When last you saw us we were in Jackson, WY. While there, turns out Wade was flying a client in to Driggs, ID just over the Teton Pass. So we toodled on over and had dinner with him.
Wade taxiing into the airport. Can you see him? He's waving.
Dinner on the patio. Wade looking mighty official. I'd trust him to fly me around in a metal tube with wings, wouldn't you? I mean, he IS dressed for the part.
Peg getting a First Class tour of the plane.
Before leaving Jackson I just had to get a photo of the elk horn arches they have in their town center square. This is Peg posing by one of them. They are magnificent. They have begun a restoration i.e. selling the current arches and rebuilding with new frames and antlers.
Peg posing in Jackson.
The bare beginnings.
These guys have a big job ahead of them.
Well, after the Tetons and Jackson, we were pretty ready to get home. Bonnie wasn't traveling too well. I think her age, 18, has finally caught up with her. We had a family meeting and decided to head home. We cut the corner through Idaho, beelined through Salt Lake City, spent the night in Utah, and cruised on into Pagosa in two short days. When we turn for home, we're like a barned-soured horse!
There is so much to do in Pagosa country that we immediately folded back into our routines and summer in the mountains.
For instance, we attended the Folk Festival in June. Mom thought she had a big hat but this fella outdid her. He let her try it on for size.
I started a Monday morning mountain bike group so we could get some pedaling exercise. It's worked out well with 6-12 people showing up each week. Plenty of places to ride around here.
We still have to perfect our spacing though. We're getting better.
(No animals were harmed in the making of this re-enactment.)
Of course, the hiking and backpacking is a constant through the summer. Here Joan and I are relaxing on the comfy log. Rain? Oh, yes, always rain. This is at Elk Creek. Those of you that went on the horse pack camping trip years ago will remember this area.
A very curious bovine on the trail.
The creek winding its way through the second meadow.
Wade visited in July and we had a few activities going. He and Mom enjoying a little fire ambience on the back patio.
For the first year since moving here I actually watched the parade. Mom, Wade, and I set up chairs and watched the whole spectacle. This is the outdoor club float.
Wade is posing here on Grayback Mountain during a campout we did with the outdoor club.
This is that same campout but a different hike. Wade descending the talus at Bonito Peak. We were at about 11,500 elevation. The fact that he's still standing is a testament to his hardiness.
There were some interesting cooking practices taking place at this campout. Here Leo is attempting to make Bananas Flambe' with a little help from Ken. I personally think they went a little overboard with the cook fire!
I took a few days and drove Minerva up to Silverton to join a few other outdoor club folks. This is on a lovely hike outside of Silverton.
This is another hike on that same trip. As you can see, snow still dots the path even in late July.
But no matter what we have to hike through, over, or down, the views are always worth it.
Tom, Susan, Clayton, & Landon visited in August. It was really good to have them here all together. That's not an easy feat with both the boys in college. As you can see, we played a little golf.
Landon showing off his pro form.
Holy Cow, look at that putt. I think Susan has been secretly practicing during her conference period at school!
We biked to Silver Falls on one of our Monday rides. Here I tried to get up with the group before the self-time went off. I didn't quite make it. But you can see the falls in the background. They're quite lovely.
Another of our "rides" with a bit of rocky uphill that we chose to tackle with feet on the ground. I've had enough scrapes, punctures, and bruises from crashing that bike. Didn't need any more this day.
Here you see me doing what I do best on the trail - I'm the GPS/Map geek. We didn't actually NEED to consult the map here. As you can see, the trail is clearly marked. Susan just wanted a photo. Actually, I think this was the day of our shortest mileage EVER, 7/10 of a mile! We had packed 8 miles uphill at about 11,200 = 12,300 on the Continental Divide Trail the day before. Weather was coming in and we found a good camp site so we stopped. The next morning, we packed up and went to this point which is just above Archuleta Lake, our destination, and realized we were only 1/2 mile further! But it turned out okay. We set up camp at 9 a.m. and hiked up to Mt. Hope which gave us 360 degree views. The hike was quite a climb and we were happy to NOT do it with our packs on.
These are some cute boys we encountered on the trail. Just thought I'd share.
This is Rock Lake where we stopped for lunch one day. It's a lovely spot along the Continental Divide Trail.
A few of us womens on the trail.
Beautiful columbine flowers that love the rocks. It is the state flower, by the way.
One of our lake views. This is August and there is still snow over there.
Crossing the creek that feeds into the Rio Grande Reservoir.
Resting in the shade near Big Meadows Reservoir at the end of a backpack.
I know you're probably getting tired of backpack photos but that is what I do around here so I can't help it. I wish photos could show what it is truly like but the views are too big and you can't feel the sun or breezes, or feel the expansiveness that surrounds you. Sometimes it's hard to leave the backcountry to come back to town. Unless the weather is really crappy. Then, of course, we can't get back fast enough!
Peg has been busy, busy, busy with her creative efforts and the Artisan's Co-op. She just doesn't take pictures like I do so I don't have any to share with you. You should know, though, that she is one of the two top sellers every month so her creations are doing very well. She has her own little "sweat shop" in her room and just works away in the wee hours of the morning like a little Christmas elf. Okay, I got carried away with my description but you get the idea. She's rocking along and doing well.
That's all I know for now. Hope everyone is well and happy.
