Sundance Film Fest 2013

At Sundance Film Fest 2013

Rango was a Star! We had celebrities coming up to us to say hi to Rango.

Our 8 years

"Crap!" pictures with my phone, but want to remember our few days in Ouray this year in September for 8 years together.  We stayed at Riverside Inn cabins next to the Umcompaghre River.

Soon after these pictures were taken, we went for hike and on way down, I fell down (again!) and hit right nose, right hand, and right knee hard, only had scrapes and abrasions (again!).

More New Mexico

 More pics from New Mexico trip, for mom and dad (since they are not on facebook).

Mushroom!

Now, this is a mushroom!

Bald Mountain Res

Ever since Gary and I got together, he has wanted to take me to a place where he worked as a guide with pack mules.  While we there, Gary told me some Louis Lamore like tales from his time working here.

This is where we camped, which is at the end of the road.  We slept in the back of the car and all had a fitful night, but we enjoyed watching the meteor show, listening to the coyotes, and watching the crescent moon rise with some planets before dawn.  When we left Grand Junction, it was in the 90s.  When we arrived at our camp, it was 54 degrees. 

There was an older man at the reservoir the next morning with an altimeter, who told us the elevation was 11,030 feet.

This is the trailhead for our hike.  It was 3 miles there to Curecanti Creek and 3 miles back to camp.  The first mile was steep and not too bad.  The next 2 miles were all downhill to the creek.  Those were the hardest 2 miles.  Not only was the elevation killer, which is why I wanted to spend the night before the hike to try to get used to the elevation, but I sprained my ankle pretty bad a couple of weeks ago.  By the time we got to the creek, I was wondering if I would make it back, but I put my feet and ankles in the creek and we had a nice rest.  The way back, the first 2 miles were uphill, the last part of which was extreme uphill, a real bun burner.  The last mile was okay and downhill.  For some reason, it was easier to go uphill then downhill with my sprained ankle.  Now, 2 days later, the only pain I have is my right sprained ankle more swollen than ever and my left calf really sore from overcompensating for the right sprained ankle.

Bald Mountain Res from the other side.

Sign 1 mile in.

When we crossed the ridge, the view was breathtaking.  I tried to capture the view with my phone camera, but really can't see the background of mountain range, only the foreground of trees.  It was also very hazy from fires burning all over the west.   I will have to go back to get a better picture.  As Gary says, this place is very isolated and is in the "heart of the Rockies."

Finally the creek!

The final hill climb.  Even though it was difficult, it was way worth it!

New places close to home

We walked all the way around this new to us lake on the Grand Mesa. We swam in the lake, actually was quite nice, not too cold.

In order to walk around some cows near the shore of one side of the lake, we walked far around kind of through a swamp. I had Buddy on a leash and Gary had the rest of the dogs further up. Buddy and I walked into some bushes to try to get back to the main road. I looked down, and 2 feet in front of us was a HUGE porcupine. It looked twice the size of Buddy, but maybe the quills made it look bigger. I think we surprised it, because it was just starting to move when we saw it. Immediately the hair stood up on the back of my neck and my heart started to race, that good old instinct adrenalin. Fortunately, we just turned around and walked the other direction, but it was quite the sight. No picture though.

Griffiths Lake on Grand Mesa.

Mountain Dawg Dude, Gary.

Mamma cools down in Whitewater Creek.

Whitewater creek is also new to us.  We have seen it down lower in the valley , but not up higher, as there is really not good access to it.  I would love to see where it comes down from the top of Grand Mesa, but will have to search for it some other time.  I always wondered why they called the little town Whitewater that we drive through to get to Delta, now I know.

White Sands New Mexico

We had a wonderful trip to New Mexico/Arizona. Stayed few days at Ruidoso in condo with parents, Andrew, Crystal, and Rebecca. Highlights of trip were being asked north of Las Cruces what is our citizenship, which we should have expected, but were still taken aback, and being kicked out of White Sands at 10 p.m. with blast horns and bright lights, some inkling of how "illegal aliens" might feel like as we were running across the sand with our sleeping bags and backpacks, trying to get to our vehicle.

I was able to play some racquetball with dad.  He asked if someone wanted to play with him, and I thought this might be the last chance I get to play racquetball with dad.  It has been 10 years since I have played.  Well, he wooped me.  I could only handle 2 games, at least I scored some points, but suffered with right arm pain for days afterward.  He is good!  I was impressed.  After all he has gone through in the last couple of years, he kept up his physical fitness and racquetball skills.  What a great example!.

White Sands was very interesting, less like sand dunes we are used to, not really shifting, but more like the consistency of dirt.  It is made of gypsum.

An orange in the white.

Andrew was working with a new camera.  He really wanted to get some night shots of the milky way, but 1) we were kicked out at 10 p.m., and 2) the nearby Air Force Base had some really bright lights hindering the night sky view, but Crystal and I were able to lay out on a sleeping bag for awhile and enjoy the night sky, including the milky way.

Very beautiful drive from Durango north to Silverton and then Ouray, 3 mountain passes, all about 11,000 feet.

The Rio Grande, it gets very big by the time it hits Las Cruces.

All in all, really enjoyed the trip.  I had forgotten how refreshing and renewing it is to travel.  Loved it!