great trip to the wild west

 

part 1

 

 

got into Colorado Springs just about sunset

the mountains in the distance were striking

 

weird to be in the flat and then just seeing where they start up

right in front of you

 

I rented a car and stayed at my friend D's

 

 

we had lived together in San Francisco in the 70's

we were very close

we had not seen each other for over 25 years

 

it happens

 

 

next stop

2 hours north - Fort Collins

 

 

I put my tent in a friend's yard

we are friend's from Mexico and have/had property in the same town

so fun to see their place in the states

 

by the way - I loved my tent

I ordered it on the internet and had it sent to my friend's house in Colorado Springs

(also a comfy mat)

I checked a bag and brought my own bedding and towels

 

it was about the cost of one night in a nice hotel

 

*ps

I have to mention the traffic going through Denver on 25

it was the worst I have ever seen

5 lanes going 20 miles an hour, for an hour it was more like a parking lot

it took forever to go the 120 miles

mountains on one side - beautiful, traffic on the other - awful

moving on.....

 

heading north from Fort Collins I escaped the main road and took a back

2 lane road

 

 

the road went through some amazing country

like these red rock cliffs

it was a wonderful drive, wide open vistas and no one on the road

 

 

finally Wyoming

 

 first stop was Laramie

 

 

this was a mural on the wall of a parking lot

 

 

 

showing in 3 panels the destruction of logging

on the land

 

Laramie is a really cool town

it had a nice food co op with lots of organic veggies

a vegetarian restaurant and several interesting small eateries

home to the University of Wyoming 

 

 

cowboys in the making

 

just before I got to my brothers town

the historic overland trail crossed the road

 

 

it was a very powerful spot

 

 

 even now there is nothing in any direction but

sage brush and sun

 

 nine miles to the crossing

wow

 

 

I found a nice camp site only 1/2 mile north of town

 

 

 right on a lake - the only water for miles

(ok I am sure it is not a natural lake but it is a desert and water is water)

the mosquitos didn't have a problem with it

I could walk the inner tube down to the dock, put in and let the wind

blow me back to the campsite, pretty sweet as it was hot there in the afternoon

 

 

it made for a great warm night though

and it was fun to see my brother again

 

 

 

he had 3 days off work and

we headed into the Medicine Bow Mountains

 

 

 

 

 I had been missing the trees and rivers of the west

 

 

it was cold but you had to do it

 

the bad news was that the forest was dying there

 

 

huge stands of trees were standing dead

 

a bark beetle epidemic

aided by a extended drought

 

 

the tree turns red, then brown, then finally they rot and fall over

in this forest alone there were over 94,000 acres of dying trees in 2008

 

 



 

thousand's of trees in the campgrounds had to be cut

as they were hazards about to fall

all that standing dead represents a great fire danger as well

 

 

 

as we went further up into the mountains the next day

every mile or so we say huge piles of dead and diseased wood

piled by the side of the road to be burned this fall when the rains start

 

it was very sad to see

 

there were however still very beautiful places

 

 

 further into the mountains was this lovely little stream

lined with white barked trees

 this is my idea of a mountain stream!

 

 

 

the drive was only 20 miles from the last nights camp

the scenery changed and we drove through

wild flower filled meadows

 

 

to the cabin we had rented for 2 nights

called the Snow Survey Cabin

 

 

it was the perfect cabin in the woods

(well when there were woods, it has been replanted....)

 

 

it had everything you needed

I think it would be fun to stay there in the snow for a couple days

in the winter when you have to snowmobile or ski in

 

I read the entry in the log book of the couples who stayed up there last new year's eve

sounded like they had fun

 

the next day we drove up a little farther to the pass

 

 

it was amazing to be up against the rock top like that

 



 

we are about 12,000 feet here

pretty high for a girl from sea level

 

 

we took time to relax too

 

 

enjoy the view

 

 

and smell the flowers

ok actually these did not smell

more like candy for the eyes

we were there at the perfect time for the wildflowers they were everywhere

 

 

this is Indian Paintbrush

or Castilleja linariifolia -  is it's Latin name

 

the state flower of Wyoming

it was out in abundance

 

 

this is my photo

here is one from the web where you can see it's true color

 

 

(I need a new camera.....)

 

 

 

coming soon

 

 part 2 - Saratoga, Wyoming