Oak Creek. Colorado to Crested Butte

September 11 to September 26, 2016

Luckily pictures help me remember the ride and the sights and the experiences.  I use an app called Komoot because it provides me a terrain profile and also does a great job of suggesting routes that Google Maps might not.  And that's how I found Country Road 3 that cut through the back country and down to the Colorado River.  What a delightful ride on a great but often rough dirt road.

 My camera has a 30x zoom and these white horned unidentified animals were just specks down by the river.  I still don't know what they 
are.

These real live cowboys hauled their horses past me in a trailer, rode them out the pasture to round up some strays in the bush.

 Then I saw them lassoing the calves to inject them with something.  Quite a sight!

 Water is precious and these irrigation ditches deliver water from lakes up in the mountains to these pastures down below by the opening and closing of dams.

 Had my own interaction with some free range horses when I stopped to camp.  I had seen a couple of horses on each side of the road as I came up the hill, but after I parked the bike and turned around there were about 8 horses standing there watching me.  I walked up to them to pet them and all was well until the white one in the picture above, the lead mare, came over and I felt she was trying to squash me against the fence.  A bit scary and I know horses.  She then took off, taking her herd with her.  I was kinda glad as I didn't want them harassing me all night.

 Fall colors in Colorado

 Ya, you could say this was a bit bumpy!

 A deserted road...just my style!

 The Colorado River!

Million dollar views!!!

 Wide open spaces!

If it looks like I'm always under my umbrella, you're right!  That sun just sears the skin out here!

 This was the first campfire I've ever had while camping alone.  I don't cook over one because I don't like the soot.  And it's wasteful to burn a fire for ambiance, so I don't.  But this was fun for a change.

 Sometimes finding level spots without too much prickers is not easy.  

 My dinner is either fresh salads or stir fry over rice or noodles.  

Gotta be careful when cooking in these dried grasses that I don't start a fire.  I always keep my water nearby but would hate to have to use it as I don't have a lot of it.  Cooking often just seems like too much work at the end of the day, so raw salads is my usual dinner.

 Some of the architecture of Crested Butte...a cute town!

 And then it snowed!!!  Isn't Spacey cute ?

A snowy view of Crested Butte, the mountain.

This is the tiny house where I stayed in Crested Butte, camped in the side yard.  They lifted the house up and dug into the ground to put in a bedroom and bath down below...quite clever!

Okay, I finally figured it out...why I hate blogging...it's all the futzing around I have to do because nothing works smoothly.  I have spent hours...yes hours...just to get this together and prepared for you.  And I'm not a happy camper.  It shouldn't be this hard.  Pictures don't load in the correct order and can't be moved around easily.  If I try to insert a picture, the text won't go in the right spot.  And on...and on...and on...   So frustrating!  And for what?  I'm not here to brag about what I'm doing.  I just like traveling and seeing new stuff and meeting all the interesting people.  I don't like reporting on it.  It's so one way.  I'll do all this work...hours and hours...on my day off...and I'll get some kudos. Whoopee freaking do!  If it were easy and only took an hour or so...a couple of times a month...ok.  I think I need a new blogging platform because blogger stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm sorry I'm venting at you...it's not your fault...but who else can I yell at?!?!?!?!?  

I'm going to post some closing pics for your viewing pleasure...no words necessary.

Colorado in the fall has been a spectacular journey!  So glad to have been able to see it this time of year!!

Living the dream,

BagLady

Facebook:  Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman