber soup I passed on as well as a yak burger.   I did try the lamb bratwurst.    It was a fun afternoon and very popular.   We ended at a turn of the century saloon  for  local wine and beer tastings and more desserts.

In a couple of days, we will welcome Mark and Annette from the flatlands.    We will be easy on them the first couple of days but then we'll show them our world from the top of the mountains.