When the computer dies........

....can life, as we know it,  go on ...??   Just a quick note to say that we are currently technically challenged so the blog is awaiting .    But wanted you all to know  that we are nowhere near any of the massive flash flooding that is devastating beautiful Boulder County.    We are in the western part of the state where we have had rain most days but not of the torrential part.    And, altho we are next to a river, it is far below us and we feel safe unless the earthen dam that we view out our front window decides to collapse.     We are staying off the mountain trails and canyons just being cautious.

So, we are back at the Looney Bean trying to figure out why my MAC is misbehaving and it looks like it needs a new hard drive  Not being in a metropolis, we're not sure if we can pick one up here or will need to order it.    And the iPad is so slow that it would take me forever to add pics to the blog.
So, go read a book, take a hike or enjoy a favorite person for a few days and  then check back....... hope to see you sooner than later.......

San Juan Mountain High...........

Connecting back into the internet is a beautiful thing when it isn't readily available unless you drive somewhere.    I'm at a place called the Looney Bean in Montrose.....big, comfy chairs, lots of tables and a big fireplace and VERY fast free wifi..... and a delicious frozen mocha to boot (that was a bit pricey at $4.75 for a regular size ! ).    Anyhow, I'm putting up some pictures of our trail rides, sort of in order and you can get the idea of the scenery and our reason to be here.   

 This is the view as we leave the CG and head towards Ouray.....(pronounced U-ray) and named after an Indian Chief.

 As you get closer, you can see why it's called Little Switzerland as it is located over that middle hill and nestled deep in the mountains at about 8,000 ft.    It is a quaint Victorian town with well maintained  historical buildings......Google it as I have no good pictures.

 We headed out one day on the Alpine Loop ( a combination of trails that go to Ouray, Silverton and Lake City.   This is the back side of Red Mountain....

 As we approached the top of a pass, there was this outhouse,  sitting on the edge of a steep ridge...and functional.  

 On the other side was Lake Como, and it really is that color.  

 In case you want to do some exploring but don't have a Jeep, there are many rental companies that will gladly send you out in a shiny bright red or orange one.    (You have to wash it before you return it !! )  Or, you can go on a guided ride in these open air modern stage coaches....

 Or, you can rent a Razr.....very popular and a bit noisy but with a narrower track, they might not be so intimidating on the shelf roads.  

 Everywhere, there are remnants of the glory days of mining.    Some of the mines have been reopened with the price of gold and silver so high.

 We eventually came down a bit to the historical Silverton.    It is a bit rougher around the edges than Ouray but very busy as the Durango-Silverton steam train comes into town every day.     We have never done it and might think about it before we go.    You buy a roundtrip ticket but can go one of the ways by bus if you choose.    Next year, the All-4-Fun Jeep rally will be based in Silverton and we plan to sign up again.

 Every town, big or small, have gorgeous hanging baskets EVERYWHERE.    They really are amazing and huge.    This one is not big but I liked the colors.

 Another day, we headed out to do Cinnamon Pass, another section of the Alpine Loop.    Outside of Silverton is the old historical town of Animas Fork....the river that begins here eventually flows to Durango.    I remember this old town from many years ago and now they are restoring it...new siding, new roofs and paint.    It is a popular destination as it can be reached by regular car from Silverton.

 The trails look benign from a distance but there are always challenges and moments of "why are we doing this?? " when you look out the side window and all you see is air.... but it is breathtaking and stunning and no adjective can fully describe the privilege of being part of this amazing landscape.

 The Aspen are starting to turn....easily rivaling the colors of New England.
The day ended at Lake City.....it's trying hard to look vibrant but mostly it seems like more of the free spirits moved here .     We decided to grab a bite at the place recommended by TripAdvisor....I hope you use that site for recommendations....it's really handy and usually pretty accurate.     Anyhow, we tried out the Packer Cafe and Cannibal Grill.......  you can also google Alfred Packer but basically he was accused of heading into the mtns to seek his fortune in Feb 1800 something despite warnings from Chief Ouray.....he came down a few months later minus his 6 "friends" and having money in his pocket and no signs of starvation or deprivation.    He was in jail in Lake City, spent time in prison before being pardoned and was a doorman at the Denver Post offices .........     Anyhow, the food was good and ........tasted like chicken.....

 So, yesterday, we set out to tackle Imogene Pass.    Starting in Ouray, below in the above picture, we soon came to this narrow passage....I remember not liking this years ago but now it seemed a bit tame.

 We headed up to Yankee Boy Basin, noted for it's Twin Falls ( they used to say the falls were depicted on the Coors labels way back ).   The wildflowers were mostly gone everywhere but this place is noted for it's brilliant color in July.

 We forded a few streams....

 And after a very rough ascent....the trail is rated moderate but I thought it was a bit difficult in spots....We air-down the tires before we start climbing to make the ride more comfortable and to try and avoid slippage on rock and and steep areas.   This is the top of Imogene Pass, at 13,113 ft, the 360 degree views are stunning.

 That line in the middle of the picture that points up to the right, is the Telluride Airport, the highest commercial airport in N America at 9,075 ft located 5 mi from town.  

 Starting down........not as rough as going up but steep and very narrow in spots.  

 This is a partial view of Black Bear Trail, located at the end of Telluride and above Bridal Veil Falls.   It is a dangerous and difficult jeep trail and one person I asked said that two people had been killed on it this year.    It used to be that Jeep rentals wouldn't allow you to go on it.    I'm not even tempted.     The thing about Jeep trails....we enjoy the easy to moderate ....  we don't need to have special equip added to our Jeep and I think the scenery is the same.....the fear factor is the only variable.

And so, we came down into Telluride......these yellow daisies were about the only thing in bloom.    Telluride is a beautiful Victorian town, full of the rich and well appointed.    The historical houses are painted in lovely colors and trims......And if you have an extra million or 5, one of them can be yours.  

We have plans for more trails, we need to explore the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, visit friends and enjoy our nightly campfires......    

Lacking a few necessities....

Like cell service and Internet.   So I'm posting this tiny blog from my phone...and no pics.    We have spent a goodly amt of time on the jeep trails around Ouray, Silverton and Lake City.     It rains most afternoons so we try and get down before then.    It is all as beautiful as we'd remembered and just  as exhilerating.   There's a lot more cautionary signage and even outhouses at 12,000 ft.  
We are in a SP next to the Uncomprahgre River...wild and protected.   P found a pickleball group in Montrose including a guy in a wheelchair who's pretty good.  
If you've never been to this part of the world, add it to your list.  And don't forget your Jeep.

To joe and Gay......check out where we are staying as we saw a lady walking 4 dogs!!!!!    Ridgeway SP, Pa-Co-Chu-Puk section.

It's been a great summer ...........

So what have we done since we last chatted a week ago......We moved from Chatfield SP, home of pine trees and spinning prairie dogs.....   back to Cherry Creek SP, home of cottonwoods and magpies and cute little mule deer.   He came to visit one day along with some other siblings and about 4 adults.   

We saw this sign in the window of an Italian restaurant......

One of us went on a motorcycle ride in the hills on winding roads and liked it.........

The other one finished her last class at the Gardens and is sad.    But work on the final project for it will keep her busy for a couple of weeks..................

And so, it is time to finish up our time in Mile High country and head west to even higher points.   We  will leave in the morning for a long day's drive to Ridgeway SP, near Ouray, Colorado.    There will be many pictures to share and good times in the San Juan Mountains.     

Transition........

 It's that time of year when the familiar rhythm of school and fall start creeping into our lives.    Being old and retired and living either on the road or in the Sunshine State, this season often bypasses us.    But this year, we were privileged to be right in the middle and angst of transitions.  
Nicholas and Kelsey are sorting out the final details of a big wedding in November .... Kelsey is also in her last semester at CSU while Nicholas continues out in the fields with Halliburton as a fracking engineer.....and spending time on the new cycle.    When did he grow up??

 Alex stands proudly next to his new (to him) Mustang.   He was able to get in all of his worldly possessions, like golf clubs and a refrigerator and TV and headed south to ASU in Phoenix.    He's the first to go far away..... he will leave a big void in that big house.  

 Becca has her cute little Beetle to get her around at CSU....final semester and then it's out into the real world.  

 We spent part of Sunday, helping her and Lizzie get her things into a smallish room at the sorority house.   I'm always surprised that kids these days have their big rooms at home and then somehow manage to move into dorms and houses and share tiny rooms and closets with strangers (initially) and seem to adjust quite well......or not.   There is always the roommate from Hell that pops up now and then.  

 Lizzie started HS last week and is starting the process of 'what do I do next....."  But she has wise parents and siblings who have gone before her for counsel.     AND, she's now an only child !!

As we left the house that night after a delicious family dinner, the setting sun was a harbinger of good things for all........(No retouch necessary on this) 

Meanwhile, the "mature" student continues her studies......   I've completed 4 classes already!!   The Director allowed me some leeway and I was able to take one of them out of sequence....otherwise, I would not have been able to complete this many.   The Botanic Gardens Art and Illustration program has a very strong reputation and most of the students in my classes fly in from around the country for the weekend classes.   Usually, they are offered one day a week for 5-6 weeks.   Impossible for me unless I take up temporary residence.    I don't have much to show for my efforts (and money) as much of the early classes center on theory and basic exercises.    Some of it I've had before at the NY Botancial Gardens when I was MUCH younger.      Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I took a class called Light on Form.    Our final project had to be submitted within a month.    We weren't given a choice of subject matter.....the shell and shiny stone are to teach us shape, volume and light.    I had fun with it and the shell and I became very good friends.    I passed the course !

This weekend I completed Pencil I....  a basic course, required before most other courses....this was the one they allowed me to take out of sequence.    I learned some new things but mostly, I met some great friends.   I've missed hanging around with others of like interest and this group, altho diverse in age and accomplishments, hit it off over lunches and breaks and walks in the beautiful gardens.    Most were local so I'm hoping to meet up again in other classes.     We didn't have a final project for this class altho we drew tomatoes most of the last day.    I smudged my almost completed drawing on the way home and if I fix it, I'll share sometime.   

And now, it's back to reality for us as well...... cleaning is on the agenda while one of us is honing his accomplished pickleball skills.    And it's hot so no hiking today............maybe a drive in the mountains tho !!

Catching up......

We're still in the Denver area, still in Chatfield St Park, but we've had to move from site to site occasionally and we lose our good wifi connection.   We're back near it again so time for more pictures of distant vistas.    

 On our last day at the Jeep rally, we went on a short, easy trail ride to Mt Zion.   We climbed to over 12,500 ft where we proved that we'd made it by having our portrait done.    In the background somewhere is the mighty Mosquito Pass that we did a day or so earlier.

 

 If you think you might wander into the mountain trails for some peace and quiet, you might be disappointed....especially on the weekends.    We had a bit of a traffic jam up there.

 Coming down, we passed thru the my favorite aspens.

 Leaving the rally, we came down HWY 91, which connects Copper Mtn with Leadville.   Along the busy road is this beautiful scene.   But there is no pullout or stopping place in order to take a decent pic but thought I'd share this one taken thru the window.    I don't know the name of the lake.

 Previously, we stayed at Cherry Creek SP, which is closer to Denver.   Chatfield is closer to the mountains and the kids.    It is a popular balloon launching site and most days, they fly gently overhead.   This one got a bit close for a moment.

 And then landed with hardly a bump ....

 We are also near Roxborough SP....newly created in 1996, it is a beautiful setting among the red rocks.  ...(no camping).

 If you've been south to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs,  or north to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this is part of the same upheavel, 15,000,000 years ago.

We chose the moderate Fountain Valley Trail for 2.5 miles with a couple of scenic overlooks thrown in.

Our trail meandered among the rocks and climbed upwards for distant views.

In the early 1900's, a gentleman built this cabin and hoped to develop the area for tourists.....he failed and sold the land to a rancher.    In 1974, a beautiful golf course, Arrowhead, was built.   Further developement  also failed and in the 1990's, the land was acquired and protected.   But they failed to purchase ALL of the land, and now, on the other side of the rocks, near the golf course is a pricey gated community.

This area is home to many native plant and animal species.    Signage gives helpful hints for avoiding the prairie rattler, the black bear and the mountain lion and bobcats.  There are numerous sightings of the snakes and a mountain lion was seen on Saturday.  I kept my eyes and ears on the trail, especially in the narrow rocky sections.

I have an illogical fear of the large cats......so far, my hyper-vigilence has paid off......  This was the only wild creature that we saw the entire day.    Even the wildflowers were mostly done.       It was a perfect day......

It's all about the flowers.........

I figured you'd seen enough of the mountain trails on a day to day basis, so I'm just giving you a compilation of a couple of trips.     We did an easy group trip one day up to Chalk Mountain.   Beautiful views of the nearby peaks and of Leadville.    As we climbed higher, we came to the 

 area of alpine tundra.   It is a crumbly surface with low scrubby growth and few flowers.   You can see your footsteps

 if you should walk on it.    There are various organizations that protect the trails and local Jeep clubs promote  good trail use.    Environmental groups monitor the use of the trails and some have been closed due to abuse.

I had to halt the parade this day to jump out to get a pic of the Mariposa Lily.    The root was used for food by the Ute Indians and the Mormon pioneers.    The bees were too busy to fly away.

A bluebell.......

 Isn't this pretty......pretty typical along this particular trail.

 Larkspur.........

 A mountain stream above treeline.....

We arrived at Slide Lake.....in order to see it, we walked about a half mile each way.   It was a gentle climb but at 12,000 ft, nothing uphill is particularly gentle.  

 It was a small lake and not brilliant blue like so many alpine lakes, but it was crystal clear.

 Along the edge, nearly in the water, was this flower called Elephant Head.  Note the fern- like leaves. Only very specific bees can pollinate it.

 Fleabane and Queen's Crown.

 On Friday, after wandering thru Vendor Day, just the 3 of us wandered off in Mike's Jeep.  We headed up Weston Pass, very easy and mild but it brought us to the historic town of Alma which is the beginning of the trail to Mosquito Pass, which was our real destination.

 This area was a rich mining area and many structures still exist in various forms.

 But the highlight of the entire day was finding an area filled with Columbines.    This is the state flower and it is illegal to pick the unusual blooms.   In it's natural state it is mostly varied shades of purpley blue....     Altho it was very breezy, I was able to crawl around and get some pretty good pictures.   I could have posted about 25 but not sure you were up for that today.......!

 I didn't notice the bee at work until I viewed this on the computer.

 There was a guy poking around the mine tailings looking for a nugget or two.    The shafts go down 1000 ft....and there were several around this one.    Because the shafts are partially buried or in precarious states, they are very dangerous for the curious or children to be around.

 We started the climb to the top.....this side wasn't too bad , just rocky and narrow...

 At the top is this reminder of just how high you are.....and why you can't jog too fast.

 But then, you read this plaque, dedicated to a minister who went over the pass in the winter on a regular basis to deliver the mail to Leadville from South Park....on snowshoes.  

 The ride down was more intense, a bit tippy, narrow and very rocky.....some of the curves required backing up to make the turn.  

In the "It's always something" category.....yesterday, we were doing nothing and enjoying it, when we heard a strange noise.   I put my tin ear to work and thought I heard water running : (    I narrowed it down to the front bathroom....but altho I definitely heard rushing water, there was none visible anywhere.....and then, I looked under the sink and found a real gusher pouring out of a line that had come disconnected from the pipe.     Most of it managed to find it's way outside but the wastebasket managed to catch some of it.     My on-board Mr Fix-it.....he has a T-shirt that confirms that title.....managed to get the water turned off pronto and then fixed it for a part that cost UNDER a dollar....unheard of in a vital RV part. !!     Makes us want to turn off the water whenever we leave ..... and also concerned that there is enough of an opening that most of it went on the ground.