On Distractions and Colorado

Well, here I am way beyond the point of ridiculousness… far behind on my blog posts!  I hate to even think about it, so I try not to.  I thought it was difficult keeping this blog up to date while we were on the road, but it has proven even more challenging at home.  Home is where life starts happening all around you again, generating a multitude of demands for your time and attention.  There has certainly been no shortage of such things ever since we got back.  Add to that my propensity for getting distracted, and this is the result.  Sometimes it makes me want to carve out a shelter under a fallen tree on a mountainside somewhere.  I could subsist on nuts and berries… take my chances with the bears, you know?  Of course, that would be the end of my blog, and I’d have to take up whittling or basket weaving – which wouldn’t be entirely bad.  Since I’m not quite to that point, I’ll pick up where I left off on my last post.  I have lots of other exciting things to share, too, so let’s do this!

Moving on, we left the Badlands and made a beeline to Colorado, the last remaining “must see” place on our list for this trip.  We stayed over one night in a hotel, which had a prairie dog town right next to the parking lot!  It was a short drive the next day to Dillon.

We stayed in one of the two adjacent campgrounds where one of Ken’s nephews and his wife were campground hosts for the summer.  It was nice to catch up with them, and they had plenty of information to share about the area.  One such tidbit was regarding the damage done by the pine beetles.  Apparently both campgrounds were pretty lush with trees at one time, and now they are both mostly wide open.

With the weather forecast calling for possible rain, we hung a tarp over the tent.  This was an interesting and time consuming chore, given the relative lack of trees.  I usually take pictures of everything to the point of absurdity, but somehow neglected to photograph this set-up.  It’s unfortunate, because it was quite innovative and functional.  I’m going to blame my lack of attentiveness on the altitude; we were positioned at around 9,500 feet, and not at all acclimated!  The simplest of tasks were quite draining, causing us to take frequent rest breaks and drink a lot of fluids.

After a fair amount of doing and re-doing, we finally got situated at the campsite, and then went into town to get some ice and have a look around.  We got back to camp, ate heartily, and settled into the Jeep for our normal evening ritual of movies and writing.  Ken’s nephew stopped by to visit briefly, and we eventually retired for the night.

Jeep trails were on the agenda for the second day, so we headed out in search of a little adventure.  With the help of a guide book, Ken had chosen a couple of easy trails to explore nearby.  The first one was Peru Creek, the road to which had been washed out by heavy rains and temporarily re-routed while repairs were being done.

We passed some primitive campsites early on, as well as an old grave marker.

Further along, we stopped at another primitive campsite, and spotted a hoary marmot and a Steller’s Jay, neither of which wanted their picture taken.

Many of the trails in our guide book seem to lead to one or more mines, and we passed a couple on this particular trail.

We also found streams, beaver ponds and a pair of male deer, who were nice enough to pose for me with their velvety antlers.

Our second chosen trail was the Keystone Gulch trail, along which there were several beaver dams and ponds.  I found a few sets of animal tracks at the edge of one, including deer, raccoon, and what I suspect were bobcat tracks.  UPDATE:  It has been brought to my attention that these were actually cougar tracks!!!  I'm very excited, because at first I wanted to think that's what they were, but then second-guessed myself, trying to keep my imagination in check.  Thank you, Craig, for the info and the link!  Distinguishing Cougar, Coyote, and Bobcat Tracks 

This trail winds its way up the side of a mountain, with several switchbacks across ski slopes and eventually leading to another mine.

As we approached the last portion of the trail at around 11,000 feet, we started to hear thunder and took that as our cue to find lower ground.

The rain came along with the thunder, and we headed back to town in search of a meal within the dry confines of a restaurant.  Upon arriving back at the campsite, we checked the condition of the tent.  It was dry, with the exception of one little corner, so our tarp artistry was a success.

Our last morning in Dillon brought sunshine, and it was time to move on.

After drying out and packing up, we stopped to have coffee with Ken’s nephew and family, and said our goodbyes.

As always, the full photo albums can be seen here:

Drive to Dillon, Colorado

Peru Creek & Keystone Gulch Jeep Trails, Colorado