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Whitestar Campground site #30. San Isabel National Forest. Twin Lakes, CO. "Hey Dad, check out our cool mountain view!" |
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"Happy Fathers Day in the trailer!" |
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"Wow Dad, we have the lake all to ourselves!" |
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"This photo could be mistaken for a GMC Suburban advertisement!" |
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"Oh my, the lake is as cold as the river we were in just a week ago!" |
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"Hi Daddy!" |
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"Oh yeah, I floated the farthest being pushed by the waves from the wind!" |
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"Now that I'm used to the water temperature, I just want to relaaaaaax......" |
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Independence Pass. Highway 82, halfway between Twin Lakes and Aspen. "Brrrrrrrrrrr...it just went from 70 degrees to 40 degrees!" |
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Boogies Diner. Aspen, CO. "Check out Elvis' red corvette!" |
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Whitestar Campground site #35. San Isabel National Forest. Twin Lakes, CO. "We moved over to a campsite on a ridge overlooking the lake...can you see it behind Shadow?" |
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"Now this is a lake view!" |
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We had originally reserved a site down by
those trees, but when we arrived, we discovered the loop our lakeside
campsite was in had been closed for reconstruction. We've still had a
fun time in sites #30 & #35 on the ridge loop.
"The mountains are something, aren't they?" |
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Leadville, CO.
"I wonder how long it took to paint this mural...okay, Mom and Dad, let's get down to business...how many antique shops are we going to visit again?" |
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With the water to the campground shut off because of the construction going on, our only source is well water from the hand pumps. "Pump, pump, PUMP!!!" |
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Monarch Ski & Recreation
Area. Monarch Pass, CO. "Kids, this is where your Daddy would come on trips with his church youth group from Missouri to ski when he was a teenager!" |
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Blue Mesa Ranch RV Park site #236. Near Gunnison, CO. "It's a good thing we're down here in the shade instead of up the hill where all the sites are out in the open in the hot sun!" |
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"I think I know why they call this the 'Wilderness Area'...because it looks, feels, and smells like the wilderness!" |
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"Oh yeah, hole in one!" |
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Blue Mesa Reservoir. Curecanti National Recreation Area. "It's fun spending the day on the lake in a pontoon boat! Can you see the bridge to Lake City behind us?" |
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"Whoaaaa...Mom drives a boat just like she drives a car...FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!" |
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"Can we drive the boat, Dad, please, pretty please?" |
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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Near Cimarron, CO. "Peek-a-boo!" |
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The day before we visited, lightning started three different fires in the
canyon causing a thick haze. Fortunately, the park was open for our visit.
A sign at the Visitor Center, where I took this picture, said that even
though the South Rim overlook, where Mom and the kids are waving, was only
a half-a-mile from an overlook directly across on the North Rim, it was an
88 mile drive to actually get to the other overlook!
"Hi guys! Wow, you're not going to believe how cool this picture is going to turn out!"
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The Park Ranger explained that in this section of the canyon, the north wall (on the left) is dramatically steeper than the south wall (on the right) due to erosion. The sun shines directly on the north wall (because it faces south) and melts snow accumulations faster. The south wall does not get direct sunlight, thus allowing snow to hang around a lot longer and go through more melting and refreezing cycles which breaks down the rock surface allowing runoff to easily erode. "Wow, that's a long way down to the Gunnison River!" |
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"Where's the ropes, Dad? We
want to rappel!"
"Yeah, right...think again smarty pants!" |
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Black Canyon of
the Gunnison North Rim.
"So, this is what the Gunnison River looks like from the North Rim, huh? At least there's not as much haze as when we visited the South Rim!" |
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Morrow Point Reservoir
Overlook.
Due to terrorist concerns, the Park Service shut down the canyon tour boats. Since we had a free tour coupon, the kids were really disappointed. "Can you see Sheep Mountain in the distance?" |