First Day of Hiking- Monday, July 5

We have limited internet access at the YMCA so these entries will be short for now. I will go back later and add more commentary on the way home.

Monday, July 5, 2010

A beautiful hike to Deer Mountain (elevation 10,013). This trail leads up a mountain that divides the Moraine Park and Sheep Lake area. Along the trail and from the top you can see all of the major mountains- Flattop, Hallett, Long's, Yplison, and the YMCA and Estes Park. On the way home, we stopped at the Sheep Lake and saw these big horn sheep. Then settled in for a chicken dinner on our front porch.

What a first wonderful day!

Arrival in Greeley

We arrived in Greeley on Sunday, July 4, 2010 at 1:00 MDT (AOOS)...woo woo!!

With little time to rest, Shel took us on a 10 mile bike ride along the Poudre River trail just below the house. If ever there were any doubts that Deb and Shel are sisters, this bike ride should put all doubts aside. Neither of these young ladies have ever heard of the word C-O-A-S-T. They left me in the dust as they zoomed along the river!

After the bike ride and a little yard clean up (there had been a small micro-tornado in the area on Saturday night), we had ribs, sat in the beautiful new room addition and watched fireworks as they exploded up and down the front range of the rockies.

What a wonderful day to spend the 4th of July!!

Off to the mountains tomorrow morning!!

Road Trip To Colorado

We left Lexington at 7:10 (AIS) headed to Colorado for hiking, a wedding, and rest and relaxation (this must be an oxymoron).
We drove 755 miles today in 11 hours...and as the Rawhide song goes, "Roll em roll em roll em, man my buns are swollen- Rawhide"
The trip was mostly uneventful which is usually a good thing when traveling. Highlights include:

• lunch at a shady picnic table just east of St. Louis (gazpacho and a turkey/cheese sandwich)
• great Mexican food at a local restaurant in Salina
• trying to avoid a Republican rally on the courtyard steps for the candidate for Secretary of State in Kansas
• a nice long walk around a few streets just off the main street in Salina
• eating ice cream on the curb just ouside an ice cream/burger joint right beside our hotel
• opening the hotel window to the outside fresh air (which smells of burgers and onion rings)
• falling asleep to the sounds of people placing their to go orders from the car order lane (sounds sorta like the teacher talking to Charlie Brown)

We hope to leave tomorrow morning very early so I better stop for now...even though I have this strange craving for a cheesebuger and fries.

Ypsilon Mountain

Friday, July 2...8 hours from leaving for the Rockies!! This is a close up of Ypsilon Mountain (elevation 13,514) and the area we'll be in when we hike to Yplsilon Lake (elevation, 10,772) on Thursday (just below the giant "Y").
The 10 day forecast for the week calls for highs in the upper 60"s and lows in the mid/low 40's...bbbbrrrrrrrr.

YMCA of The Rockies

Thursday morning, July 1 from the front porch at the YMCA of the Rockies!! We are planning a hike to Ypsilon Lake on July 8. The lake is at the base of Ypsilon Mountain (imagine that:) which is the mountain in the center of this web cam photo (the mountain with the gianormous "Y" in the middle. Can't wait!!!

RMNP Glacier Basin Web Cam

This web cam photo was taken at 2:30 MDT on June 30. The temperature is a cool, crisp 79. The web cam is located at the Glacier Basin camp ground (Kate and I stayed there in 2008). The web cam is focused on, from right to left, Flattop Mountain, Hallett Peak, and Otis Peak. We'll be hiking just to left of these mountains when we head up Glacier Basin to Mills Lake and The Loch.

Dreaming about FUDGE!

MMMMMM.....Laura's Fudge is just 7 days away!!! My favorite is Penuche Maple Nut...aaaaaaggggg I'd sell my soul for Laura's Penuche Maple Nut fudge:)

Now is the time to place your fudge orders for delivery once we come back (if we come back:)

Laura's has a new on-line store. Take a look at the menu and let us know what you want.

www.pioneercandy.com