Utah--the quintessential western landscape.

We are standing at the Green River Overlook and Grand Overlook of Canyonlands. Seems you can see forever.

I'm celebrating my 60th birthday in Moab, Utah! I have not been looking forward to this significant birthday, but alas, it came anyway. And guess it wasn't so bad after all. In fact, it was a nice day. Started the day by hiking/birding the Negro Bill Canyon to find the Morning Glory natural arch and ended the day at the Red Cliff Resort on the banks of the Colorado River with a nice dinner. Had some birthday phone calls and emails from family and friends that made my day!!

Grand Junction, Colorado has been a great base camp to explore the surrounding area. We spent one day up on the Grand Mesa which is just a great big mesa with lakes and forests and recreational opportunities at 10,000ft. We hiked the Crag Crest Trail which meandered up to a ridge and then ran along on top of the world for about 6 miles. But alas, my camera decided to quit working so have to remember the views with our mind’s eye. Another day we went to Black Canyon.

Our campground is just outside the entrance to the Colorado National Monument and we have gone into the park several times. We’ve seen its red rocks and eroded spires at sunset, at sunrise, in the heat of the day and during a thunderstorm. Will biked the 30 mile road through it twice, once from each direction. This morning he saw a big horned sheep on his ride through. Later on we decided to drive back up there to show me where he saw it, and low and behold we came upon the whole herd scrambling over the rocks.

This is Colorado peaches country and they are ripe now, so we have been stopping at the fruit stands every chance we get.

Got up at the crack of dawn, packed a lunch, threw our hiking boots in the back of the Honda and headed for a day trip to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

The name even sounds rugged and ominous. Deep, ancient canyon with fantastic views from the rim of the Gunnison River tearing through at the bottom. A 16 % grade road leads down to the river so we could get a close up view of the river before it headed into the narrow canyon. There really wasn't much hiking to do, mostly gasping at the vistas from the overlooks on the rim road.

Birding and wildflower watching continues to delight. July is prime wildflower time and the colors and kinds are endless.

We've had some serendipitous bird sightings. Found a pair of Three Toed Woodpeckers in RMNP that was a first. Very easy to identify--not by number of toes but by the yellow crown instead of expected red woodpecker color. The Broadtailed hummingbirds and their freight train loud flight buzzing (well, maybe a bit of an exaggeration) is unmistakable. And the Rufous are coming thru already after their short summer in the northwest. I borrowed this picture so you could see their brilliant color.

We've had our eyes open on every hike where there was moving water looking for the American Dipper but didn't find them until just this past week. These little song-birds-that-think-they-are-water-birds love fast moving water and actually walk underwater to pick off tiny crustaceans and water bugs. We watched a Mom feed a sassy fledgling tasty morsels one day. The babe, who was as big as Mom sat on a rock screaming and fluttering his wings impatiently scolding Mom to hurry up and feed me. . .ok, now bring me more!! Later we came upon another nervous mom tending young in a nest built under a bridge.

This Red Napped Sapsucker stayed long enough for me to get a good photo.

Surprised by a Belted Kingfisher nest in a mud bank over a river, listened to the plaintive song of the White Crowned Sparrow on the tundra, a pair of nesting Sand Hill Cranes in RMNP in breeding plumage, the orioles in Nebraska, the Horned Larks at 12,000ft, the Great Crested Flycatcher at DeSoto Bend. . .lots of good birding.

We seem to be following the Colorado River across this state. It wasn’t by design but has been a noteworthy journey nontheless. We hiked towards (not to) the headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park. We didn’t realize until we got there that the infamous Colorado River began on the west slopes of the Park. We found it again on a scenic side trip thru Gore Canyon from Kremmling to State Bridge. Interstate 70 traces its path thru Glenwood Canyon at Glenwod Springs and we’ll be following its course to our next stop, Grand Junction and on into Utah before it enters the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It will take us home. I read that there are something like 200 dams on its watershed and 1,450 mile journey before it ends in mud flats into the Gulf of California. We pretty much use it up, but it is still picking up speed here.

When they redid Interstate 70 thru Glenwood Canyon they did an amazing job. It is a double-decker, elevated hiway and a bike path 16 miles through the canyon along the Colorado River. Sometimes the bike path parallels the hiway, sometimes you are riding underneath the elevated hiway and then again the bike path follows the river around a cliff while the road tunnels through it. Quite the engineering feat. One of the more scenic bike trails we've ever been on.

It was fun to follow our honeymoon route, but is time to move on. Here we are in western Colorado near Glenwood Springs. We will stay here for maybe 4 or 5 days to see what we can find on this side of the Rocky's. There is a wonderful bike trail through Glenwood Canyon, just east of town that we both want to try.

This morning we hiked around Maroon Bells near Aspen. We were here once before when the kids were little on an all-DeBoer family vacation. It is still a special scenic spot. Then went into town and had lunch at a fun little restaurant. Aspen is very trendy and busy. Very eclectic. We poked around a bit and then went on to see the Continental Divide at Independence Pass.

This is not the best picture but maybe you can get a sense of what we are seeing as we move through Colorado. The pine forests are being quickly devastated by the pine bark beetle. Some places, like around Grand Lake the forests are 70-80 percent dead and what is still living is infected. This was taken near Breckenridge and doesn't look too much better. It is a major concern here and something that is going to change the face of the mountain forests in Colorado for a very long time. Several years of drought, old growth forest, poor timber management over the years allowed for a major epidemic of the little bark beetle. Amazing to witness.

This is the bike that went to the top of the mountain. . .










This is the boy and the bike that went to the top of the mountain. .








This is the top of the mountain that the boy and the bike went to.






Sorry about the poetry, but Will started out at the campground at 9000 feet and biked 12 miles up to the summit for a 3000 ft elevation gain to 12,000ft. Took him 2 hours to get up and 45 mins for the joy ride back down. Not too bad for a "young" man!!

Rocky Mountain National Park

What can I say. . .pictures worth a thousand words.

Rocky Mountain National Park is another stop on our “Honeymoon Revisit.” Old photos show we were here 40 years ago but seems we only spent a day or so back then. This time we are doing it justice and taking our time. We are “dry camping” in one of the campgrounds on the east side of the park and because it is 8000 feet and cool we can do without electricity for several days.

We took a Ranger-guided hike from above the tree line on Trail Ridge Road that led us out about 2 miles and then off trail across the tundra. We were amazed to find how life adapts in this harsh climate at 12,000 ft. and even flourishes in the July sun to become a colorful garden of miniature flowering plants.

We geared up and did a 7 mile day hike that went by several mountain lakes, snow melt streams and waterfalls. We didn’t move a whole lot the rest of the day!! Every morning starts out bright and sunny but by mid afternoon the clouds begin to boil up and we have a late afternoon shower.

I do remember the chippies. (Least Chipmunks, actually) They are just as fearless, aggressive and fast as I remember. Suppose they are decendents of the ones that ate our crumbs 40 years ago?

Took a slight detour and drove to near Boulder to have breakfast and a short visit with Linda’s uncle Ed and Marcella Neumann. So wonderful to see them and catch up on their lives. Love you, guys!