Colorado camping trip!

After a long Sunday drive across Kansas and Eastern Colorado, including a bookstore stop in Denver and a dinner stop in Vail, we camped at the Camp Hale Memorial Campground in the White River National Forest, about half way between Vail and Leadville.



















































On Monday, after a relaxing breakfast and coffee at camp, we drove through Leadville, and over the Independence Pass and the Continental Divide.

































We arrived on the other side of the divide near Aspen and camped at the Silver Bell campground in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area. After setting up camp, we hiked up to Crater Lake at the foot of the Maroon Bells, about a four mile roundtrip hike. The first photo is of Maroon Lake, at the start of the hike.































The columbine were especially beautiful on the sunny sections of the trail.









































Crater Lake!



























































Pointing the way for the return hike.





















Looking down at Maroon Lake.






























Back at camp on Monday night we had Honey Teriyaki Seitan for dinner before relaxing around the campfire.











































The view East and West from in front of our tent.

Backpacking Snowmass

After a hearty Tuesday breakfast in Aspen, we headed to the Snowmass Creek trail, where we would backpack about twelve miles and 3,000 feet of elevation change roundtrip.





































Entering the wilderness!

















Along the trail.
















At about five miles we came to an open spot with a great view of a waterfall and nearby peaks, a nice spot to rest our weary feet.















































We camped along Snowmass Creek on Tuesday, where we were able to pump water.
















Resting after a dinner of Kathmandu Curry. Yum!





















The craggy peaks behind our camp.































We hiked back out on Wednesday, retracing our steps, but downhill this time. What better way to spend Independence Day than enjoying the public wilderness that makes the U.S. such an interesting place. Keep your hands off the wildlands, Republicans!

Baking in Utah

After driving across Western Colorado on I-70, we arrived in Utah listening to what else but String Cheese Incident's Rollover. We drove about twenty miles down Utah 128, through the spectacular canyon of the Colorado River, and arrived at our solitary campsite, Hittle Bottom, to see an amazing sunset against the glowing red rocks of Fisher Tower (below).

















The Colorado River at camp, an excellent spot for a cool down swim.




































Looking south at sunset.

















We awoke early on Thursday with the sun and the heat, quickly packed up camp, and headed to Moab for breakfast and iced coffee. The tent is visible in the shade of the trees at the left.
















The bluff above our camp.




































Driving through the canyon of the Colorado River near Moab.
































Air cooled on a 110+ degree day.




















After breakfast we headed up the road to Arches National Park, an otherworldly display of rock and petrified sand with very little shade....





















Near the Windows area of the park.
































Even though it doesn't look as if much is alive, the soil is made of cryptobiotic material, a combination of lichen, moss, and other microrganisms that retain water for the sage and other desert plants.















The famous Delicate Arch.

Crested Butte and Old Man Joe

On Thursday we headed back to Colorado, and camped at Cold Spring campsite in the Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte. We enjoyed the cool weather at camp on Thursday evening, making Tex-Mex Rice for dinner, and enjoying a fire and a few beers from the Laughing Lab brewery.
On Friday, Joe's 30th birthday (!) we hiked part of the Washington Gulch trail after a relaxing morning at camp.






































The trail gained elevation quickly and steadily, switchbacking through a huge hillside of wildflowers.






































Above is the valley from whence we came, and below is my best Sound of Music pose.















We had dinner at The Last Steep Bar and Grill in Crested Butte, a really great laid back mountain town.






































After ice cream and a stroll in town we headed back to camp for one last fire before we headed home on Saturday.