Rocky Mountain High

I have been on vacation. In July, I was asked to become a fourth companion by my neighbor Barbara who was to spend a week in Colorado with her sister Becky and brother-in-law Joe. Our time there would be spent hiking at elevation, so how could I pass it up? I had only driven through parts of Colorado, and was looking forward to seeing those beautiful Rockies, where wildflowers would still be blooming high up.

It was gorgeous. Our base was in Avon, next to Vail and Breckenridge, and even the trips from Arizona and back home again were beautiful. We did indeed hike, but always had time to relax in the afternoon and hang around our very nice apartment. To top it all off, we got to see preparations for the US Pro Cycling Challenge, one stage of which started right under our balcony. We saw some of the cyclists do their time trial in Vail. What a thrill.

Here are some of my favorite photos.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, on our way up.

Hanging Lake.

My companions, Barbara, Becky, Joe.

Shrine Ridge Trail.

Colorado National Park, on our way down.

Colorado River near Moab, Utah, also on our way down.