Early risers

On Tuesday the 16th we got up early...4:00 AM early.  Our goal was to get into Rocky Mountain National Park, get over toward Grand Lake and maybe see some moose.  Those of you who are on Facebook saw a few pics of the sun rise as we made our way up the mountain.  As we were driving the windy twisty road around one corner I thought I saw something in the road.  As we rounded another corner we saw him.  A large bull elk.  He was beautiful.  We popped the sunroof in the Jeep and Diana stood up on the passenger seat and took a few pics.  Moments later we saw another just off the road.

We came across several more elk and a small heard of females grazing.  That morning was wonderful as we made it out of the park on the western side.  As we approached the Ranger station I got a glimpse of a cow moose.  It came through some trees and crossed the road about 150 yards ahead of us.  We finally got a full side view before it moved into some trees.

We made it to Grand Lake and had some breakfast.  On the way back through the park we found, what we think, were the same 2 bulls we saw in the morning resting on the side of the road.

We got home about 3, took a nap and had dinner.  Another great day!!!

Clouds

We have seen some amazing vistas while in the Rockies.  The one thing I found very fascinating were the shadows of the clouds.  Each mountain we went up offered us a view of other mountains and of vast valleys below.  I have always liked looking at clouds but this was the first time I was at a high enough elevation that I could see the shadows of the clouds as they moved across the hills and valleys.  It was very cool.

Reclaimation and rainbows

As you have read, we have had company since the 2nd of July.  So yesterday, the 13th, we washed up all the guest bedding and towels and got that stowed.  We cleaned the inside of the RV and put things where they belong. We had a great time with Marge and David.  And the time with Daniel is always priceless.  But it did feel good to reclaim our home.

Last night we were blessed to see a very intense double rainbow that lasted about 30 minutes.  Neither of us can remember seeing such intense color and separation in a rainbow.  Also neither of us could remember seeing one last so long.  We could see the entire arch but our cameras were not able to get it all.  It truly seemed to end at the end of our street in the campground.  I don't know if this is a typical rainbow in the Rockies or if we were just that blessed.  It was magnificent!  Of course the picture does not do it justice.  But trust me, it was spectacular!

A great kid!

Sadly we had to say good bye to Daniel.  He flew from Denver to L.A. to meet with some friends and spend a few days.  From there it is back to Maui and we are not sure when we will see him again. We had a great time while he was with us.  It was his first chance to see the RV and see how the old folks live.  He helped us break down and move from Leadville, CO to Estes Park, CO.  We did some great hikes and saw some amazing things, including a herd of elk grazing and just laying around.  There were between 75 and 100 of them just hanging out.

Rockie Moutain High

The last few days we have been to Vail, Breckenridge, Aspen and Snowmass.  At each location we have checked out the area and done some hiking.  We usually take a gondola up the mountain and hike from there.  Sometime there is chair lift that will take us higher, then we hike.  The air is thin as we are usually between 10 and 11 thousand feet above sea level.  This means we stop on our upward journey often to catch our breath and drink some water.  Of the places we have been I prefer Breckenridge.  I just felt it was less pretentious than the others and that I might fit in better.  Snowmass had the best vistas from the mountain top but all were amazing.  The views are incredible and it seems each vista is more magnificent than the last.  These pictures do not even come close to how spectacular the scenery is.

The best part of this leg of the journey is that Daniel is with us.  I know I am bias but I am so proud of what a fine man he is.

Visitors from afar

On July 1 Diana's sister, Marge, and her husband, David, from Port Orange, FL arrived in Leadville and stayed with us a few days.  They were our first overnight guests and things worked out fine.We hiked near Twin Lakes and had a great day.  We explored Leadville a little and just enjoyed the company.

Then on the 4th we all drove into Denver to meet Daniel's flight from Hawaii.  Daniel had no idea that Marge and David would be there.  We were all very excited to see Daniel and Marge made a sign to hold up as a greeting.  She spared no expense on the sign as she use the top if an old pizza box!  Daniel was very surprised to see them.  We were surprised to see Daniel as he now has a Mohawk style haircut.  This will disappear when he gets back to work but it looks good.  The 5 of us spent the day in Denver then Di Daniel and I went to the Rockies game.  Marge and David spent the evening around the area and watched fireworks.  We got to see fireworks at the stadium after the game.  On the 5th Marge and David headed off on the rest of their trip and we headed back to Leadville.  More on Daniel's visit in the next post.

One down, one to go

The night of June 30th was spent in the parking lot of the Cummins Onan dealer.  The dealer had 3 electrical hook ups and we used one.  Neither of us slept well because we were right next to a busy road.  But at 6:45 AM the dealer filled out our paper work and by 8:15 AM the generator was fixed.   We ran the generator for about 45 minutes as we drove down the road.  A quick stop at AAA to get some maps and tour books and we were on the road to Leadville, CO.

We got to Leadville,filled both vehicles with gas and set camp.  We are here for about 9 days and will visit with Daniel.  After he is gone we have an appointment for the transmission pump problem.  So one of our two mechanical issues is solved!!!!