June 26 2010 Vasquez Pass Trail Winter Park Colorado

Tree 1 Tree 2Tree Down right before trailheadTree 3 No Bikes in the Wilderness, ever.My favorite View, about 1/2 mile in

Tree 4

Road Damage on Vasquez Creek Rd, about 1 mile before Vasquez Pass Trail

Snow prevented me from getting to the top

This is the crossing at the beginning of the trail, the bridge is damage and will need replacing.

North Inlet Photos

It's very hard to see but at the top of the rock hill there is a ginormous marmot. Never saw one so big. I thought they were smaller. He is eating well this spring.

Beautiful horses grazing on land near the North Inlet Trail. I would've taken some photos of the birds I was there to see, but couldn't zoom in enough. I need a better camera.

Tumbleweeds

My Monday's Writer's Group is always filled with surprises. Sometimes Fran Cassidy makes us write on a subject. Somedays Barbara Belnap comes up with an idea that we should all write about. I haven't adhered to any of their grand schemes, yet. I missed a few Mondays, so when I arrived this week and everyone has written about tumbleweeds, I'm interested to hear where this goes.

I guess it shouldn't surprise me, but it did, when Joan Shaw, author of Mountain I Dos and professional muscian, breaks out a piano in writer's group.

She writes about a song about tumbleweed and we sing the song about tumbleweek to her magical piano. I can't remember the song, but we all sang it. Here's Joan and her "take out" piano.

If you are reading this, you should come to Monday Morning Writer's Group. These writers write the most amazing stories.

And it just wouldn't be a writer's group without Jean Miller's amazing outdoor stories with her ending statement (on EVERY story): it's almost true.

Upper Colorado River Trip

Here are some photos I took driving out to Radium for the River Trip.


I didn't even feel like I was in Grand County.

Video of the Trip - Thanks Joe.

Sea, Sand, and Sand Pipers

My last post was about the sound of mountain water, then a few days later I flew to Florida to visit my aunt and uncle.
As soon as I arrived in Florida I was in awe of green. The first day we spent 6 hours at the ocean. I watched the birds and asked Tim what each one was. After the first hour, he stopped answering me.
I wanted to know every bird.
Then as we drove to dinner each night I wanted to know about the trees. What kind of tree is that, Tim?
I loved the flora and fauna of Florida.
I loved the hawks that glided above the house, and the sand pipers that pecked in the sand, the unnamed birds that chirped in the distance. I wanted to know all their names.
I loved the palm trees.
But most of all I love the time I spent with Tim and Nancy and talking about family stories.
These family stories are about the ocean, and distance, and love.

Here, my other favorite sound: The ocean. Enjoy.