tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14807394573713215572024-03-13T12:07:55.101-07:00Travels with Tucker"...I decided to visit California for a year or two to see its wonderful flora and the famous Yosemite Valley. All the world was before me and every day was a holiday, so it did not seem important to which one of the world's wildernesses I first should wander."
--John Muir (1868)ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.comBlogger318125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-44985797956583352512017-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:002017-04-12T08:00:18.833-07:00Red Rock Canyon, a Gem near Las VegasLike bookends, Las Vegas is flanked by two amazing parks that offer camping, hiking, rock climbing and biking as an alternative to the glitzy scene on The Strip. We had visited Valley of Fire State Park, 45 minutes east of Vegas, back in 2015 and really loved it--one of our favorite places and not that well-known. This year we decided to try staying at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on the west side of town, and we are very glad we did.<br />
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Red Rocks is very popular with locals and visitors alike, being only 10 minutes from the west edge of the city and boasting its reputation as one of the top five rock climbing destinations in the country. We had to jump through some hoops to even get a campsite at Red Rocks, but we moved in and spent a week there. We have family in Vegas and we had visitors on several days, including lots of kids, so that was fun. We went hiking and bouldering a lot and I did some nice adventures for the Outdoor Project which should be published soon.<br />
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While we visited The Strip once, we never dropped any coins or played any blackjack. But we did get to see Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett do an acoustic show that was out of this world.<br />
Here are some of my favorite shots of Red Rocks:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After hiking 2 miles up this canyon, we could see Las Vegas from the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calico Tanks are small pools in the rocks of this canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynnae hiking the Pine Creek Canyon trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our campsite in Red Rock Canyon was spectacular</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking around Kraft Mountain </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving the Scenic Loop Drive in Red Rock Canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing a little canyoneering around Kraft Mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful hiking in the canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful rocks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viewpoint from the Scenic Loop Drive</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Red Rock Canyon</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-32731000757804164732017-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:002017-04-05T08:00:13.437-07:00Tecopa Hot SpringsOn our way to Death Valley this year we decided to stop and stay for a few days at Tecopa Hot Springs. We knew this was a small outpost in a pretty remote place, but we really didn't know what to expect. It turned out to be fabulous. Our little RV park was not fancy, but the people were friendly and it was roomy and clean. But best of all were the private hot spring pools that were available as often as we wanted to use them. 105-degree mineral water and long hot showers were a real treat that we have not often had in this journey. To top it off, there was an excellent body work person right next door and Lynnae got to have her neck worked on a bit, then into the hot pool. We liked it so much that after our Death Valley stay we came back for a few more days of soaking before heading to Las Vegas. It turned out the area has some beautiful scenery and a very unusual landscape that was fun to photograph.<br />
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-71671583431782635902017-03-31T16:54:00.001-07:002017-03-31T16:54:38.057-07:00Death Valley Daze RevisitedWe first visited Death Valley National Park in 2014, our first full year of full-time RVing. We fell in love with the place--the vast distances, the stark mountains, the colorful and weird rock formations, the remote dirt roads, the dark skies and the sense of an indifference to human beings and their comfort. Last year was a so-called super-bloom of wildflowers in Death Valley, an event that happens about once a decade. We were hoping to get a repeat of that in this wet year, but in that we were disappointed. Secondarily I was hoping to photograph the full moon on the Mesquite Springs sand dunes, and that did happen as planned.<br />
Camping in Death Valley is rough, with most campgrounds being exposed gravel parking lots without any amenities. There is a real sense of peace, though, being in the middle of the desert with dunes and sun-baked sand and sparse vegetation as far as the eye can see. 'Course, we also had access to swimming polls at both Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek, so there was an aspect of a mini-vacation while camping here. We'd hike or explore by truck in the morning, come home to eat lunch and head to the pool in the heat of the day. And it did reach 95 degrees most days we were in the valley, so the pools were welcome relief.<br />
We repeated some favorite hikes like Mosaic Canyon and the Mesquite Dunes, and explored some new areas like the Chloride City mine site and Desolation Canyon. We also visited the Devil's Golf Course and the Badwater salt flats by the full moon for some amazing views. Enjoy some highlight photos below and check out the Outdoor Project adventures I published while there.<br />
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<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/chloride-city">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/chloride-city</a><br />
<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/desolation-canyon-hike">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/desolation-canyon-hike</a><br />
<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/20-mule-team-canyon">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/20-mule-team-canyon</a><br />
<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/badlands-loop-hike">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/badlands-loop-hike</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge dune in Death Valley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late day sun on the dunes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesquite dunes at sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day before the actual full moon is the best time to photograph it at sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full moon rising at sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full moon rising over the dunes</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SxK05amnkeE/WN7pU1OlLEI/AAAAAAAAeyo/yBxczbqJ0FYX5QxvFaB8KnOBZQ6HVaY7QCLcB/s1600/_DSC5186-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SxK05amnkeE/WN7pU1OlLEI/AAAAAAAAeyo/yBxczbqJ0FYX5QxvFaB8KnOBZQ6HVaY7QCLcB/s640/_DSC5186-7.jpg" width="414" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunes at sunrise</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HlMPqRbCZ3g/WN7pVJ126uI/AAAAAAAAeys/9uLVMwOeaYcWnzTbAy7T7oAlAZAQgfaAwCLcB/s1600/_DSC5195-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HlMPqRbCZ3g/WN7pVJ126uI/AAAAAAAAeys/9uLVMwOeaYcWnzTbAy7T7oAlAZAQgfaAwCLcB/s640/_DSC5195-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lonely path of a landscape photographer</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gy8xxKa6_A/WN7pVoqcB7I/AAAAAAAAey0/6rkrAW2-_28avHNnUh7xei3Brs1j7zCYACLcB/s1600/_DSC5206-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gy8xxKa6_A/WN7pVoqcB7I/AAAAAAAAey0/6rkrAW2-_28avHNnUh7xei3Brs1j7zCYACLcB/s640/_DSC5206-9.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full moon setting at sunrise, Mesquite Dunes</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DMBpuSn0JM/WN7pWT4cmLI/AAAAAAAAey4/6SB5vcKV1wgm93880cNJKIMqbUexYz2pgCLcB/s1600/_DSC5259-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DMBpuSn0JM/WN7pWT4cmLI/AAAAAAAAey4/6SB5vcKV1wgm93880cNJKIMqbUexYz2pgCLcB/s640/_DSC5259-10.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Devil's Golf Course by moonlight</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1aeQiZ_fRa4/WN7pW_d6W9I/AAAAAAAAezA/5SEPN7bYW1oZbB-kgwVIOMy8Up61kLF5ACLcB/s1600/_DSC5347-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1aeQiZ_fRa4/WN7pW_d6W9I/AAAAAAAAezA/5SEPN7bYW1oZbB-kgwVIOMy8Up61kLF5ACLcB/s640/_DSC5347-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desolation Canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5vA4-If3jn8/WN7pXqh09RI/AAAAAAAAezE/8UVBI05BXt44x2oIO1zQcj-F4tZRa1M7ACLcB/s1600/_DSC5393-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5vA4-If3jn8/WN7pXqh09RI/AAAAAAAAezE/8UVBI05BXt44x2oIO1zQcj-F4tZRa1M7ACLcB/s640/_DSC5393-13.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badwater salt flats by the full moon light</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vO65Tx_W4ss/WN7pYOEe6rI/AAAAAAAAezI/D8ZIsfPKOm4xlWiQsBCDdnH906MqS4XvwCLcB/s1600/_DSC5413-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vO65Tx_W4ss/WN7pYOEe6rI/AAAAAAAAezI/D8ZIsfPKOm4xlWiQsBCDdnH906MqS4XvwCLcB/s640/_DSC5413-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Devil's Golf Course by the light of the full moon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fasuif3qKOo/WN7pYrHTmnI/AAAAAAAAezM/MWb02qj_u3gof1XRVWkjrYcn9n7saGI7wCLcB/s1600/_DSC5436-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fasuif3qKOo/WN7pYrHTmnI/AAAAAAAAezM/MWb02qj_u3gof1XRVWkjrYcn9n7saGI7wCLcB/s640/_DSC5436-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 Mule Team Canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J48aU1rGqnY/WN7pZXRwbuI/AAAAAAAAezQ/O31flT8R6gI28dPhDJzzhcHl0Ol2xUBiACLcB/s1600/_DSC5442-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J48aU1rGqnY/WN7pZXRwbuI/AAAAAAAAezQ/O31flT8R6gI28dPhDJzzhcHl0Ol2xUBiACLcB/s640/_DSC5442-16.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 Mule Team Canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F4dXoaLXPuQ/WN7paDuTwJI/AAAAAAAAezU/-Wuj5ijpkG0dhaGGwujDaZNXRmnlcE9QQCLcB/s1600/_DSC5462-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F4dXoaLXPuQ/WN7paDuTwJI/AAAAAAAAezU/-Wuj5ijpkG0dhaGGwujDaZNXRmnlcE9QQCLcB/s640/_DSC5462-17.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 Mule Team Canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4fcistuDmNs/WN7paABZ40I/AAAAAAAAezY/qvSFUgTy-ogh6BmBHvyvQqo7p-BNB1aBgCLcB/s1600/_DSC5506-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4fcistuDmNs/WN7paABZ40I/AAAAAAAAezY/qvSFUgTy-ogh6BmBHvyvQqo7p-BNB1aBgCLcB/s640/_DSC5506-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on on Zabriskie Point</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-APUI4LNTPmo/WN7paijKoTI/AAAAAAAAezc/CxDoJhD4br87iQXIbYb3BjtMgvDXlA0pwCLcB/s1600/_DSC5524-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-APUI4LNTPmo/WN7paijKoTI/AAAAAAAAezc/CxDoJhD4br87iQXIbYb3BjtMgvDXlA0pwCLcB/s640/_DSC5524-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise from Zabriskie Point</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_7FMkOHBu6g/WN7pbhyCxdI/AAAAAAAAezk/6iCdsjMceus1MZhrj6aiyhh9I4av6VxfQCLcB/s1600/_DSC5561-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_7FMkOHBu6g/WN7pbhyCxdI/AAAAAAAAezk/6iCdsjMceus1MZhrj6aiyhh9I4av6VxfQCLcB/s640/_DSC5561-20.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zabriskie Point badlands</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uJU4kB7Ra6Q/WN7pbXmwscI/AAAAAAAAezg/9uvPby7eMhcZpKh5o5TMvXNCxrRNWaPXgCLcB/s1600/_DSC5587-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uJU4kB7Ra6Q/WN7pbXmwscI/AAAAAAAAezg/9uvPby7eMhcZpKh5o5TMvXNCxrRNWaPXgCLcB/s640/_DSC5587-21.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gower Gulch from the Badlands Trail</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-66800661544122471812017-03-19T16:35:00.004-07:002017-03-19T16:35:36.229-07:00Joshua Tree, Our Favorite Desert ParkWell I guess we've been having too much fun to update in the blog :-/<br />
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We HAVE been having fun since we reached the desert and started drying out from the months spent between the Oregon coast and San Francisco this past rainy winter. After spending a couple nights in Bakersfield and seeing Buck Owens' club ...<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7MEDXrQThE/WM8H-0cxEYI/AAAAAAAAewU/DERQKlPxHbwFkrxfwyLVq6_zyNhAsru3ACEw/s1600/IMG_20170218_174858035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7MEDXrQThE/WM8H-0cxEYI/AAAAAAAAewU/DERQKlPxHbwFkrxfwyLVq6_zyNhAsru3ACEw/s640/IMG_20170218_174858035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6BnbrHMKEC0/WM8H2FQhDlI/AAAAAAAAewM/M5HtiGsiGB0notVp72zSBHb6bW93T9IawCEw/s1600/IMG_20170218_190134141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6BnbrHMKEC0/WM8H2FQhDlI/AAAAAAAAewM/M5HtiGsiGB0notVp72zSBHb6bW93T9IawCEw/s640/IMG_20170218_190134141.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buck Owens' custom convertible behind the bar at the Chrystal Palace</td></tr>
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... we headed for Joshua Tree National Park.<br />
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We visited Joshua Tree for the first time back in 2014 and really loved the park. We had a favorite campground and really hoped we could find a spot there this year. Unfortunately we had to spend a night in an overflow camping area because Belle Campground was full, but the next morning we got a great spot there.<br />
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Joshua Tree is a unique place and a photographer's dream. Everywhere you look there are huge vistas, weird-shaped Joshua Trees and piles of boulders looking as though a giant child had just dumped them out on the floor. The lighting is magical and the park is so huge the other visitors are not in the way.<br />
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We did some great hikes, including one to an abandoned mine site that has a stone shelter built in the 1890s that still has original artifacts in it. We hiked through the most beautiful desert scenery and scrambled up ravines full of boulders. There are also dirt roads to explore that lead far out in the desert where the solitude is incredible. Check out these Outdoor Project adventures that I published from here:</div>
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<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/split-rock-loop-hike">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/split-rock-loop-hike</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/eagle-cliff-mine-hike">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/hikes/eagle-cliff-mine-hike</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/geology-tour-road">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/geology-tour-road</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/keys-ranch">https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/california/special-destinations/keys-ranch</a></div>
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Here are some photo highlights:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJQbYF9SZvs/WM8Mmxg_mRI/AAAAAAAAewc/jPh6fivZRuQJJ3ZjNSNVISrDQt1dcPv1wCLcB/s1600/_DSC4098-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJQbYF9SZvs/WM8Mmxg_mRI/AAAAAAAAewc/jPh6fivZRuQJJ3ZjNSNVISrDQt1dcPv1wCLcB/s640/_DSC4098-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree with rocks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tLdu2vz7_Ac/WM8MlNYYRTI/AAAAAAAAewY/gv4eVU5-10w3UG2vZdHsjFeLQE6joTw1wCLcB/s1600/_DSC4123-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tLdu2vz7_Ac/WM8MlNYYRTI/AAAAAAAAewY/gv4eVU5-10w3UG2vZdHsjFeLQE6joTw1wCLcB/s640/_DSC4123-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree with sunset</td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1e6dlTFV7jI/WM8MnKIg7FI/AAAAAAAAewg/TvEifIyy5hI0lEJKG78-mYWbsUZEj2EegCLcB/s1600/_DSC4183-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1e6dlTFV7jI/WM8MnKIg7FI/AAAAAAAAewg/TvEifIyy5hI0lEJKG78-mYWbsUZEj2EegCLcB/s640/_DSC4183-3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i6kOC_-_N44/WM8MtVjhgtI/AAAAAAAAewk/5uG0pux0G1oFZ_nUA-cLQc4PbGr3b8mIgCLcB/s1600/_DSC4258-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i6kOC_-_N44/WM8MtVjhgtI/AAAAAAAAewk/5uG0pux0G1oFZ_nUA-cLQc4PbGr3b8mIgCLcB/s640/_DSC4258-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The geology tour road at Joshua Tree NP</td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJXA9nuzg4U/WM8MthsN-AI/AAAAAAAAewo/W90M7YxYFCEysTV1EpT2XfH7lWn6Wb8mQCLcB/s1600/_DSC4311-2-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJXA9nuzg4U/WM8MthsN-AI/AAAAAAAAewo/W90M7YxYFCEysTV1EpT2XfH7lWn6Wb8mQCLcB/s640/_DSC4311-2-5.jpg" width="442" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historic Keys Ranch--a homesteading family lived here for decades</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mspxHSeO-Zo/WM8M8aWbvnI/AAAAAAAAew4/p-P2o5qSRDUNIapi4lh-hNu67QVMD7YqgCLcB/s1600/_DSC4501-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mspxHSeO-Zo/WM8M8aWbvnI/AAAAAAAAew4/p-P2o5qSRDUNIapi4lh-hNu67QVMD7YqgCLcB/s640/_DSC4501-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original artifacts at the Eagle Cliff mine site</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Eureka Peak (second-highest in the park) across to Mt. San Jacinto (second-highest in So. Calif.</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-45221465868116391482017-01-06T17:30:00.000-08:002017-01-08T11:30:16.425-08:00A Quick Review of 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/KiU1CufUcyMyLx6s6" target="_blank">Click here for more 2016 photo highlights!</a><br />
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Greetings friends and family!<br />
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The second most frequent question we get asked is “Where the heck are you guys now?” As 2017 starts, we are nestled on a bluff above the Pacific just 10 miles south of San Francisco, “camped” in what
is essentially an RV parking lot, which is marvelously situated to visit our sons in SF and other friends and family in the Bay Area. We have another month here before we take off for 2017 adventures, so we thought we’d
update folks on the highlights of 2016 and plans for 2017.</div>
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First, the bad. We lost my brother Ron this year at 81 and spent a few days in Utah in June for the funeral. We also lost our dear neice Julie to cancer several decades before her time. They will be sorely
missed.</div>
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Top ten 2016 travel highlights (in no particular order):</div>
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1. The Watershed Music Festival on the Columbia Gorge in Washington. Keith Urban and many other country acts in one of the most spectacular music venues in the country. Also lots of drunk 20-somethings partying all night.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the stage at the Watershed Festival, Columbia River Gorge in the background</td></tr>
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2. The many waterfalls of the Columbia Gorge in Oregon.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multnoma Falls in the Columbia Gorge</td></tr>
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3. Mt. Ranier National Park. We only had a day to tour this beautiful park, but we will definitely return.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Ranier from Ledge Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christine Falls in Mt Ranier National Park</td></tr>
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4. Crater Lake National Park. A scenic wonder! Denis did a night photography workshop here and we camped on beautiful Diamond Lake.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancient white pine on the shore of Crater Lake...and a galaxy</td></tr>
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5. Lava Beds National Monument near Mt. Lassen. Exploring lava caves and hiking through the rugged flows.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring a lava cave at Lava Beds National Monument</td></tr>
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6. Bend, Oregon and the eastern Cascades. Wonderful alpine lakes and snow-covered peaks. Lynnae made good use of her Oregon fishing license here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Sister from Sparks Lake</td></tr>
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7. Mt. St. Helens. We spent a week exploring this amazing place and seeing exhibits of first-hand accounts from the time of the eruption.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. St. Helens</td></tr>
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8. The Lakes Basin area of the northern Sierras. This wonderful mountain area lacks the crowds of Lake Tahoe and Yosemite and feels like the Sierras of 50 years ago.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sardine Lake</td></tr>
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9. Jalama Beach and Morro Bay. Two of our favorite places on the central California coast. Jeff came down to visit us at Jalama.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morro Bay Harbor by kayak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The campground at Jalama Beach</td></tr>
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10. Last, but certainly not least, the Oregon coast. We dedicated two full months to wandering down the coast from Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border. It was a marvelous experience
with lots of hiking on the scenic coast and exploring coastal towns and lighthouses. Tucker really learned to understand what "let's go to the beach" means! Andrew, our long lost nephew, spent a few days with us here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wreck of the Peter Iredale near Astoria</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crabbing on Winchester Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Lookout</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solitude on the Oregon coast</td></tr>
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For lots more photos from our 2016 travels, visit our <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/KiU1CufUcyMyLx6s6" target="_blank">2016 Travel Highlights Album</a> on Google Photos.<br />
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Oh, yeah. We also bought a condo in Scotts Valley, California, near Santa Cruz, with an eye to perhaps settling down there some year. In the meantime we are renting it out.</div>
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Jeff and Lucas both have significant others and live (for now) in San Francisco. One of the absolute highlights of the year was Jeff’s surprise proposal and engagement party for Katie. We are thrilled to
have her as part of our family. Lucas and his sweetie, Jenna, have big plans to travel internationally this year and then start a unique real estate and media company in Tampa, Florida. (Jenna's current website: <u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.jennasuedesign.com/" target="_blank">Jenna Sue Design</a></span></u>)</div>
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Our 2017 plan is to spend the spring in Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, Arizona and Utah, then summer and fall in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho exploring Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National
Parks as well as many lesser-traveled mountain areas. We plan to be back in the Bay Area by Thanksgiving.</div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;"></span></u>We always love getting visitors, so check out our travel calendar and come stay with us: <u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=rkeha0kcln2b9ua6bq0tk68s00%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles" target="_blank">LeBlanc Itinerary</a></span></u></div>
ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-86702812595623788512017-01-02T14:29:00.001-08:002017-01-02T14:32:57.730-08:00The Heart of San Francisco<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The Barbary Coast Trail is an urban walking route that highlights some of the best of San Francisco and would be an excellent half-day immersion experience for visitors to “the
City”. Lynnae lived in San Francisco for several years and even she saw places she had never seen before. The trail is about 4 miles long and hits many highlights of the city including Fisherman’s Wharf, the cable cars, Girardelli Square, Pier
39, Union Square, Chinatown, Coit Tower, North Beach, Jackson Square, views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transamerica Pyramid, and the Old Mint. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.barbarycoasttrail.org/" target="_blank">Barbary Coast Trail</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">On New Years Day we took BART up to the Powell St. station and grabbed a cable car to the end of the Powell/Hyde line near Girardelli Square. From here it was easy to follow
the bronze markers in the sidewalk all the way back to where we started. Along the way we wandered the back alleys of Chinatown and the old landmarks of North Beach. The crowds around the waterfront made for great people-watching
but we were glad to leave all that and head south to Telegraph Hill and the wonderful neighborhoods that form the heart of San Francisco. Some photo hightlights:</span></div>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-24807281712528002032015-11-08T11:32:00.000-08:002015-12-07T11:32:43.027-08:00San Rafael Swell--the Next National Park?Along I-70 between Green River and Salida in Utah lies some of the most interesting and beautiful landscape in Utah, the San Rafael Swell. On our six-week trek through Utah in the spring, we explored the edges of this area at Capitol Reef NP, but we never got into the heart of it. Getting into the heart is not easy, since this area is crossed by few roads and those are mostly rough dirt tracks. We were able to spend almost a week in Green River and venture into the San Rafael Swell for some cool exploring. We visited the popular Goblin Valley State Park and the less-well-know Little Wildhorse Canyon nearby. We almost avoided the trek out to Horseshoe Canyon, a very remote part of Canyonlands National Park, but decided to brave the 45-mile dirt road round trip and 8+ mile hike and were really glad we did. This area contains some of the best rock art in all of North America--over 2,000 years old!<br />
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This wild and mostly-uninhabited area is very worth exploring for those who like solitude and vast landscapes that are not very hospitable to us humans.<br />
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Please check out my Outdoor Project pages for these adventures!<br />
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<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/hikes/little-wildhorse-canyon-hike" target="_blank">Little Wildhorse Canyon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/hikes/horseshoe-canyon" target="_blank">Horseshoe Canyon</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vN4zJhG9Z_4/VmXcCujof1I/AAAAAAAAdDc/zJ1MkwBM5U0/s1600/DPL_3502-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vN4zJhG9Z_4/VmXcCujof1I/AAAAAAAAdDc/zJ1MkwBM5U0/s1600/DPL_3502-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking up the wash towards Little Wildhorse Canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LkRgtzHai9s/VmXcC4akQ7I/AAAAAAAAdDg/z75-kMr5tmY/s1600/DPL_3545-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LkRgtzHai9s/VmXcC4akQ7I/AAAAAAAAdDg/z75-kMr5tmY/s640/DPL_3545-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A classic Utah slot canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29cbSeWFC3g/VmXcCxrM6mI/AAAAAAAAdDk/qfIjkyLUePI/s1600/DPL_3643-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29cbSeWFC3g/VmXcCxrM6mI/AAAAAAAAdDk/qfIjkyLUePI/s1600/DPL_3643-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even Tucker liked this hike!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qWsoe_im0g4/VmXcDdhQV1I/AAAAAAAAdDs/JsCdfQAOeqU/s1600/DPL_3649-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qWsoe_im0g4/VmXcDdhQV1I/AAAAAAAAdDs/JsCdfQAOeqU/s640/DPL_3649-4.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rock walls were so interesting and beautiful</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DB_PKfRi8MU/VmXcEF8z69I/AAAAAAAAdEA/cUsYpV8g57E/s1600/DPL_3665-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DB_PKfRi8MU/VmXcEF8z69I/AAAAAAAAdEA/cUsYpV8g57E/s640/DPL_3665-5.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very narrow in places</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ofu4nuMd6E/VmXcEMAo6hI/AAAAAAAAdD8/eIfAQoStaqU/s1600/DPL_3686-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ofu4nuMd6E/VmXcEMAo6hI/AAAAAAAAdD8/eIfAQoStaqU/s1600/DPL_3686-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking Goblin Valley</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-22idkFcZCq8/VmXcERkEeGI/AAAAAAAAdEE/UJcQzmM8m4E/s1600/DPL_3724-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-22idkFcZCq8/VmXcERkEeGI/AAAAAAAAdEE/UJcQzmM8m4E/s1600/DPL_3724-7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "goblins" are highly-weathered sandstone formations that cover a 1/2-mile-long valley</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3aV0Epcv4Uk/VmXcEyHpTBI/AAAAAAAAdEU/ltJzrryOFnI/s1600/DPL_3739-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3aV0Epcv4Uk/VmXcEyHpTBI/AAAAAAAAdEU/ltJzrryOFnI/s640/DPL_3739-8.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BKTjknjJMeA/VmXcFMiqAcI/AAAAAAAAdEY/THiFbsBSoLE/s1600/DPL_3745-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BKTjknjJMeA/VmXcFMiqAcI/AAAAAAAAdEY/THiFbsBSoLE/s1600/DPL_3745-9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These goblins greeted us on our drive in</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cz0Y_eBfPZY/VmXcFouT16I/AAAAAAAAdEc/Gy2hRWOcmdw/s1600/DPL_3794-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cz0Y_eBfPZY/VmXcFouT16I/AAAAAAAAdEc/Gy2hRWOcmdw/s1600/DPL_3794-10.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The long and lonely road to Horseshoe Canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b5X-8_DwXeI/VmXcGCe4PKI/AAAAAAAAdEo/hCnhBuftzZw/s1600/DPL_3830-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b5X-8_DwXeI/VmXcGCe4PKI/AAAAAAAAdEo/hCnhBuftzZw/s1600/DPL_3830-11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinosaur footprint on the trail down to Horseshoe Canyon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgA9njHmxmo/VmXcGfARvxI/AAAAAAAAdEw/ox6edY-2nvQ/s1600/DPL_3846-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgA9njHmxmo/VmXcGfARvxI/AAAAAAAAdEw/ox6edY-2nvQ/s1600/DPL_3846-12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a remote and beautiful place</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6EUsAawWU2M/VmXcG0Pi_MI/AAAAAAAAdE4/r5WOCwriF5U/s1600/DPL_3872-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6EUsAawWU2M/VmXcG0Pi_MI/AAAAAAAAdE4/r5WOCwriF5U/s640/DPL_3872-13.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the rock art panels in the canyon, thought to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JqqG49B3laE/VmXeW8mabeI/AAAAAAAAdFc/Rx2pO2ZSxG0/s1600/DPL_3923-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JqqG49B3laE/VmXeW8mabeI/AAAAAAAAdFc/Rx2pO2ZSxG0/s1600/DPL_3923-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock art from the Fremont people </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CmCZmnHbCY4/VmXeXDxvbVI/AAAAAAAAdFg/3UkUd8o9WOM/s1600/DPL_3935-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CmCZmnHbCY4/VmXeXDxvbVI/AAAAAAAAdFg/3UkUd8o9WOM/s1600/DPL_3935-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aliens or gods? Who knows?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BdaHV2aTZqY/VmXcHesssMI/AAAAAAAAdFA/29y8bpozbmo/s1600/DPL_3983-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BdaHV2aTZqY/VmXcHesssMI/AAAAAAAAdFA/29y8bpozbmo/s1600/DPL_3983-14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uninhabited as far as the eye can see</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jFC3S649XY/VmXcHpSWilI/AAAAAAAAdFE/NMlZTeC8Mdg/s1600/DPL_4002-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jFC3S649XY/VmXcHpSWilI/AAAAAAAAdFE/NMlZTeC8Mdg/s1600/DPL_4002-15.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very clear day looking east to the LaSal Mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the long hike, we still had to drive 23 miles back to the highway</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-72707228234660894862015-10-31T11:26:00.000-07:002015-12-07T11:32:25.016-08:00We Return to Arches and CanylonlandsIs there another town in the country that has not one, but TWO national parks at its door step other than Moab, Utah? We spent a few weeks back in April exploring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks as well as other lesser-known attractions around Moab and we enjoyed the town itself a lot. So we decided to spend more time there on our trek to the west coast for the winter. It was fun revisiting hikes that we loved last time, like the False Kiva, the Dead Horse Point Rim trail and Devils Garden. Easily one of the easiest places in the country to make great looking photographs, I got to hit some iconic scenes, especially the sunrise on Mesa Arch that has been photographed by thousands every year. It was sad to leave Colorado for who-knows-how-long, but exciting to be headed back to hang with Jeff and Lucas over the winter. In the meantime, we weren't in any hurry to leave Utah.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arches view from the campground</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very iconic shot of the Turret Arch through the North Window</td></tr>
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Double Arch<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing beneath the Double Arch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skyline Arch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Park Avenue trail in Arches</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking through the Pine Tree Arch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another classic shot, looking through Double O Arch on the Devils Garden trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The distant LaSal Mountains got a good bit of snow the week we were in Moab</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rising moon through the North Window</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Dead Horse Point, the full moon rises over the LaSal Mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesa Arch at sunrise</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This kind of crowd every clear morning at Mesa Arch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The False Kiva archaeological site in Canyonlands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wUXz5Tpb9K4/VmXWgdExC3I/AAAAAAAAdDA/eWMtdKGP9tA/s1600/DPL_3275-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wUXz5Tpb9K4/VmXWgdExC3I/AAAAAAAAdDA/eWMtdKGP9tA/s1600/DPL_3275-14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise view from Dead Horse Point</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CODncrml4Go/VmXWgm993FI/AAAAAAAAdDI/fnsXO9LCVGI/s1600/DPL_3285-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CODncrml4Go/VmXWgm993FI/AAAAAAAAdDI/fnsXO9LCVGI/s1600/DPL_3285-15.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot of the sunrise over Canyonlands</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1669357886"></span><span id="goog_1669357887"></span><br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-21364754328646296892015-10-22T18:09:00.000-07:002015-12-07T11:36:04.897-08:00Back to Grand Junction + Hiking Colorado National MonumentFrom Dinosaur we headed south, with some reluctance, to the destination for our last week in Colorado. Twenty-one weeks ago we entered Colorado and spent virtually the entire time since then in this beautiful state. We have thoroughly loved it here and hope to come back before too many years have passed.<br />
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For our last week we stayed in Grand Junction and planned to explore the Colorado National Monument. This NM is the polar opposite of Dinosaur NM as far as proximity to civilization is concerned. Less than 20 minutes from Grand Junction's modest downtown, this stunning canyon landscape is a hidden-in-plain-site gem.<br />
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We did the supposedly best hike in the park, Monument Canyon, as well as the short Devils Kitchen trail and we spent considerable time at all the dozen overlooks along 23-mile Rimrock Road through the park. Check out more pictures and descriptions on the Outdoor Project:<br />
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<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/colorado/parks-wilderness/colorado-national-monument" target="_blank">Colorado National Monument</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/colorado/hikes/monument-canyon-trail-hike" target="_blank">Monument Canyon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/colorado/hikes/devils-kitchen-hike" target="_blank">Devils Kitchen</a><br />
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If you are ever passing through Grand Junction, it is literally a 15-mile detour to go through Colorado NM instead, but it will take hours because it is so breathtaking. Here are some highlights of our week.<br />
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-20112096323916647672015-10-15T17:19:00.000-07:002015-12-07T11:41:19.198-08:00To the Land of the Dinosaurs!A park named Dinosaur with an area over 220,000 acres, how many acres would you guess have any dinosaur bones? How about less than one! While it was originally established in 1915 to protect a rich quarry of dinosaur bones, the park was enlarged to its current size to protect vast canyons and a split mountain and uplifted land masses dozens of miles long. Compared to many units of the national park system, Dinosaur National Monument is lightly visited, so we headed up there to explore and get some solitude.<br />
We camped in the park with a site right next to the Green River with nice views of the Split Mountain. We hiked the short trail off the main park road and visited the dinosaur quarry that started it all. We drove some fair distances to explore the more remote corners of the park like the McKee Springs petroglyphs, Island Park, Echo Park and the Harpers Corner overlook hike. This is a beautiful remote park and was definitely worth the long drive there.<br />
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If you'd like to see more about these adventures, check out my Outdoor Project articles here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/colorado/special-destinations/echo-park" target="_blank">Echo Park</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/hikes/jones-hole-trail" target="_blank">Jones Hole</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/colorado/hikes/harpers-corner-trail-hike" target="_blank">Harpers Corner</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/special-destinations/mckee-springs-petroglyphs-island-park" target="_blank">McKee Springs Petroglyphs</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/special-destinations/dinosaur-quarry" target="_blank">Dinosaur Quarry</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/hikes/sound-silence-trail-hike" target="_blank">Sound of Silence Trail</a><br />
<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/hikes/desert-voices-trail" target="_blank">Desert Voices Trail</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birds-eye view of our campground at Green River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break on a beautiful desert hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prairie dog watching us pass</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dinosaur quarry has yielded over 400 complete dinosaur skeletons to-date</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The historic Chew Ranch has been working this land for well over 100 years</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McKee Springs petroglyphs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Island Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heritage cottonwood tree by the Green River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These bighorn sheep were unphased by us </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the Yampa Bench from Harpers Corner Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whirlpool Canyon from the Harpers Corner overlook</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Echo Park. Stopping the dam that was to flood this area was one of the great environmental victories in the 60's</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-56334099409946523592015-10-05T17:27:00.000-07:002015-10-09T17:37:05.176-07:00Rifle FallsWe probably could have stayed in Aspen another week. The weather was beautiful and the aspens were peaking, but a plan is a plan and sometimes you have to tear yourselves away. We were off to Rifle Falls and a stay at the Rifle Gap campground. This campground was more developed than our usual fare and we hoped to get caught up on things after two weeks of no internet at our campsite. Rifle Gap is a state park with full hookups and decent cell service. It was a very pleasant place to hang out for a week.<br />
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Rifle Gap is, well, a gap. Specifically it is a gap in the 90-mile long Grand Hogback which stretches roughly north/south about 50 miles from the Colorado/Utah border. The Grand Hogback is a 9,000-foot range of mountains that is the boundary between the Colorado Plateau to the west--with its flat mesas and canyonlands that stretch halfway across Utah and down to the Grand Canyon in Arizona--and the peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the east. One of Rifle Gap's claims to history is the erection of a 1,250-foot-wide orange curtain across the gap by the artist Christo. This curtain only lasted 27 hours before gale-force winds blew it to tatters.<br />
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We visited Rifle Falls, which is a very picturesque triple waterfall, and we had a blast at the Rifle annual chili cookoff. We pigged out on chili of all flavors and colors--elk chili, pumpkin chili, green, red and purple chili. We had heartburn for a few days, but it supported the scholarship fund for the Rifle High School kids, so what the hey.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rifle Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rifle Falls also had many limestone caves that were fun to explore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yj7c0tCNR2M/Vhha-c62rbI/AAAAAAAAc04/CkIHiPkF4nQ/s1600/DPL_0829-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yj7c0tCNR2M/Vhha-c62rbI/AAAAAAAAc04/CkIHiPkF4nQ/s1600/DPL_0829-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rifle Gap</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on the Grand Hogback</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new trailer at dawn</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-8301347795734048362015-10-04T16:59:00.000-07:002015-10-09T17:00:12.661-07:00Aspen!We've all heard of Aspen. In many ways it is the iconic Colorado Rocky Mountain destination. Frequented by jet-setters, celebrities and international cartel members, Aspen evokes something in most peoples' imaginations. We found Aspen to be a decently-pretty mountain town, booming and building like much of Colorado seems to be, and a bit overpriced in the restaurant department. What it DOES have is some of the most spectacular fall color locations in all of the Rockies.<br />
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We spent a week in Aspen on our inexorable march west to avoid the dreaded winter. We had a campsite just five miles from town and we explored several of the trails, bike paths and scenic wonders of the area. We watched the full lunar eclipse from the top of Independence Pass (12,095 feet, and what an amazing drive!). We visited the most-photographed spot in the state (the Maroon Bells as seen from Maroon Lake), at the most-photographed time of the year (peak fall color), at the most-photographed time of the day (sunrise) and guess what--we were not alone! Quite a crowd shows up every day in late September to photograph or just plain admire this view, which lives up to every over-hyped expectation. We drove up the beautiful Castle Creek Road and visited the old ghost town of Ashcroft in the height of the fall splendor. And we consumed over-priced coffee (in a chipped cup) and pastries served by haughty folks in a ho-hum coffee shop. But I'd go back for the aspens in fall in a heartbeat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfk2XiWDaro/VhhS4YrUCUI/AAAAAAAAc0M/iaM_THCL5E8/s1600/DPL_9705-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfk2XiWDaro/VhhS4YrUCUI/AAAAAAAAc0M/iaM_THCL5E8/s1600/DPL_9705-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maroon Bells reflected in Maroon Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RU-MALpHUM/VhhM3skKEjI/AAAAAAAAczU/FY95EmUA7wc/s1600/DPL_9714-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RU-MALpHUM/VhhM3skKEjI/AAAAAAAAczU/FY95EmUA7wc/s640/DPL_9714-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maroon Bells at first light</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspens</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crater Lake at the foot of the Maroon Bells</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspens at their peak color</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Um6xPGgfarc/VhhMsoGtBDI/AAAAAAAAcyM/wo3AZ6Jif7U/s1600/DPL_0262-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Um6xPGgfarc/VhhMsoGtBDI/AAAAAAAAcyM/wo3AZ6Jif7U/s1600/DPL_0262-11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maroon Lake from the trail to Crater Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East of Aspen bike trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGNjm0LRy6w/VhhMu82bCCI/AAAAAAAAcyc/TQCggmdL6ZA/s1600/DPL_0502-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGNjm0LRy6w/VhhMu82bCCI/AAAAAAAAcyc/TQCggmdL6ZA/s1600/DPL_0502-13.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashcroft ghost town building</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nzzxyYM_dY/VhhMw0_gmXI/AAAAAAAAcys/gS8Hwdz8tG0/s1600/DPL_0520-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nzzxyYM_dY/VhhMw0_gmXI/AAAAAAAAcys/gS8Hwdz8tG0/s1600/DPL_0520-14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The View Hotel...and what a view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dm3NgdNdmzA/VhhMxOspnqI/AAAAAAAAcyw/ElYuY8j86zg/s1600/DPL_0555-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dm3NgdNdmzA/VhhMxOspnqI/AAAAAAAAcyw/ElYuY8j86zg/s1600/DPL_0555-15.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl Pass just past Ashcroft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxKVBODqFmk/VhhMzvZPJOI/AAAAAAAAczE/pJF6QX4cAao/s1600/DPL_0559-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxKVBODqFmk/VhhMzvZPJOI/AAAAAAAAczE/pJF6QX4cAao/s1600/DPL_0559-16.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl Pass</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3K75DLgbxQU/VhhMzt1gzRI/AAAAAAAAcy8/CBmoOXJCdKE/s1600/DPL_0566-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3K75DLgbxQU/VhhMzt1gzRI/AAAAAAAAcy8/CBmoOXJCdKE/s1600/DPL_0566-17.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspens begin to transition to winter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PfY4oMnLGeM/VhhMzjSdVNI/AAAAAAAAczA/8MgJQzZAyrE/s1600/DPL_0639-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PfY4oMnLGeM/VhhMzjSdVNI/AAAAAAAAczA/8MgJQzZAyrE/s1600/DPL_0639-18.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunar eclipse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ABtGtY_eyM/VhhM3tqKwKI/AAAAAAAAczY/R5Dl08LVwuE/s1600/DPL_9740-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ABtGtY_eyM/VhhM3tqKwKI/AAAAAAAAczY/R5Dl08LVwuE/s1600/DPL_9740-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maroon Bells from Maroon Creek Rd.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kryaOfLFj-E/VhhM8CcKAOI/AAAAAAAAczo/RKCaIiB-h4k/s1600/DPL_9759-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kryaOfLFj-E/VhhM8CcKAOI/AAAAAAAAczo/RKCaIiB-h4k/s1600/DPL_9759-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Maroon Creek Rd.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOOpqx-OWhA/VhhM7mTCmEI/AAAAAAAAczk/tSvQFSyYQ0E/s1600/DPL_9884-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOOpqx-OWhA/VhhM7mTCmEI/AAAAAAAAczk/tSvQFSyYQ0E/s1600/DPL_9884-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking on Hunter Creek Trail just outside of Aspen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-POeSWx1_7fE/VhhNA11RkWI/AAAAAAAAcz0/XaVOpAMgF2E/s1600/DPL_9985-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-POeSWx1_7fE/VhhNA11RkWI/AAAAAAAAcz0/XaVOpAMgF2E/s1600/DPL_9985-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of Aspen and the ski mountain behind it.</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-18930136509124915472015-09-30T15:18:00.000-07:002015-10-09T16:00:17.975-07:00Sylvan Lake State ParkWe are huge fans of seeking out the lesser-known places that have fewer visitors than the national parks, and in that vein we continued our journey ever westward to our next stop at Sylvan Lake State Park. Another gem in the Colorado state park system, Sylvan Lake was a wonderful place to spend a week--beautiful scenery, including the solid beginning of the fall color season, great hikes, a lovely and quiet campground and a little town nearby for our weekly coffee shop fix. Who could ask for anything more!<br />
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Sylvan Lake is set in the beautiful Eagle Valley south of the town of Eagle and is just out of the way enough to not be very crowded. There was good fishing on the lake and a nice loop trail around it. We ventured off into the adjacent national forest for a hike to Nolan Lake and saw gorgeous valleys alive with yellow aspens along the way. I came across a large bull moose on one hike when Lynnae unfortunately wasn't with. We had to slow down a bit with zero internet or cell access, but this lovely place made it worthwhile!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U6ap7zwZ0Sw/Vhg_NKeB0yI/AAAAAAAAcwU/BeuU2T47K-o/s1600/DPL_8822-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U6ap7zwZ0Sw/Vhg_NKeB0yI/AAAAAAAAcwU/BeuU2T47K-o/s1600/DPL_8822-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sylvan Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n3ZtoCRnGvc/Vhg_NOH_WgI/AAAAAAAAcwQ/bhVgUxwUPdI/s1600/DPL_8848-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n3ZtoCRnGvc/Vhg_NOH_WgI/AAAAAAAAcwQ/bhVgUxwUPdI/s1600/DPL_8848-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sylvan Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rVCBDtqf1ic/Vhg_L-PIcbI/AAAAAAAAcwM/4gB9HzyyLnM/s1600/DPL_8909-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rVCBDtqf1ic/Vhg_L-PIcbI/AAAAAAAAcwM/4gB9HzyyLnM/s1600/DPL_8909-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double rainbow over our campground</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RC5aEM9bq4/Vhg_N6tDw8I/AAAAAAAAcwc/_18ZsUfnXQ0/s1600/DPL_9056-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RC5aEM9bq4/Vhg_N6tDw8I/AAAAAAAAcwc/_18ZsUfnXQ0/s1600/DPL_9056-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nolan Lake in nearby Holy Cross Wilderness</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y6OfQTULC0/Vhg_PNHTs9I/AAAAAAAAcws/N-H0HebwReY/s1600/DPL_9064-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y6OfQTULC0/Vhg_PNHTs9I/AAAAAAAAcws/N-H0HebwReY/s1600/DPL_9064-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nolan Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gAmXf_bg4AU/Vhg_QRoGoTI/AAAAAAAAcw0/rh45Xju4WV4/s1600/DPL_9140-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gAmXf_bg4AU/Vhg_QRoGoTI/AAAAAAAAcw0/rh45Xju4WV4/s1600/DPL_9140-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View up the Eagle Valley toward Sylvan Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPOlmzRjwf0/Vhg_Q6djwyI/AAAAAAAAcw4/8jUh2hjORLI/s1600/DPL_9300-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPOlmzRjwf0/Vhg_Q6djwyI/AAAAAAAAcw4/8jUh2hjORLI/s640/DPL_9300-7.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall color in the aspens is just beginning!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9akU6lzH76g/Vhg_SNv9vPI/AAAAAAAAcxE/vUEE90xON50/s1600/DPL_9322-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9akU6lzH76g/Vhg_SNv9vPI/AAAAAAAAcxE/vUEE90xON50/s1600/DPL_9322-8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gave this moose a wide berth, They get mean in the fall!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-znzX4t996kA/Vhg_UAuMe-I/AAAAAAAAcxM/g0noxc2Bua4/s1600/DPL_9376-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-znzX4t996kA/Vhg_UAuMe-I/AAAAAAAAcxM/g0noxc2Bua4/s1600/DPL_9376-9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sylvan Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eftaTlPRaUI/Vhg_U9XlTLI/AAAAAAAAcxU/PWkUra059ps/s1600/DPL_9443-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eftaTlPRaUI/Vhg_U9XlTLI/AAAAAAAAcxU/PWkUra059ps/s1600/DPL_9443-10.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sylvan lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPf86Yj1yHQ/Vhg_ViQwyYI/AAAAAAAAcxY/OkqWv6IH5N8/s1600/DPL_9482-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPf86Yj1yHQ/Vhg_ViQwyYI/AAAAAAAAcxY/OkqWv6IH5N8/s1600/DPL_9482-11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful colors!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8gRBa3Z4qv0/Vhg_WRm3x6I/AAAAAAAAcxk/MfpT0SQGZVk/s1600/DPL_9486-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8gRBa3Z4qv0/Vhg_WRm3x6I/AAAAAAAAcxk/MfpT0SQGZVk/s1600/DPL_9486-12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeoman Park is a valley near Sylvan Lake</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-7395204539855312562015-09-24T11:27:00.000-07:002015-10-04T11:27:34.523-07:00Dillon Lake Again and a High Mountain Adventure!<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It has not happened often in our travels so far that we have visited the same place twice. When we left Dillon Lake in early August to go pick up our new trailer, we felt like
we left a few things undone and having a five-day gap in our plan between Rocky Mountain National Park and Sylvan Lake, we decided to go back to Dillon and hang out a bit. We stayed in a different campground, closer to the
lake, and again enjoyed the wide-open mountain views, the charming mountain towns of Frisco, Breckenridge, Silverthorne and Dillon. The highlight of the stay, however, was our climbing our first 14er!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Mt. Democrat is one of the easier 14,000-foot mountains to climb in Colorado, but for us it was still a big effort, and so worth it in the end. It was over 2,100 feet of elevation gain and when you start at 12,000 feet, the air gets pretty thin! The trip is covered pretty well
on the Outdoor Project site, so check that our, but here are some highlights of our adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/mount-democrat" target="_blank">Mt. Democrat</a></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kid8UL-Keg8/VhFsny-0ElI/AAAAAAAAcuc/9ETabTeGWqc/s1600/_DPL8390-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kid8UL-Keg8/VhFsny-0ElI/AAAAAAAAcuc/9ETabTeGWqc/s1600/_DPL8390-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the trail with the peak of Mt. Democrat looming above</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fEBOwGgwzJE/VhFsn2qDrcI/AAAAAAAAcug/mJQ9eP03tKs/s1600/_DPL8431-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fEBOwGgwzJE/VhFsn2qDrcI/AAAAAAAAcug/mJQ9eP03tKs/s1600/_DPL8431-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our starting point was Kite Lake, visible in the lower left of this shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-itCUEcBWz-k/VhFskyhIiSI/AAAAAAAAcuU/NI0Q3Di-JDQ/s1600/_DPL8457-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-itCUEcBWz-k/VhFskyhIiSI/AAAAAAAAcuU/NI0Q3Di-JDQ/s1600/_DPL8457-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was terrifically windy on the saddle between Mt. Democrat and Mt. Cameron</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy1tHDhwWcY/VhFsr2pXCaI/AAAAAAAAcus/YTWdhvOopHE/s1600/_DPL8470-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy1tHDhwWcY/VhFsr2pXCaI/AAAAAAAAcus/YTWdhvOopHE/s1600/_DPL8470-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The climb up from the saddle was rocky and very steep</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFm1PXgeHj0/VhFsxSgBm0I/AAAAAAAAcu8/xvrbJqEAwwY/s1600/_DPL8491-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFm1PXgeHj0/VhFsxSgBm0I/AAAAAAAAcu8/xvrbJqEAwwY/s1600/_DPL8491-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZU-Vs6YKygI/VhFswPa7EKI/AAAAAAAAcu0/t_j0-Wszd68/s1600/_DPL8501-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZU-Vs6YKygI/VhFswPa7EKI/AAAAAAAAcu0/t_j0-Wszd68/s1600/_DPL8501-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south from the peak at 13,000-foot mountains all around</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TNFjSmVgbgw/VhFs1CxUtVI/AAAAAAAAcvE/RHT_OAGOS-0/s1600/_DPL8535-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TNFjSmVgbgw/VhFs1CxUtVI/AAAAAAAAcvE/RHT_OAGOS-0/s1600/_DPL8535-7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning the long hike down, Mt. Cameron ahead (saving that one for another day!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-un6Lq-QnSjc/VhFs3srMl8I/AAAAAAAAcvM/pWRE2cHxbhg/s1600/_DPL8554-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-un6Lq-QnSjc/VhFs3srMl8I/AAAAAAAAcvM/pWRE2cHxbhg/s1600/_DPL8554-8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost down to Kite Lake and our truck</td></tr>
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Climbing Mt. Democrat was great, but we did do a few other things while at Dillon Lake.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5BPtnry1gA/VhFvAF7bMKI/AAAAAAAAcvo/l6z0vjJL3-k/s1600/_DPL8594-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5BPtnry1gA/VhFvAF7bMKI/AAAAAAAAcvo/l6z0vjJL3-k/s1600/_DPL8594-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Dillon Lake from the Old Dillon Reservoir trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jBsBLl2s24/VhFu_GUrHMI/AAAAAAAAcvg/vAL-hGpZatY/s1600/_DPL8629-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jBsBLl2s24/VhFu_GUrHMI/AAAAAAAAcvg/vAL-hGpZatY/s1600/_DPL8629-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bike path goes around the whole lake--18+ miles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A5GhfE5tnt0/VhFu-Mktc_I/AAAAAAAAcvY/cNsLmtyvaP4/s1600/_DPL8748-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A5GhfE5tnt0/VhFu-Mktc_I/AAAAAAAAcvY/cNsLmtyvaP4/s1600/_DPL8748-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sapphire Point is a short hike with great views</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-76952295276947536792015-09-20T10:36:00.000-07:002015-10-04T11:04:39.571-07:00Rocky Mountain National Park<div class="Normal">
Rocky Mountain National Park celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. This huge wilderness park just a few hours from half the population of Colorado is a popular and busy place in the summer. Much of the park is shut down for 8 months of the year due to its extreme elevation and brutal climate. During the summer and early fall, it is worth it to brave the crowds in order to experience the incredible scenery and wildlife of this magnificent park.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We spent two weeks at RMNP, one week near Estes Park, the town near the main entrance, and one week down at the quieter northeast corner of the park. We were thrilled that Lucas could spend a few days with us between legs of his round-the-world tour and we got in some great hiking. Much of the park is inaccessible to cars, but amazing scenery that the few roads into the heart of the park reveals is magnificent. We did hikes up in the alpine elevations above the tree line, including a small (for Colorado) peak at 12,150 feet. We hiked into valleys with deep blue lakes set at the base of stunning mountains. We saw a bear, many elk (including some literally next to the trail we were on), mountain goats and bighorn sheep. We didn't get to many of the more popular places in the park and I know we will be back some day. Some of our favorite hikes are well-documented on the Outdoor Project website, so check out these links to my articles there:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/peak-12150" target="_blank">Peak 12,150</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/pool-cub-lake-loop" target="_blank">The Pool and Cub Lake</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/loch" target="_blank">The Loch</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/alpine-ridge-trail" target="_blank">Alpine Ridge Trail</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/ouzel-falls" target="_blank">Ouzel Falls</a></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jjgCqOiyE5A/VhFjBReXhFI/AAAAAAAAcrs/ZV98eFbok8c/s1600/_DPL7176-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jjgCqOiyE5A/VhFjBReXhFI/AAAAAAAAcrs/ZV98eFbok8c/s1600/_DPL7176-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">From Old Fall River Road</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGwFa0GZm8o/VhFmqzYCOqI/AAAAAAAAcsg/dXCizrzT_D0/s1600/_DPL7193-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGwFa0GZm8o/VhFmqzYCOqI/AAAAAAAAcsg/dXCizrzT_D0/s1600/_DPL7193-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpine cirque near on of three passes on the old park road</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvLvU3iGzMQ/VhFmqoCqSMI/AAAAAAAAcsc/4fiBpXeupSE/s1600/_DPL7239-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvLvU3iGzMQ/VhFmqoCqSMI/AAAAAAAAcsc/4fiBpXeupSE/s1600/_DPL7239-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bighorn sheep taking a breather</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTeboW89TP8/VhFjA8MhgHI/AAAAAAAAcro/43ge73RehUE/s1600/_DPL7217-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTeboW89TP8/VhFjA8MhgHI/AAAAAAAAcro/43ge73RehUE/s1600/_DPL7217-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Alpine Ridge Trail at 12,005 feet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XkJu8y-99vw/VhFmral-YPI/AAAAAAAAcsk/lcyxxt5O4Qc/s1600/_DPL7340-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XkJu8y-99vw/VhFmral-YPI/AAAAAAAAcsk/lcyxxt5O4Qc/s1600/_DPL7340-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Loch, at the base of towering mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dK_aLaFhI1I/VhFjB2PpUiI/AAAAAAAAcr0/mB0GacM5R9k/s1600/_DPL7338-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dK_aLaFhI1I/VhFjB2PpUiI/AAAAAAAAcr0/mB0GacM5R9k/s1600/_DPL7338-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Loch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qlw-kQL4xE/VhFmucOWFuI/AAAAAAAAcs0/_-taimMdVhU/s1600/_DPL7537-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qlw-kQL4xE/VhFmucOWFuI/AAAAAAAAcs0/_-taimMdVhU/s1600/_DPL7537-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking up to Peak 12,150</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rr8FZ_SPG_8/VhFjFZCUBbI/AAAAAAAAcsI/yzTZS3RaO-I/s1600/_DPL7549-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rr8FZ_SPG_8/VhFjFZCUBbI/AAAAAAAAcsI/yzTZS3RaO-I/s1600/_DPL7549-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Made it to the top of Peak 12,150!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUNo7Ns_lr4/VhFjE4D_lAI/AAAAAAAAcsA/dSY8NbDxFwA/s1600/_DPL7559-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUNo7Ns_lr4/VhFjE4D_lAI/AAAAAAAAcsA/dSY8NbDxFwA/s1600/_DPL7559-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The view goes on forever<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zym0DSGonJY/VhFmvBvN2dI/AAAAAAAAcs8/aFRqAhe4d1c/s1600/_DPL7644-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zym0DSGonJY/VhFmvBvN2dI/AAAAAAAAcs8/aFRqAhe4d1c/s1600/_DPL7644-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">View of the Continental Divide from Ute Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GdDpJv6tm2g/VhFmxR5WJSI/AAAAAAAActE/AQoFUs0wBI8/s1600/_DPL7817-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GdDpJv6tm2g/VhFmxR5WJSI/AAAAAAAActE/AQoFUs0wBI8/s1600/_DPL7817-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cub Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MbEF5-sxoHs/VhFm6MdmnaI/AAAAAAAActU/0HtmbWaKA7M/s1600/_DPL7841-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MbEF5-sxoHs/VhFm6MdmnaI/AAAAAAAActU/0HtmbWaKA7M/s1600/_DPL7841-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cub Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WkCorShooaQ/VhFm3dphe9I/AAAAAAAActM/xXZqIJBc6bg/s1600/_DPL7964-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WkCorShooaQ/VhFm3dphe9I/AAAAAAAActM/xXZqIJBc6bg/s1600/_DPL7964-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were so close to this herd of elk!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6QJcMrsWgg/VhFm8gHM9-I/AAAAAAAActc/J09hb8StjyE/s1600/_DPL7994-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6QJcMrsWgg/VhFm8gHM9-I/AAAAAAAActc/J09hb8StjyE/s1600/_DPL7994-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elk in Moraine Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cBdTfRUA8X4/VhFnBBEL0VI/AAAAAAAActk/zpLETFN2pp8/s1600/_DPL8082-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cBdTfRUA8X4/VhFnBBEL0VI/AAAAAAAActk/zpLETFN2pp8/s1600/_DPL8082-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing Ouzel Creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JWGJLVGuGTU/VhFnHZnvyaI/AAAAAAAAct0/OxMTqc4fn40/s1600/_DPL8122-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JWGJLVGuGTU/VhFnHZnvyaI/AAAAAAAAct0/OxMTqc4fn40/s640/_DPL8122-5.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First signs of fall color </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PoyAyuIFWw8/VhFnK1TBCjI/AAAAAAAAct8/NsxCB21kQew/s1600/_DPL8215-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PoyAyuIFWw8/VhFnK1TBCjI/AAAAAAAAct8/NsxCB21kQew/s1600/_DPL8215-7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Sisters Peaks, view from near our campground</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8lUSYjHA2M/VhFnLl3ZTOI/AAAAAAAAcuE/cYszUPcKop8/s1600/_DPL8293-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8lUSYjHA2M/VhFnLl3ZTOI/AAAAAAAAcuE/cYszUPcKop8/s1600/_DPL8293-8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily Lake and impressive Longs Peak, the source of the Colorado River</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_F7aBFR6MBM/VhFnGSMGiDI/AAAAAAAActs/F3o_NL3YE9I/s1600/_DPL8138-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_F7aBFR6MBM/VhFnGSMGiDI/AAAAAAAActs/F3o_NL3YE9I/s640/_DPL8138-6.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ouzel Falls was a beautiful hike with many tumbling cascades<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ukMbaS1rOI/VhFjF3P84uI/AAAAAAAAcsM/fS3uUL1PbK8/s1600/_DPL8160-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ukMbaS1rOI/VhFjF3P84uI/AAAAAAAAcsM/fS3uUL1PbK8/s1600/_DPL8160-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ouzel Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-14683168078814578632015-09-13T16:57:00.000-07:002015-09-13T16:57:17.505-07:00Now Officially a Professional PhotographerI have been a contributor to the Outdoor Project for much of 2015 and it has been a great experience. I have gained invaluable experience in travel photography and writing, and had the opportunity to see my work up on a professional and, frankly, kick-ass web site. Earlier this summer they contacted me about doing some directed work in Colorado under contract. So now I am officially getting paid to take pictures and write up our adventures in the Colorado Rockies! I won't get rich, but my photography habit is now paid for and I can now change my occupation on next year's tax return from "retired" to "photographer".<div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YGLwV9FWfZw/VfYNLhjn7ZI/AAAAAAAAcoU/BLsvyGmY0gw/s1600/_DPL8737-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YGLwV9FWfZw/VfYNLhjn7ZI/AAAAAAAAcoU/BLsvyGmY0gw/s1600/_DPL8737-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-79340081944768398002015-08-26T16:45:00.000-07:002015-09-13T16:45:58.787-07:00Saying Goodbye to a Friend and New Beginnings<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">After the great bluegrass festival in Westcliffe, we had planned to spend a week in Colorado Springs, but a nagging repair issue with our trailer made us change plans and head instead to Longmont, an hour north of Denver. Here we had an appointment with an “expert” on our trailer to hopefully deal with it once and for all. Well, it didn’t work out the way we planned. The “expert” was a bust
and we despaired of ever getting the slide-out on our trailer working again, and started to worry about what else might happen, and one thing led to another that led to ... our deciding to trade in the old Cypress and get
a new trailer. We had gotten a tremendous amount of service out of our ten-year-old trailer that we bought knowing practically NOTHING about RV’s. A</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">s much as we loved the old Cypress, w</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">e had long wished we had some more room and some of the modern conveniences, . Long story short, we bought a new trailer in Longmont, to be delivered in mid-August, so we had a month to get ready to move and say goodby to our home for nearly 4 years. After we left
Longmont, we spent the next month in Cheyenne, the Medicine Bows, Dumont Lake and Dillon Lake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Returning to Longmont on the 16</span><sup><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> of August, we spent a day moving ALL our stuff out of the Cypress and into the new Open Range Roamer. We spent the next six days trying to shoehorn everything into the new space, at times despairing
that we coud fit it all. But we eventually managed and drove off into the sunset. We love the new trailer and look forward to many happy travels living it her. We are thinking of naming her"Serenity"--a few of our friends may recognize why.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In remembrance of our first trailer and our home for so many adventures, here is a photo tribute:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ScRvDKUsmE/VfXL6ZFGbdI/AAAAAAAAceQ/mTDdSAt8Jho/s1600/Alabama%2BHills%252C%2BCA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ScRvDKUsmE/VfXL6ZFGbdI/AAAAAAAAceQ/mTDdSAt8Jho/s400/Alabama%2BHills%252C%2BCA.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alabama Hills, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8MteIOXSZs/VfXL5bdJa6I/AAAAAAAAceE/ztMsj0mJdYM/s1600/Big%2BSur%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8MteIOXSZs/VfXL5bdJa6I/AAAAAAAAceE/ztMsj0mJdYM/s400/Big%2BSur%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sur, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NaXGQsBrdHE/VfXL5zMEa1I/AAAAAAAAceM/pzl9FucdzZw/s1600/Blythe%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NaXGQsBrdHE/VfXL5zMEa1I/AAAAAAAAceM/pzl9FucdzZw/s400/Blythe%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blythe, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50gF9GynVLo/VfXhCmsJeKI/AAAAAAAAchw/g0bTHPts1yM/s1600/Buena%2BVista%252C%2BCO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50gF9GynVLo/VfXhCmsJeKI/AAAAAAAAchw/g0bTHPts1yM/s1600/Buena%2BVista%252C%2BCO.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buena Vista, CO</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqI6IT9K5Y4/VfXhDLT7K4I/AAAAAAAAciE/As3-Nqb3mWY/s1600/Carlsbad%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqI6IT9K5Y4/VfXhDLT7K4I/AAAAAAAAciE/As3-Nqb3mWY/s400/Carlsbad%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlsbad, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QntzDTJ6Jjo/VfXhCoiZhCI/AAAAAAAAch0/jaiaY3v11Cc/s1600/Cedar%2BMesa%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QntzDTJ6Jjo/VfXhCoiZhCI/AAAAAAAAch0/jaiaY3v11Cc/s400/Cedar%2BMesa%2B2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cedar Mesa, UT</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q1CBo77qfAw/VfXhDJJSy9I/AAAAAAAAch8/rL9u57Zzibk/s1600/Cedar%2BMesa%252C%2BUT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q1CBo77qfAw/VfXhDJJSy9I/AAAAAAAAch8/rL9u57Zzibk/s1600/Cedar%2BMesa%252C%2BUT.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cedar Mesa, UT</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WG6OpMM_fS0/VfXhDcujloI/AAAAAAAAciA/cUBHvBv8dB0/s1600/Dana%2BPoint%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WG6OpMM_fS0/VfXhDcujloI/AAAAAAAAciA/cUBHvBv8dB0/s640/Dana%2BPoint%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dana Point, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LebJCHnJkn0/VfXhEE_qLyI/AAAAAAAAciY/R88zjQbi620/s1600/Death%2BValley%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LebJCHnJkn0/VfXhEE_qLyI/AAAAAAAAciY/R88zjQbi620/s400/Death%2BValley%2B2.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death Valley, CA </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Dz6oWDNzAg/VfXhFcs5ywI/AAAAAAAAcio/jTjDi4VgTsY/s1600/Dumont%2BLake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Dz6oWDNzAg/VfXhFcs5ywI/AAAAAAAAcio/jTjDi4VgTsY/s400/Dumont%2BLake.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumont Lake, CO</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61serhRpDX4/VfXhGH2plcI/AAAAAAAAciw/vmIPL_LYSGY/s1600/Ft.%2BPickens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61serhRpDX4/VfXhGH2plcI/AAAAAAAAciw/vmIPL_LYSGY/s400/Ft.%2BPickens.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ft. Pickens, FL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AmT0OiB7eRk/VfXhGw0v_BI/AAAAAAAAcjE/mXwNFRffshE/s1600/Gettysburg%2BPA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AmT0OiB7eRk/VfXhGw0v_BI/AAAAAAAAcjE/mXwNFRffshE/s400/Gettysburg%2BPA.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gettysburg, PA</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A_zjL8HbENY/VfYJTPXVFaI/AAAAAAAAcoA/GT8hrvvg1XI/s1600/Grand%2BCanyon%252C%2BAZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A_zjL8HbENY/VfYJTPXVFaI/AAAAAAAAcoA/GT8hrvvg1XI/s640/Grand%2BCanyon%252C%2BAZ.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canyon, AZ</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58HWDIQeTJM/VfYKHB1pkII/AAAAAAAAcoI/NDhMSX3LPDg/s1600/Grass%2BValley%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58HWDIQeTJM/VfYKHB1pkII/AAAAAAAAcoI/NDhMSX3LPDg/s320/Grass%2BValley%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Grass Valley, CA</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLOK5-2uzGw/VfXhHd1okPI/AAAAAAAAcjQ/kXsAWsan5Hg/s1600/IMG_3655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLOK5-2uzGw/VfXhHd1okPI/AAAAAAAAcjQ/kXsAWsan5Hg/s320/IMG_3655.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">?????</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3JeQFBhYzI/VfXhIA7raqI/AAAAAAAAcjc/0IUuXA1RMAQ/s1600/Jalama%2BBeach%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3JeQFBhYzI/VfXhIA7raqI/AAAAAAAAcjc/0IUuXA1RMAQ/s320/Jalama%2BBeach%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jalama Beach, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JClvH3yVYPo/VfXhISSQWMI/AAAAAAAAcjo/E4wpBaSwqUg/s1600/Joshua%2BTree%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JClvH3yVYPo/VfXhISSQWMI/AAAAAAAAcjo/E4wpBaSwqUg/s320/Joshua%2BTree%2B2.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree, CA</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M8-Z0PkUN3o/VfXhIiAkZCI/AAAAAAAAcjs/0ME0EwutavM/s1600/Joshua%2BTree%2B3%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M8-Z0PkUN3o/VfXhIiAkZCI/AAAAAAAAcjs/0ME0EwutavM/s320/Joshua%2BTree%2B3%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree, CA</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DDT9AMcdONM/VfXhJQdRbxI/AAAAAAAAckA/X2Yk6qj0Avg/s1600/Joshua%2BTree%252C%2BCA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DDT9AMcdONM/VfXhJQdRbxI/AAAAAAAAckA/X2Yk6qj0Avg/s320/Joshua%2BTree%252C%2BCA.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXDRnoS7sIg/VfXhJ_MPtvI/AAAAAAAAcko/0TAalurfDFI/s1600/Key%2BLargo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXDRnoS7sIg/VfXhJ_MPtvI/AAAAAAAAcko/0TAalurfDFI/s320/Key%2BLargo.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Key Largo, FL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xtjn8B3H8yU/VfXhJ7CoJhI/AAAAAAAAckI/zu-69tnqiHk/s1600/Kings%2BCanyon%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xtjn8B3H8yU/VfXhJ7CoJhI/AAAAAAAAckI/zu-69tnqiHk/s320/Kings%2BCanyon%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kings Canyon, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5H1wRHjFVM/VfXhKIorpWI/AAAAAAAAckE/pvBCu2Ovano/s1600/Klamath%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5H1wRHjFVM/VfXhKIorpWI/AAAAAAAAckE/pvBCu2Ovano/s320/Klamath%2B2.jpg" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klamath River, CA</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tn5nq076_5s/VfXhKYg8PJI/AAAAAAAAckQ/uNN9JM0o82g/s1600/Klamath%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tn5nq076_5s/VfXhKYg8PJI/AAAAAAAAckQ/uNN9JM0o82g/s320/Klamath%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klamath, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HKn40tYmffE/VfXhKnD-lrI/AAAAAAAAckU/s34bCEq2HZk/s1600/Kodachrome%2BBasin%252C%2BUT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HKn40tYmffE/VfXhKnD-lrI/AAAAAAAAckU/s34bCEq2HZk/s320/Kodachrome%2BBasin%252C%2BUT.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kodachrome Basin, UT</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnl0u39f8BA/VfXhLkfXhuI/AAAAAAAAcks/EAC6d6wvbSw/s1600/Lone%2BPine%252C%2BCA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnl0u39f8BA/VfXhLkfXhuI/AAAAAAAAcks/EAC6d6wvbSw/s320/Lone%2BPine%252C%2BCA.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lone Pine, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkmYdV9bbcI/VfXhL3AzinI/AAAAAAAAck0/zZIW9a10cTA/s1600/Mammoth%2BCave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkmYdV9bbcI/VfXhL3AzinI/AAAAAAAAck0/zZIW9a10cTA/s320/Mammoth%2BCave.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mammoth Cave, KY</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B535DO5do50/VfXhLw0J4DI/AAAAAAAAck4/oPU31FsR3XU/s1600/Mesa%252C%2BAZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B535DO5do50/VfXhLw0J4DI/AAAAAAAAck4/oPU31FsR3XU/s320/Mesa%252C%2BAZ.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesa, AZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c_MnE77a2ZU/VfXhNkM4trI/AAAAAAAAclU/AAmjoYpeBDY/s1600/Natchez%2BTrace%252C%2BMS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c_MnE77a2ZU/VfXhNkM4trI/AAAAAAAAclU/AAmjoYpeBDY/s320/Natchez%2BTrace%252C%2BMS.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natchez Trace, MS</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LaOZMKSiXBY/VfXhNQFXgPI/AAAAAAAAclI/oLz8omuKYZk/s1600/New%2BBrunswick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LaOZMKSiXBY/VfXhNQFXgPI/AAAAAAAAclI/oLz8omuKYZk/s320/New%2BBrunswick.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Brunswick, Canada</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dAQrV8xX1_4/VfXhNvHVlCI/AAAAAAAAclM/2Fu_q7TgX84/s1600/Niagra%2BFalls%252C%2BNY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dAQrV8xX1_4/VfXhNvHVlCI/AAAAAAAAclM/2Fu_q7TgX84/s320/Niagra%2BFalls%252C%2BNY.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niagara Falls, NY</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dgEd4zLBLfE/VfXhOKKbHyI/AAAAAAAAclY/6l4kTMF18Ms/s1600/Nova%2BScotia%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dgEd4zLBLfE/VfXhOKKbHyI/AAAAAAAAclY/6l4kTMF18Ms/s320/Nova%2BScotia%2B2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheticamp, Nova Scotia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6LPIICT2D5I/VfXhOqe5mJI/AAAAAAAAclk/evzrvTtkbmo/s1600/Nova%2BScotia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6LPIICT2D5I/VfXhOqe5mJI/AAAAAAAAclk/evzrvTtkbmo/s320/Nova%2BScotia.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nova Scotia, Canada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2YE80Mf57bg/VfXhOxTwYaI/AAAAAAAAclo/bu-8tS80mn4/s1600/Ohio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2YE80Mf57bg/VfXhOxTwYaI/AAAAAAAAclo/bu-8tS80mn4/s320/Ohio.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winery near Toledo, OH</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-of_GJjJPp9c/VfXhPdOfRYI/AAAAAAAAcl0/YGtr_Jca5Wo/s1600/Oklahoma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-of_GJjJPp9c/VfXhPdOfRYI/AAAAAAAAcl0/YGtr_Jca5Wo/s320/Oklahoma.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truck stop, somewhere in OK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fqdU_j50huk/VfXhPeJ5hLI/AAAAAAAAclw/vYVYWUQXY0g/s1600/Organ%2BPipe%252C%2BAZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fqdU_j50huk/VfXhPeJ5hLI/AAAAAAAAclw/vYVYWUQXY0g/s320/Organ%2BPipe%252C%2BAZ.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organ Pipe Cactus NM, AZ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oLSu1rMQEng/VfXhPrjoIkI/AAAAAAAAcmM/t324W_M9Mls/s1600/Palm%2BSprings%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oLSu1rMQEng/VfXhPrjoIkI/AAAAAAAAcmM/t324W_M9Mls/s320/Palm%2BSprings%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palm Springs, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGvEEX17dw0/VfXhPxJUrXI/AAAAAAAAcmE/SJ8XHqqFONI/s1600/Palo%2BDuro%2BCanyon%252C%2BTX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGvEEX17dw0/VfXhPxJUrXI/AAAAAAAAcmE/SJ8XHqqFONI/s320/Palo%2BDuro%2BCanyon%252C%2BTX.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palo Duro Canyon, TX</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-2JzVZtxvQ/VfXhQGX7LtI/AAAAAAAAcmA/l-3q1ZyTUZI/s1600/Santee%2BLake%252C%2BCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-2JzVZtxvQ/VfXhQGX7LtI/AAAAAAAAcmA/l-3q1ZyTUZI/s320/Santee%2BLake%252C%2BCA.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santee Lakes, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dnQnD8njNTs/VfXhRSAfQ1I/AAAAAAAAcmg/6gu-lrP_vdU/s1600/Tampa%252C%2BFL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dnQnD8njNTs/VfXhRSAfQ1I/AAAAAAAAcmg/6gu-lrP_vdU/s400/Tampa%252C%2BFL.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tampa, FL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-brSEx_wCD1U/VfXhRhCZSHI/AAAAAAAAcmk/lAe6RcGJ3f0/s1600/Valley%2Bof%2BFire%252C%2BNV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-brSEx_wCD1U/VfXhRhCZSHI/AAAAAAAAcmk/lAe6RcGJ3f0/s320/Valley%2Bof%2BFire%252C%2BNV.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valley of Fire, NV</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKrlIy_2PVI/VfXhTMAJ9oI/AAAAAAAAcm0/2x4htpy9a5A/s1600/Virginia%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKrlIy_2PVI/VfXhTMAJ9oI/AAAAAAAAcm0/2x4htpy9a5A/s320/Virginia%2B2.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western VA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJn48TSTRKU/VfXhTM49FQI/AAAAAAAAcm4/KQz-NjTKqeg/s1600/Virginia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJn48TSTRKU/VfXhTM49FQI/AAAAAAAAcm4/KQz-NjTKqeg/s320/Virginia.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western VA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vuwvW2_GX8A/VfXhS57LdGI/AAAAAAAAcmw/EF1HvgY1VqI/s1600/York%252C%2BME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vuwvW2_GX8A/VfXhS57LdGI/AAAAAAAAcmw/EF1HvgY1VqI/s320/York%252C%2BME.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York, ME</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyZfGgh6ZS8/VfXhUnF4NUI/AAAAAAAAcnI/vPC_-QH0Omg/s1600/Yosemite%252C%2BCA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyZfGgh6ZS8/VfXhUnF4NUI/AAAAAAAAcnI/vPC_-QH0Omg/s320/Yosemite%252C%2BCA.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yosemite, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-68607943559538811862015-08-19T13:35:00.000-07:002015-09-13T13:35:46.640-07:00Dillon Reservoir, Summit County Colorado<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We got to spend a long weekend with Jeff and Katie, who flew and drove in from San Francisco. We did some hiking and some brew-pub crawling and some Rummicube playing and kept
them busy the whole time. The Dillon Lake area was a total surprise to me, exceeding expectations. It’s right on Interstate 70 and in the middle of five ski areas, so I figured it would be totally developed. It sort
of is, but there is so much easily eccessible nature and the campground felt quite isolated, that we loved it...and enjoyed the civilize amenities too.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We hiked McCullough Gulch, Lily Pad Lake and Lower Boulder Lake. We explored Loveland Pass, one of the highest passes in the country. We drove down a wicked bad road to a little
lake and completely lost the trail that was supposed to go around it, so we just hung out on the shore. We cooked Jeff and Katie our mega-nachos and watched the amazing clouds play with the amazing mountains. And we nervously
prepared to hit the road toward what we knew was going to be a momentous week...stay tuned!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynm0xKLL-qc/VfXcMQCw3xI/AAAAAAAAcf4/YI00wHbUpps/s1600/_DPL6495-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynm0xKLL-qc/VfXcMQCw3xI/AAAAAAAAcf4/YI00wHbUpps/s1600/_DPL6495-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain goats on the McCullough Gulch trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUfyLaoG0D0/VfXcMdHzcyI/AAAAAAAAcf0/NFhKaA3moEw/s1600/_DPL6519-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUfyLaoG0D0/VfXcMdHzcyI/AAAAAAAAcf0/NFhKaA3moEw/s1600/_DPL6519-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake at the upper end of McCullough Gulch in the Tenmile Range</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zqx46CCpdaY/VfXcMfJKLRI/AAAAAAAAcf8/aPA2li8vOtY/s1600/_DPL6544-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zqx46CCpdaY/VfXcMfJKLRI/AAAAAAAAcf8/aPA2li8vOtY/s640/_DPL6544-1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DmxGBHyHxww/VfXcM6AUDiI/AAAAAAAAchc/Qp-q48aA9jw/s1600/_DPL6570-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DmxGBHyHxww/VfXcM6AUDiI/AAAAAAAAchc/Qp-q48aA9jw/s1600/_DPL6570-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got a bit turned around on this hike...but never lost!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5n3odDuy7Gw/VfXcNK2UZkI/AAAAAAAAcgI/G_fed5a0fZ8/s1600/_DPL6596-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5n3odDuy7Gw/VfXcNK2UZkI/AAAAAAAAcgI/G_fed5a0fZ8/s1600/_DPL6596-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily Pad Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-leVgsuFxnr8/VfXcNam1kuI/AAAAAAAAcgM/SKBu1bdm_Vo/s1600/_DPL6614-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-leVgsuFxnr8/VfXcNam1kuI/AAAAAAAAcgM/SKBu1bdm_Vo/s1600/_DPL6614-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Lily Pad Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXfLT_2blO8/VfXcN9QglkI/AAAAAAAAcgU/1ajZ4vIr9uY/s1600/_DPL6786-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXfLT_2blO8/VfXcN9QglkI/AAAAAAAAcgU/1ajZ4vIr9uY/s640/_DPL6786-7.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cataract Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2koLMQhs9Y/VfXcNxNRGaI/AAAAAAAAcgY/DbVAzwDp8p0/s1600/_DPL6965-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2koLMQhs9Y/VfXcNxNRGaI/AAAAAAAAcgY/DbVAzwDp8p0/s1600/_DPL6965-8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset light over our campground at Dillon Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aLWT9ljDaXU/VfXcOcAT4zI/AAAAAAAAcgg/fUCQkjgMfyw/s1600/_DPL6998-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aLWT9ljDaXU/VfXcOcAT4zI/AAAAAAAAcgg/fUCQkjgMfyw/s640/_DPL6998-9.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the trail to Lower Boulder Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f6bcu-VTmyU/VfXcOQvxZwI/AAAAAAAAcgk/g-LX6pt-8tg/s1600/_DPL7007-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f6bcu-VTmyU/VfXcOQvxZwI/AAAAAAAAcgk/g-LX6pt-8tg/s1600/_DPL7007-10.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glimpses of the Gore Range on the way to Lower Boulder Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-avbersC2gNU/VfXcO2BS2vI/AAAAAAAAcgs/fDMgCRp8DLg/s1600/_DPL7031-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-avbersC2gNU/VfXcO2BS2vI/AAAAAAAAcgs/fDMgCRp8DLg/s1600/_DPL7031-11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Boulder Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ejkXuobBh7o/VfXcO2pFQ6I/AAAAAAAAcgw/JL96LKxiJU0/s1600/_DPL7053-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ejkXuobBh7o/VfXcO2pFQ6I/AAAAAAAAcgw/JL96LKxiJU0/s640/_DPL7053-12.jpg" width="504" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Boulder Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeskTMjtdgA/VfXcPaUZP9I/AAAAAAAAcg0/XfscUrkj-TQ/s1600/_DPL7060-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeskTMjtdgA/VfXcPaUZP9I/AAAAAAAAcg0/XfscUrkj-TQ/s1600/_DPL7060-13.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBeJOJYeIBk/VfXcPvt63UI/AAAAAAAAchM/Gu57OWMYdOI/s1600/_DPL7081-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBeJOJYeIBk/VfXcPvt63UI/AAAAAAAAchM/Gu57OWMYdOI/s1600/_DPL7081-14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little waterfall below Boulder Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-76372992253454110182015-08-12T12:23:00.000-07:002015-09-13T12:27:08.226-07:00Dumont Lake--an Ocean of Wildflowers<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Our next stop was Dumont Lake, which had been recommended to us by someone from Colorado that we met in Arizona. It was supposed to be good for wildflowers. That’s like saying
Beethoven wrote some tunes. This was the Sistine Chapel of wildflowers. The pictures don’t do it justice, like they seldom do the fall colors of New England justice. We were camped in someone’s perennial garden that
went on for miles in all directions. The flowers came up to our windows; we waded shoulder-deep in color.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Not continuously besotted with flowers, we did manage to visit Steamboat Springs, scene of a long-ago skiing trip, and do a couple hikes. The Rabbit Ears Peak hike was particularly
satisfying and scenic (the trailhead was right in our campground). We could only stay 5 days here, needing to hustle off to meet our son, Jeff, and Katie in Dillon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">More of our Steamboat Springs area adventures on the Outdoor Project:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/upper-fish-creek-falls<br />
http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/rabbit-ears-peak<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgdNpMdbC1I/VfXMgpSqvzI/AAAAAAAAcfk/tbaavcpb9Io/s1600/_DPL6088-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgdNpMdbC1I/VfXMgpSqvzI/AAAAAAAAcfk/tbaavcpb9Io/s1600/_DPL6088-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our campground at Dumont Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumont Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumont Lake and beetle damage on pine trees, common throughout Colorado</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping in a wildflower garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Fish Creek Falls, near Steamboat Springs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Fish Creek Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumont Lake sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Rabbit Ears Peak trail</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-56245168752403884952015-08-05T12:03:00.000-07:002015-09-13T12:03:49.210-07:00Medicine Bow Mountains<div class="Normal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We were kind of glad to leave Cheyenne and the trappings of what Wyoming calls civilization. We had a week planned in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming, also called the
Snowy Range. Just about no one knows about these mountains outside of people who live in southern Wyoming and die-hard outdoors folks in Colorado. It is a beautiful little mountain range near the Wyoming/Colorado border that
you can drive right into the middle of at 11,000 feet. Imagine a slice of Yosemite high country dropped into the middle of nowhere with a good road through it. It is a real gem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We camped at Brooklyn Lake, a tiny campground with its own traihead into the back country. There are about 130 lakes in the Snowy Range. We would easily pass 12-15 on a four-hour
hike. The wildflowers were stupendous and there were many snowfields still frozen. We hiked a lot and the photos below are only a few examples of the many beautiful places we saw. I hiked to 12,013-foot Medicine Bow Peak
the day before we left--my first high Rocky Mountain peak (though far from the difficulty of the “14ers”}.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">These are truly lovely mountains and it is good to know that there are still places like this in our country. Places no one is making a buck on or visiting to death with tour
buses. Places with absolutely no services and where people have been camping since their father took them there who was taken there by HIS father. We were very sad to leave.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">See more of our Medicine Bow adventures on the Outdoor Project website:</span><br />
http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/shelf-lakes-gap-lakes-trail<br />
http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/lost-lake-trail<br />
http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/medicine-bow-peak-lewis-lake-trailhead<br />
http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/twin-lakes-sheep-lake-trail<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucker likes hiking in the mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our campground</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugarloaf Peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medicine Bow Peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelf Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medicine Bow Peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooklyn Lake, near our campsite</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before dawn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on Mirror Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full moon setting over Mirror Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rgmpkCU1mE8/VfW_8W3WxhI/AAAAAAAAcck/yIz-390MNdE/s1600/_DPL6016-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rgmpkCU1mE8/VfW_8W3WxhI/AAAAAAAAcck/yIz-390MNdE/s1600/_DPL6016-18.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medicine Bow crest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land of Many Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of Medicine Bow Peak, 12,013 ft.</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-79148294460687183542015-07-25T22:05:00.000-07:002015-08-16T06:27:20.595-07:00Cheyenne, WyomingIn a bit of a change of pace for us, we had planned to spend a week near Cheyenne because we had tickets to see Keith Urban perform on the last night of Cheyenne Frontier Days. Frontier Days is the biggest event of the year for Cheyenne (and maybe for the whole state of Wyoming) and they do a really good job of it. The whole town really gets behind the ten days of festivities, which featured an authentic rodeo every other day, the Air Force Thunderbirds air show, a huge midway, an Indian village with performances by Wyoming dancers and musicians and a big parade. We tried to do it all and really had fun there. We camped about 1/2 hour out of town in a very nice state park and managed to do some hiking in addition to our trips to Cheyenne. The Keith Urban concert was amazing as usual and the next day we headed out to one of the least-known mountain ranges in the country. Wait 'till you see THAT place!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole town really did a great job on the parade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were many antique wagons and cars...and lots of horses and mules</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-luvNiFq_igA/VdAX0tfXYEI/AAAAAAAAcNE/uHQ4tUTQQqw/s1600/_DPL4100-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-luvNiFq_igA/VdAX0tfXYEI/AAAAAAAAcNE/uHQ4tUTQQqw/s1600/_DPL4100-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool horns!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YpmNvaxb_Y8/VdAX6-6xFHI/AAAAAAAAcNY/lZ3RxDrlkxU/s1600/_DPL4105-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YpmNvaxb_Y8/VdAX6-6xFHI/AAAAAAAAcNY/lZ3RxDrlkxU/s1600/_DPL4105-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNHf2XfjW-g/VdAX65nXroI/AAAAAAAAcNc/6opLylmbLNU/s1600/_DPL4127-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNHf2XfjW-g/VdAX65nXroI/AAAAAAAAcNc/6opLylmbLNU/s1600/_DPL4127-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating a buffalo burger at the rodeo....notice the hat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3i8KjhDzpkk/VdAX7cbPyoI/AAAAAAAAcNg/o8wzjrr-gA8/s1600/_DPL4411-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3i8KjhDzpkk/VdAX7cbPyoI/AAAAAAAAcNg/o8wzjrr-gA8/s1600/_DPL4411-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steer wrestlers are truly crazy. That is 700 pounds of beef he has to get on the ground!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D0IaArPkY2g/VdAX-8EaJTI/AAAAAAAAcOA/qpKB9t7K1rw/s1600/_DPL4786-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D0IaArPkY2g/VdAX-8EaJTI/AAAAAAAAcOA/qpKB9t7K1rw/s1600/_DPL4786-7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bucking bronco riders were only slightly less crazy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6BKZj_GyOO4/VdAX9a-QcPI/AAAAAAAAcNw/5Spus--gYeo/s1600/_DPL4953-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6BKZj_GyOO4/VdAX9a-QcPI/AAAAAAAAcNw/5Spus--gYeo/s1600/_DPL4953-8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Thunderbirds were spectacular, and we were so close</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucker, enjoying the view of our campground</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jT6wKYUxDYE/VdAX_eZWtMI/AAAAAAAAcOI/DZCbVbAtSaw/s1600/_DPL5184-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jT6wKYUxDYE/VdAX_eZWtMI/AAAAAAAAcOI/DZCbVbAtSaw/s1600/_DPL5184-11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hiked around North Crow Reservoir and had it almost to ourselves</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oG5xRYkrW8/VdAYACLBRMI/AAAAAAAAcOQ/HLaxXuwY384/s1600/_DPL5200-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oG5xRYkrW8/VdAYACLBRMI/AAAAAAAAcOQ/HLaxXuwY384/s1600/_DPL5200-12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of our campground by Granite Springs Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local Indian "Fancy Dancer" putting on a great show</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOr3e96L1Ps/VdAYB4DrzII/AAAAAAAAcOg/Yio5uxS4fi8/s1600/_DPL5321-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOr3e96L1Ps/VdAYB4DrzII/AAAAAAAAcOg/Yio5uxS4fi8/s1600/_DPL5321-14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset from our campsite</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-43337060839974924132015-07-18T21:01:00.000-07:002015-08-15T21:01:48.587-07:00Pawnee National Grasslands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Northeast of Denver, almost to the Wyoming border, is a large area of shortgrass prairie, the kind that once covered much of the midwest. We had a few days before we were due to head up to Cheyenne, so we decided to camp out in this vast, flat area and take a break from the mountains for a while.</div>
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Not really a pristine area, the National Grasslands is a patchwork of ranches, open prairie and some oil and gas develoment. It was really quite beautiful and in this very wet year, it was green and full of wildflowers. We camped in a very quiet and lovely spot and took a drive over to the Pawnee Buttes for a hike. The buttes are one of the few remnants of the prairie floor as it existed millions of years ago. Almost all of that soft sandstone has eroded away, but a hard cap of rock protected the buttes from erosion, leaving the several-hundred-foot-high monoliths as they are today. It was a very beautiful place and one that few people even know about, much less visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bThzPIPbyC4/VdAJYUXFBnI/AAAAAAAAcL0/eZrlg-M4UcU/s1600/_DPL3794-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bThzPIPbyC4/VdAJYUXFBnI/AAAAAAAAcL0/eZrlg-M4UcU/s1600/_DPL3794-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our camping spot in the grasslands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KaJ2X-K2BEo/VdAJYVZW8pI/AAAAAAAAcLs/oD5vf7EjDlk/s1600/_DPL3804-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KaJ2X-K2BEo/VdAJYVZW8pI/AAAAAAAAcLs/oD5vf7EjDlk/s1600/_DPL3804-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A storm approaches</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_o5icz5CL0/VdAJYe4jKYI/AAAAAAAAcLw/oU054_7h0iw/s1600/_DPL3831-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_o5icz5CL0/VdAJYe4jKYI/AAAAAAAAcLw/oU054_7h0iw/s1600/_DPL3831-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This creek is usually dry, but this year it is flooded</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qyshnitWt-I/VdAJZg3N9JI/AAAAAAAAcME/xPKTpPbhzW4/s1600/_DPL3922-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qyshnitWt-I/VdAJZg3N9JI/AAAAAAAAcME/xPKTpPbhzW4/s1600/_DPL3922-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pawnee Butte trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A92Gt5K1jV8/VdAKxKlKxJI/AAAAAAAAcMw/6NyJU2wXDUk/s1600/_DPL3983-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A92Gt5K1jV8/VdAKxKlKxJI/AAAAAAAAcMw/6NyJU2wXDUk/s1600/_DPL3983-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the buttes from a distance</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-51558703169048622072015-07-15T20:32:00.000-07:002015-08-15T20:42:31.657-07:00Bluegrass in the MountainsWe usually try to hit at least a couple of bluegrass festivals every year and this summer in Colorado we only found one that sounded pretty good. As it turned out the festival in Westcliffe (which is a tiny ranching community at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains) was a real winner. The most beautiful surroundings, a great lineup of musicians and a friendly little town all made for a great four days. Photographing bluegrass musicians has not always been very rewarding for me, but there was one band, the Hillbenders, that put on a great show with mega-enthusiasm and I had fun shooting them in black and white.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PNqZU8OSco8/VdAFbtukLHI/AAAAAAAAcK8/3PONHoIEnvg/s1600/_DPL3623-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PNqZU8OSco8/VdAFbtukLHI/AAAAAAAAcK8/3PONHoIEnvg/s1600/_DPL3623-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the festival tent was always amazing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sangre de Cristo Mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zLveVWPI610/VdAFeel_FSI/AAAAAAAAcLQ/kXudXRkiXWo/s1600/_DPL3638-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zLveVWPI610/VdAFeel_FSI/AAAAAAAAcLQ/kXudXRkiXWo/s1600/_DPL3638-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hillbenders' Chad Graves</td></tr>
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<br />ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-69047204282011712462015-07-11T09:50:00.000-07:002015-08-15T20:22:53.629-07:00The Arkansas Headwaters<div class="Normal">
Having explored some of the notable places in far-western Colorado, it was time to move east. We had a date with a bluegrass festival later in July and we wanted to break the drive up, so we headed for Buena
Vista, in the Arkansas River Valley. The Arkansas River runs for over 1,400 miles from central Colorado to the Mississippi. Buena Vista is only about 50 miles from the source of the river and is at the center of one of the
most active whitewater areas in the country. Just south of Buena Vista the Arkansas runs through Brown’s Canyon, which was just made the country’s newest National Monument by President Obama.</div>
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We had reservations at a campground right on the river, called Railroad Bridge Campground. In additon to being a campground, it was a major put-in/take-out spot for river runners and river guide companies.
We found it fun to watch the loading and unloading of rafts and kayaks, and the spot was absolutely spectacular, with views of several 14,000-foot peaks to the west and the beautiful river running through our dreams.</div>
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We did a few hikes to nearby lakes and a fabulous bike ride through the mining district of nearby Leadville. We also took a raft trip through Brown’s Canyon--SO different from the Colorado River we ran
back in May, but very beautiful and fun. We loved the little town of BV and the friendly, outdoorsy people of Colorado. ANOTHER place we’d love to visit again someday (this is getting to be a recurring theme)!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buena Vista has a whitewater park on the Arkansas River which runs right through town. Professional kayakers have moved here because it is so great for whitewater</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We watched the fireworks display in a field outside of Buena Vista</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ptarmigan Lake. This was a nice 5-mile hike above the tree line.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tfTCZIXMqXg/Vc_-coToGvI/AAAAAAAAcJI/MXkrN8PIIE4/s1600/_DPL3208-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tfTCZIXMqXg/Vc_-coToGvI/AAAAAAAAcJI/MXkrN8PIIE4/s1600/_DPL3208-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucker likes hiking too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48F_ZR1cBdY/Vc_-da_JmFI/AAAAAAAAcJQ/POigZiyu0NM/s1600/_DPL3231-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48F_ZR1cBdY/Vc_-da_JmFI/AAAAAAAAcJQ/POigZiyu0NM/s1600/_DPL3231-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This hike was in the Collegiate Range. that is Mt. Yale (14,199 ft.) in the distance</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAl4bLQjeEc/Vc_-f6BAtfI/AAAAAAAAcJY/yfjJQs3cAqc/s1600/_DPL3243-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAl4bLQjeEc/Vc_-f6BAtfI/AAAAAAAAcJY/yfjJQs3cAqc/s1600/_DPL3243-6.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HcvVBR9YskM/Vc_-glTcL7I/AAAAAAAAcJg/wRFosvWiRpk/s1600/_DPL3305-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HcvVBR9YskM/Vc_-glTcL7I/AAAAAAAAcJg/wRFosvWiRpk/s640/_DPL3305-1.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of our campground looking down the Arkansas River. That is our trailer left center.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gb0QlxmAiE/Vc_-hf9JgQI/AAAAAAAAcJo/94oepNISqBo/s1600/_DPL3323-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gb0QlxmAiE/Vc_-hf9JgQI/AAAAAAAAcJo/94oepNISqBo/s1600/_DPL3323-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along twin Lakes near Leadville. That is Mt. Elbert (14,439 ft.), the highest peak in the Rockies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKlQjeFwpsU/Vc_-jEqSqMI/AAAAAAAAcJw/iD81QRb_v50/s1600/_DPL3343-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKlQjeFwpsU/Vc_-jEqSqMI/AAAAAAAAcJw/iD81QRb_v50/s1600/_DPL3343-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hiked to the site of Interlaken Resort, which died back in the 1920's but many of the buildings are preserved.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WgQ80k7x2Xs/Vc_-mwdeF5I/AAAAAAAAcJ4/5GyJfIzJCMM/s1600/_DPL3372-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WgQ80k7x2Xs/Vc_-mwdeF5I/AAAAAAAAcJ4/5GyJfIzJCMM/s1600/_DPL3372-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interlaken Historic Area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6dlyP3kDFs/Vc_-nsn4yOI/AAAAAAAAcKA/3cj4pPOR9gQ/s1600/_DPL3399-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6dlyP3kDFs/Vc_-nsn4yOI/AAAAAAAAcKA/3cj4pPOR9gQ/s1600/_DPL3399-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynnae riding the Mineral Belt Trail, a 12-mile bike trail around Leadville. The trail is very fun and beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6EswsZeCmc/Vc_-rYrA6AI/AAAAAAAAcKI/Ir__5p-den8/s1600/_DPL3434-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6EswsZeCmc/Vc_-rYrA6AI/AAAAAAAAcKI/Ir__5p-den8/s1600/_DPL3434-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Minerall Belt trail goes through the old mining district of Leadville. Not sure who would even think of swimming here! Much of the mining area was declared a Superfund site several years ago and is much cleaned up now...but not completely</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1gn88pWC_Yg/Vc_-r8_TlTI/AAAAAAAAcKM/liN7gMDCkWw/s1600/_DPL3466-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1gn88pWC_Yg/Vc_-r8_TlTI/AAAAAAAAcKM/liN7gMDCkWw/s1600/_DPL3466-7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old church outside of Leadville. Back in the 1880's, Leadville was second in population only to Denver and was almost made the state capital of Colorado.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNLXy8pPOL0/Vc_-tTqe_SI/AAAAAAAAcKY/rVBhJ7iPsdU/s1600/_DPL3470-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNLXy8pPOL0/Vc_-tTqe_SI/AAAAAAAAcKY/rVBhJ7iPsdU/s1600/_DPL3470-8.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HvTLp9wi6c8/Vc_-v9-Y84I/AAAAAAAAcKk/1f_EGusnGis/s1600/_DPL3547-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HvTLp9wi6c8/Vc_-v9-Y84I/AAAAAAAAcKk/1f_EGusnGis/s1600/_DPL3547-7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arkansas River from the old railroad bridge near our campsite</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDtS9Iur7xU/Vc_-v3EwUsI/AAAAAAAAcKg/3FGnX7vKPZc/s1600/_DPL3555-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDtS9Iur7xU/Vc_-v3EwUsI/AAAAAAAAcKg/3FGnX7vKPZc/s1600/_DPL3555-8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tunnel caused us some trepidation at first, but we fit through it just fine</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480739457371321557.post-76538926277040255322015-07-04T09:49:00.000-07:002015-07-28T07:28:51.258-07:00Grand Mesa<div class="Normal">
Reluctantly leaving Ridgway and the San Juans, we headed up to Grand Junction, the largest city in Western Colorado, to get some RV work done (unsuccessfully), cancelling our plans to visit the Black Canyon
of the Gunnison National Park and instead went up to Grand Mesa for a week. Little-known outside of Colroado, the Grand Mesa is the world’s largest flat-topped mountain and a major year-round playground for the locals in
Western Colorado. At 10,000 feet, this 500-square-mile plateau overlooks the Colorado River and the desert of Colorado National Monument. Because it is so flat, it is dotted with over 300 lakes and covered with spruce forest
and high meadows, filled this year with wildflowers.</div>
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We had a lovely campsite within a five-minute walk of a half dozen lakes. The fishing was superb and Lynnae caught her limit several days. We also did the premier hike on the Grand Mesa--a 10-mile loop that for several miles follows Crags Crest, a 1,000-foot ridge running down the middle of the mesa. The views of lakes and the surrounding mesa were spectacular, but it was about at our hiking limit for distance and vertical rise. After a week, it was time to move on, but here was another place in Colorado we vowed to return to someday.</div>
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Please visit my published adventures on The Outdoor Project for more photos and descriptions:</div>
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http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/crags-crest-trail</div>
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http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/special-destinations/lands-end-observatory</div>
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http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/canoe-kayak-sup-flat-water/mesa-lakes-recreation-area</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FiCdLAJ8dwA/VaqAJDo7mEI/AAAAAAAAb4k/_TNo4BGMf5E/s1600/_DPL2323-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FiCdLAJ8dwA/VaqAJDo7mEI/AAAAAAAAb4k/_TNo4BGMf5E/s1600/_DPL2323-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Columbine is the Colorado state flower. They were common on Grand Mesa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CAdwptBTlg/VaqAJHAqH8I/AAAAAAAAb4s/BQjcUureWAA/s1600/_DPL2334-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CAdwptBTlg/VaqAJHAqH8I/AAAAAAAAb4s/BQjcUureWAA/s1600/_DPL2334-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on Sunset Lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wI17-HfBoX8/VaqAJXK1r3I/AAAAAAAAb4o/7SSx2Z7FyFw/s1600/_DPL2340-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wI17-HfBoX8/VaqAJXK1r3I/AAAAAAAAb4o/7SSx2Z7FyFw/s1600/_DPL2340-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Lake was a five-minute walk from our campsite</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_SaVDjPlOc/VaqAJjyYP8I/AAAAAAAAb6I/zuPacWwMPUk/s1600/_DPL2374-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_SaVDjPlOc/VaqAJjyYP8I/AAAAAAAAb6I/zuPacWwMPUk/s1600/_DPL2374-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumbo Lake was right next to our campground. We saw and heard beavers on this lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-USZC_WbaULk/VaqAJxOiYaI/AAAAAAAAb4w/ABdR7UnbaFA/s1600/_DPL2396-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-USZC_WbaULk/VaqAJxOiYaI/AAAAAAAAb4w/ABdR7UnbaFA/s1600/_DPL2396-5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesa Lake was the largest of the group of lakes near our campground.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nisJB_NUDoE/VaqAKEWnp8I/AAAAAAAAb40/uRj_5UYm5qc/s1600/_DPL2432-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nisJB_NUDoE/VaqAKEWnp8I/AAAAAAAAb40/uRj_5UYm5qc/s1600/_DPL2432-6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hiked up to Lost Lake. Nice hike, beautiful lake, no luck fishing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bl-2KHAO8s/VaqAKccfJfI/AAAAAAAAb5I/7vQ2CXrLA5E/s1600/_DPL2559-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bl-2KHAO8s/VaqAKccfJfI/AAAAAAAAb5I/7vQ2CXrLA5E/s1600/_DPL2559-7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Land's End overlook, the structure of Grand Mesa is apparent. That is the Colorado River 5,000 feet below.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zGF9xiVRQb4/VaqAKno7exI/AAAAAAAAb5A/YVD3zqCBYsE/s1600/_DPL2615-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zGF9xiVRQb4/VaqAKno7exI/AAAAAAAAb5A/YVD3zqCBYsE/s1600/_DPL2615-8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset overlooking Grand Junction and Utah in the distance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-shVbjfCBQxg/VaqALDn83JI/AAAAAAAAb5M/Go03-3tWJ5E/s1600/_DPL2680-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-shVbjfCBQxg/VaqALDn83JI/AAAAAAAAb5M/Go03-3tWJ5E/s640/_DPL2680-9.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely waterfalls and streams were abundant on the mesa.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vnPueosLdPY/VaqALsFUgSI/AAAAAAAAb5U/26T1sipT-Eg/s1600/_DPL2702-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vnPueosLdPY/VaqALsFUgSI/AAAAAAAAb5U/26T1sipT-Eg/s1600/_DPL2702-10.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset from the main park road.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ8wxF2ShVE/VaqAL6zoJTI/AAAAAAAAb5Y/BVHgvFzjHo0/s1600/_DPL2734-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ8wxF2ShVE/VaqAL6zoJTI/AAAAAAAAb5Y/BVHgvFzjHo0/s1600/_DPL2734-11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on Jumbo Lake. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8gygWybjjTg/VaqAME66XrI/AAAAAAAAb5g/rf4daBwycu8/s1600/_DPL2794-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8gygWybjjTg/VaqAME66XrI/AAAAAAAAb5g/rf4daBwycu8/s1600/_DPL2794-12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Crags Crest trail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7FxrZl2tqhc/VaqAMRgSWSI/AAAAAAAAb5k/S941r-XuHcI/s1600/_DPL2804-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7FxrZl2tqhc/VaqAMRgSWSI/AAAAAAAAb5k/S941r-XuHcI/s1600/_DPL2804-13.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reaching the top of Crags Crest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLMmiPjSczQ/VaqAMqCaoMI/AAAAAAAAb5s/nHMqzeonj7w/s1600/_DPL2873-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLMmiPjSczQ/VaqAMqCaoMI/AAAAAAAAb5s/nHMqzeonj7w/s1600/_DPL2873-14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The meadows and wildflowers of the Grand Mesa were gorgeous.</td></tr>
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ClamPuddingPaddlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904396782024850557noreply@blogger.com2