8-28-19 - (Day 35 - RMNP)

We moved the camper to Pam and Chuck's back yard to be closer to the sewage dump.  We decided to leave it there and not move back on the asphalt.  We still have good views of the mountains.

We got on Amber and headed to RMNP.  We had to return shortly after, because Amber was overheating.  We parked her, and took off in the truck.

It was another pretty ride through the park.  We went to the east side to the meadow that we had seen big horn sheep in a few years ago.  The only thing we saw today were friendly, Black-billed Magpies.

We saw hundreds of Elk in the higher altitudes and 4 Moose in the lower elevation.

We came back and got a takeout pizza from Altitude Pizza.  It is the only pizza restaurant in town, and it was very good.

Ferny Kat was chomping at the bits to come out just before dark.  She has not wanted to come outside since we have been here.  She likes the grass and bushes a lot more than the asphalt.


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8-27-19 - (Day 34 - Road Trip to Wyoming)

We rode with Pam and Chuck to Cheyenne, Wyoming to purchase counter tops.  It was 3 hours, each way of travel time.  It was a pretty ride along the curvy, country roads.

We saw a couple of big Bull Moose near the road grazing in a field.  Chuck turned around and went back so we could get pictures of them.  We also saw plenty of hawks and other birds and lots of prong horns.

Menards is an awesome home improvement store, with groceries, pet supplies, furniture, mattresses, etc.  After they made their purchases at Menards, we went to Sanford's Grub and Pub for lunch.  The food and atmosphere was good.  I kept thinking that Lauren and I had ate there in 2009 when we were last in Cheyenne.  Sure nuff, we checked our photos from the trip and we did eat there.

We sat outside for a little while when we got back.  The later it got, the colder it got, so inside we went.


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8-24-19 - 8-26- 19 - (Day 31, 32, & 33 - Hanging around Granby)

We hung around Chuck and Pam's on Saturday and didn't go anywhere.  Lauren helped Chuck put in kitchen cabinets.

We had Colorado Brats, chips, chicken rotel dip, and grilled cauliflower and potatoes for dinner.

The night sky was full of stars.  I got lucky and saw a shooting star.  Pam got her star gazer out.  The star gazer brought back good memories of us looking through it when we were all camped at Timberlake CG.  We sat outside by the propane fire pit until bed time.

Sunday morning, we went to fill up the truck and get a few groceries.  We cooked taco soup and let it simmer in the crock pot, then went for a couple of hikes.   It was too windy to ride Amber, so we went in the truck.

Our first hike was the Coyote Valley Trail.  It was a short, easy, 1 mile round trip along the Colorado River that is very popular with tourist.  As we were walking back, Lauren had just got out of his mouth that this trail is boring.  We saw 5 moose across the valley.  2 were big bulls, 2 were young bulls, and the other appeared to be a cow.  The trail was no longer boring to him.

Our next hike was another easy, very popular Adams Falls hike.  It was a little over a half mile with an 80 foot elevation gain.  It sure is nice, to finally be better acclimated to this altitude and not huff and puff like we are going to kill over any minute.  It was a beautiful, peaceful water fall.  We saw a few birds, butterflies, and dragon flies along the way.

We made a stop at The Lariat in downtown Grand Lake for a beer.  We saw Ruby-throated Hummingbirds drinking nectar from the feeders along the sidewalk.

We took a ride along the dusty, washboard, road to the Monarch Lake Trailhead.  This obviously is another popular trail, considering the vehicles that were parked way down the road from the parking area.  This may be our next hike.

We had taco soup for dinner, sat outside for a beer then called it a night.

Monday, Lauren helped Chuck tear out kitchen plumbing and cabinets.  I spruced up the camper.  We grilled pork chops for dinner.  After dinner, we took a long, hot shower in Pam and Chuck's house.  Aww, the little things in life!

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8-23-19 - (Day 30 - Another Day at Rocky Mountain National Park)

Amber was ready to roll today.  We went to the Colorado River Trailhead in RMNP and hiked to Lulu City.

When we rode through the entrance of the park, and showed our volunteer pass.  The attendant gave us a Whoo Hoo and a high five for being volunteers!  The first ranger to acknowledge us as volunteers.

On our drive to the Trailhead, I spotted a bull moose in the same area that we have seen several other moose.  He was a big moose, feeding in the meadow.

It was a beautiful 3.7 mile hike, one way, with a 350 foot elevation climb, along the Colorado River and the numerous creeks and brooks.  We hiked along the aspens and the rocky cliffs.

We had a bottle of water in my back pack, binoculars, and 2 power bars.  We are kinda green at this hiking stuff.  Bringing things like extra water, bug spray, and bear spray never crossed our minds, until we, (or me), got out on the trail.

The hike was tough but doable.  It took us 4 hours to make the trip.  The hike in took about an hour longer than the hike out.  One reason the hike in took longer is because we are nature chasers, always stopping to take pictures, and the other reason that it took longer, is the distance and elevation.  Everything was pretty much up hill on the way in.

On our hike in, we saw chipmunks, marmots, squirrels, birds, and deer along the trail, and a moose way out in the meadow.

We made it to Lulu City, (which was just a sign), walked to the river, then started back.  Going back, we were like the mule headed to the barn,  (as Lauren always says).  It sure was a lot easier to walk the 350 foot decline back to the Trailhead.

About half way down the trail, we came upon a big bull moose grazing about 25 yards off of the trail.  A guy ahead of us, had walked upon him on the trail.  The moose finally meandered off in the woods grazing as he went.  Thankfully, he had didn't mind us being so close.

According to Fitbit stats, we hiked 8.96 miles and had  93 flights of stairs in 4 hours.  Whew!

As we were leaving the Trailhead, we saw a buck laying in the edge of the woods.  We saw a momma and baby moose and another cow moose as we were traveling out of the park.  Then, we saw a Bear.  We stopped to take a picture, but he ran across the road before we could get the pictures.

It was a great day of sightings, 6 Moose, a couple of Deer, Birds, Squirrels, Marmots, Chipmunks, and a Bear!

We went out to eat with Pam and Chuck at Mavericks for dinner tonight.  When we got home, there were ferocious looking rain clouds and a beautiful rainbow above the mountains.  Just absolutely gorgeous.

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8-22-19 - (Day 29 - Hanging Around Granby)

We saw our first Golden Eagle this morning.  We were out in the front yard talking with Chuck and saw what we thought was a buzzard circling over the mountain.  A closer look, revealed it was a Golden Eagle.  There was also a Red-tailed Hawk.  It took Lauren's long lens to get a picture of them, they were a long way away.

We packed a picnic lunch and went to Lake Granby for a pontoon boat ride.  We had a great time puttering around on the lake looking for critters.  The smooth lake got a little choppy when we got a few sprinkles of rain.

When we left the lake, Chuck drove us around to the other lakes.  He told us all about the water rights of the lakes and rivers in this area.  Water rights are a big deal in this part of the world.  These lakes supply water to Denver and to the Great Thompson River.  A total contrast to the water in our part of the world.

We saw a couple of nice bucks around the lakes and a black bear upon a hillside.  The black bear was a few miles from the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.  He was a big one!  He had a red-tailed hawk diving him as he walked around the hillside.

We came back, ate, and crashed.  We had another fun filled day.

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