I must excuse our lack of be
‘Coz hiking off we’ve gone, you see
Flowers bloom and mountains call
To which our inhibitions fall
We tread the path where others fly
To reach beyond the skies a-high
Though we return in body true
Our hearts stay high within the blue
(Nina Fussing, July 2011)
We'll be in the mountains when you call..
It’s not often that poetry flows out of me like that, but I just can’t help getting inspired out here in the wilds. A late spring has the ground simply bursting with wildflowers, while the gorgeous Colorado mountains provide a stunning backdrop with no end of “oooh” and “aaahh” moments.
Aspen Trees frame the mountains on Lizard Head Trail
Yup, we’ve gone a-hiking. In fact it’s been the kind of week where “let’s go for a quick walk” has turned into 4 hour hikes up and over mountains passes. This is some of the most spectacular hiking I’ve done all year and it’s just darn near impossible to stop. There’s always something to see “right over the ridge there”.
Pooch of course has been everywhere with us, bouncing and playing in the mountain meadows while my camera has been clicking almost off the hook.
Driving on a dirt road to Dunton, CO
Interestingly enough almost all our hikes have been solo. There are literally hundreds of miles of hiking trails in Lizard Head Wilderness and the surrounding San Juan and Uncompahgre Forests, but only a few seem to be frequented. Imagine our surprise therefore to make a connection at ~11,000 feet on the mountain.
It was a Wednesday morning and having seen no-one since we started out at 8AM, we stopped to chat with the couple coming up the trail. We exchanged stories, as things go, and eventually got around to the topic of RVing
Meeting Dick & Fran on the trail
“Oh yes, I have a son who RVs around in a Casita with his wife and dog” said Dick
“Really?!” I answered “that sounds exactly like this blog I follow…”
Polly soaks in the view at ~12,000 feet
And indeed it was. In a perfect example of unexpected fate we had just met the father of Imperfect Destiny half-way up a remote mountain in the Lizard Head Wilderness. They were even staying at our campground. We ended up having drinks and dinner over the next 2 days, getting to know yet another great couple on the road.
So yes, we’ve been out hiking..and driving…and exploring…and soaking our senses with all the colorful richness of the mountains. And it turns out we’ve met some people too. Don’t you just love those moments?
Coming next: 7 Links and another great campground review…
Columbines color the ground at Kilpacker Trail
Paul poses in the meadow in front of Lizard Head Mountain
View from the top of the world...
Early morning sun
Color in the meadow
Paul and Polly pose in the wildflowers
On the trail
Just another beautiful day...
