Rocky Mountain N P Again - August 25-30, 2005 (Re-run)

 Medical Update: I was overly optimistic to think I might escape side effects of my treatments.  It kicked in over the week-end and is still with me today.  Trust me, you don't want a more detailed description.  Lots of Pepto-Bismol and Immodium seem to be getting it under control.  My trip to Tucson yesterday was a wash-out, as the radiation machine broke while I was on the table.  I'm not sure when it will be repaired.  More interstate accidents added an hour to my trip home, a fine way to end the day.

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With a new set of family members in tow, we went back into RMNP.  I'll try not to repeat things from our first visit, but concentrate on new stuff.  For one thing, we saw lots more wildlife this time around, probably due to the changing season.

 We also enjoyed better sunsets this time around.  On a second visit to the Stanley Hotel, we got a photo of the original Stanley Steamer automobile and the portrait of Mr. Stanley himself.

 

An interesting side trip took us to the historic town called Gold Hill, which dates to 1859 when the first gold discovery in CO occurred.  Population once reached 1500 people, but is currently just over 200.  Unfortunately, a wild fire damaged much of the town in 2010, but donations from all over have helped in the recovery effort.  This is what we saw in 2005.

 

Fort Collins, Colorado - August 16 thru 20, 2005 (Re-run)

Medical update: After three weeks, the treatments are going smoothly.  Two more weeks of radiation, six more weeks of chemo.  The only problem this week was a series of accidents on I-10 causing a massive traffic jam.  I was re-routed over a two-lane road through the mountains, adding more than 50 miles to the trip.  An hour late, I was processed efficiently by the staff of the oncology center in Tucson.

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The route we took to Fort Collins goes through Poudre Canyon, carved out of rock by the Poudre River.  Actually, both are more completely named "Cache la Poudre", according to legend the name given by French fur trappers in the 1820s.  Caught in a blizzard, the trappers decided to "cache la poudre" (hide the powder).  The legend fails to tell us from whom or what the powder is hidden.  I suppose legends often omit  key details.

The Poudre River starts in Rocky Mountain National Park and travels 126 miles before joining the South Platte River, dropping some 7000 feet along the way.  It is a designated Wild & Scenic River and very popular for fishing and rafting.

While staying in Fort Collins, we visited with friends who live in Greeley, Colorado, a town of about 100,000 people named for Horace Greeley, the newspaperman who famously said "Go West, young man".  Greeley is on the edge of the Great Plains, just east of the Rocky Mountains.  Our friends, also photographers, invited us on an evening picnic at Pawnee Buttes in the Pawnee National Grassland.  Nearly 200,000 acres set aside to preserve our original prairie, the grassland is popular for hiking, camping and wildlife observation.  

Steamboat Springs, Colorado - August 15, 2005 (Re-run)

 Steamboat Springs was first settled by Europeans in 1874, but the area was home of the Ute tribe long before that.  Its name derives from one of their many hot springs that makes a chugging noise, reminiscent of a river steamboat.  The town has long been a popular destination for skiing, and has produced more Winter Olympians than any other in North America.  Summer activities have also become very popular, drawing large numbers of visitors.

Our schedule allowed for only one day here, so our time was spent mostly in the town, leaving the surrounding areas for a later visit.  We started with the very impressive garden maintained by the town.

The garden attracted lots of rufous hummingbirds.

Quite a few hot springs are located near a stream and flow into it, inviting swimmers to enjoy the warm water.

There are several beautiful waterfalls along Fish Creek, but we only hiked to the main one, with a drop of 280 feet.