Colorado, part 3

After we left our friends house New Castle, we headed back up to the Aspen area. It's so spectacular there, we couldn't rush off. We camped one night in a campground along the Maroon Bells road and did an incredible hike the next day toward Buckskin Pass. We made it up to about one mile short of the pass, and turned around because our feet were hurting and the weather was looking iffy. We heard later that day that it snowed in the pass!


Here's Bob taking a break on the way to the pass...



The yellow flower is a rare glacier lily. It only grows at the edges of receding snow fields This is the only one we've ever seen. The white ones are globeflowers.




View from the trail

Anna on the trail.

Next, we headed for a campground called "Difficult" just outside Aspen heading toward Independence Pass. We snagged what we think is the best site there... we had total privacy and an awesome view. It was so private were able to take the best Sunshowers every evening... never been so clean camping!

We rode our bikes into Aspen one day and slummed with the rich folks... walked around and watched the how the other half lives (it's very entertaining actually) and had lunch.

Anything goes in Aspen!

Bob, doing what Aspenites do...

The next day we did one of our favorite Colorado hikes, called "Lost Man". It is just below Independence Pass, so you're starting out in the subalpine and the hike goes to alpine in no time. The wildflowers blew our minds! We did this hike last year, and the flowers this year were outrageous. We checked off several new species in our wildflower book, which always fun.

Lost Man Pass - that lake is a mile or two below.

The following day we drove down Castle Creek road, which we've never been to. This road sort of parallels the Maroon Bells road, but it is completely different. It's just as beautiful, of course. It ends where the access to Pearl Pass is (Crested Butte is on the other side). This road is notoriously rough & steep, so we opted to ride our mountian bikes up Cooper Creek road. The beginning was steep and loose, but thankfully the grade became easier as we ascended. The scenery was big and impressive. We turned back when weather threatened.