Aspen, Colorado - August 12, 2005 (Re-run)

 Medical Update: After two weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, I'm doing surprisingly well.  No real side effects so far, and I'm optimistic there won't be any.  The critical issue is whether the treatment is working to destroy the tumor and that won't be known for a couple months.  I just have to keep at it and hope for the best.

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Being the upscale town that it is, Aspen did not have any RV parks suitable for our rig in 2005.  Therefore, we left the RV in Glenwood Springs and made the long drive to Aspen determined to complete our visit in a single day.  The first stop was an area called the Maroon Bells, a group of mountains considered to be the most photographed spot in Colorado.  We had been there before, but conditions weren't favorable.  This time they were perfect.

Next we drove to the Ghost town of Ashcroft, a former silver mining town that dates to 1880.  Once larger than Aspen, with as many as 20 saloons and 2000 people, Ashcroft lost out when the mines played out and the railroad chose to come to Aspen.  A few people remained well into the 20th century, some with plans for a ski resort.  WWII interrupted those plans and the U.S. military used it as a training facility for winter warfare.  Again, Ashcroft lost out to Aspen when a ski resort was built in the larger town.  Nothing remains today but several restored buildings and a few that haven't been restored.

We took a back road to the ski resort on Aspen Mountain, an extremely rough trail for the vehicle we had at that time.  The views of Aspen and the surrounding mountains were gorgeous.  Rather than take the rough road we came in on, we drove down one of the ski trails that was rated Double Black Diamond.  That was a fun ride down to Aspen.

Dinosaur & Glenwood Springs, CO - August 8 thru 11, 2005 (Re-run)

 From the village of Dinosaur, we drove to a remote area where we had read about some scenic cliffs known as Cathedral Bluffs.  Once we left the paved highway, it was some forty miles of dirt and gravel roads high atop a huge plateau.  For a change, the Navigator drove as I was wearing a boot because of a stress fracture weeks earlier.  It was still my job to hop out and open/close the many gates we encountered as we drove through various cattle ranches.  We enjoyed great views into the many canyons and valleys we passed.

Eventually, we began to see lots of sagebrush and the sage grouse that live in that habitat.  Once I was hiking in some deep sagebrush when a grouse stayed hidden until I almost stepped on it.  Of course it startled me, but I managed to get off a shot of the bird flying away.

Finally reaching the Cathedral Bluffs, we decided it was no prettier than the scenery all along the road.  However, we began to see wild horses and that made it worthwhile.  The horses kept their distance, but appeared to be curious.  They followed us as we drove back toward the start of the trail.

Back in Dinosaur, a mother and child pronghorn visited our campsite.

After moving to Glenwood Springs, we toured the famous hotel where Teddy Roosevelt once stayed, and where one of the employees made a bear in his honor, thus creating the first "Teddy Bear".  We also checked out the hot springs resort the town is noted for.