Jun 2006

Sherri flew into Cheyenne and I drove out from Lander. We drove to Fort Collins and fell in love with the charming town. Our goal was backpacking though, so we left town and headed to the mountains. We met some incredibly friendly Forest Service volunteers who gave us suggestions. First we went into the Commanche Peak Wilderness and hiked until snow stopped us. We hiked to what we have named "Lost Lake" and survived the mosquito attacks. We got a tip on an off-the-beaten-path waterfall stop as well. Incredible! Best part of that area, to be sure. Out of the wilderness, we returned to the car and blasted the tunes on the way to our next trail. The Poudre River was both raging and peaceful. We hiked along it until a washed out bridge stopped us. The water was inviting and provided several opportunities for great head-dunks. Sherri's visit was short, but wonderful. Sherri flew back to the East Coast and I returned to Lander to start work.

I spent a little more than a day at Bryce Canyon National Park. I'd never been there before so I was pretty excited when I got there and it wasn't terribly crowded. I drove the auto tour road the night I got there. It's gorgeous. Pretty unique scenes. The next morning I went to a ranger talk on geology. Pretty disappointing. Ah well. Then I started hiking. I did a few of the below rim trails and after a few miles I didn't see too many people. That night I went to another ranger talk - this one on astronomy. This guy was good! I learned some new info and got to look through a few mighty nice telescopes. My last morning there I got up early to catch the sunrise. I got all set up where I wanted to be and then a busload of Asians plowed through. I considered things for a bit, then relocated. Good decision. The sunrise itself was less than spectacular, but the colors it revealed on the rocks were incredible. Worth the wait.