45 degrees on this overcast morning. Breakfast and then we backtrack out of the mountains and continue south through sagebrush and rolling hills into Colorado. It seems we have seen thousands of acres of sagebrush, but there are some who are bemoaning its decline. It is an entire ecosystem which, like others, is disappearing. It wasn't until the 1980's that it's value began to be recognized and more efforts are being made to conserve and restore large areas. It is estimated that over 350 plants and animal species are endangered because of its conversion to agriculture, fires, and invasion of exotic non-native plants and human habitat.
Then we return to mountains. On highway 125 we comment as to how nice this area would be for a Summer home. There are some beautiful homes whose owners thought the same thing, and others that look like they have been here for a very long time.
A lot of young trees in this area where the Pine Bark Beetle was absolutely devastating in past years. Some areas are being taken over by aspen.
As we approach Granby, we decide to make a quick visit to Rocky Mountain National Park since we are very close to its western entrance. But, when we turn to go that way we begin to see signs that say you have to register for a time to be able to enter the park. Oh well.... we about face and continue south instead.
We are getting too close to Denver and there is lots of traffic. Combined with a lot of road construction, it is slow going. Greg comments that he thinks all of Colorado's highway department workers are out over the next 60 miles or so. We take a few other roads 70W to 9S to try to get away from them and things do improve, particularly after we get past Breckenridge. It seems huge after the small towns we've been seeing, with dozens of restaurants, shops, gas stations, galleries, etc. It is next to a big lake - and bigger mountains of course.
On 9S we spot this moose munching away in the water.
This is a section of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains which contains some of the highest mountains in the Rockies, including Mount Harvard 14,423', Mount Yale 14,199' and Mount Princeton 14,196' and Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area.
We are up and down a lot, giving Greg a chance to use all those seldom-used gears. We cross the Continental Divide at least twice and see quite a few "runaway truck" roads.
These ARE the rocky Rocky Mountains!
We stop for the day at Lake Creek Campground north of Westcliffe, yet another National Forest Campground about 3 miles off the paved road. There are a few empty sites of the 10 total. We work on pictures and Greg goes for a walk in the area and picks up a few interesting rocks.
After dinner, Greg doesn't close the wine spout on the box tightly and ends up with a shoe full of wine! He bemoans the waste of good wine and sits the shoe outside to dry out. Wouldn't want to drink out of THIS shoe - phew!
Around 8:00 a game warden/ranger comes through the campground. He stops at each site and explains that we may hear a ruckus tonight because they are attempting to flush out and kill a bear in the area that has been causing trouble. They will use dogs and there is a chance they will come through this campground, so we should stay inside.
We do hear the dogs later, but they are off behind the campground. A thunderstorm comes through even later with a hard rain - had to close the fan/vent atop the Trek to just a crack, but the side windows were ok. Good thing Greg has another pair of shoes!
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