Flew from Tampa to Denver on Friday, 6/20. Stayed at the Iliff Doubletree. Wasn't able to sleep at all (probably the altitude). Saturday morning had a planning session with Carol. Picked up supplies at the Denver REI, then drove the Rampart Range road and hiked up to the Devil's Head fire tower.

After the pleasant hike and views from the top, we drove on in to Colorado Springs. Had dinner with Chuck & Eden & Liz & Chris at Carrabba's. Then spent the night at Liz's. Rested well, but couldn't sleep, probably because of the altitude. Sunday morning had delicious homemade waffles & fruit, then picked up some groceries and drove through nice scenery and clear sunny weather to Westcliffe and the South Colony Lakes trailhead.

At 12:15 we started backpacking the 6 miles and 2500' up the infamous jeep road. There was still a lot of snowmelt happening so we had to cross some wide and knee-deep creeks. We arrived at the 'parking lot' around 4:30 and set up camp nearby on the bank of South Colony Creek.

We organized our gear and had a crunchy dinner of not-quite-cooked rice. We retired to our tents after sunset, around 9 p.m. I didn't get any sleep at all, probably because of the altitude.

On Monday we got up at 8 and had a spot of hot chocolate. We hiked up to the lakes, first the lower, then the upper. It was very windy. We checked out the route on Crestone Needle - the trail up to Broken Hand Pass was choked with snow & ice. We also looked at the trail up Humboldt, which was clear, but decided just to enjoy the upper lake for a while.

We headed back to our tents around noon. On the way we talked to the trail crew (friends of Liz), who were working just below the lakes. They were making progress despite having had a lot of rain & snow prior to our visit.

We packed up camp and hiked back to the car in hot sun from 1-4 in the afternoon. We grabbed some drinks at a nearby gas station and drove to the Buena Vista Super 8, where we checked in around 6:30. We had a good dinner at Casa del Sol, went back to our rooms and collapsed for the night. I got about 2 hours of sleep.

On Tuesday we were up and about at 8:15. We had a light breakfast at Bongo Billy's (fromerly Delaney's) - um, this was after I had already stuffed myself at the Super 8's complimentary breakfast while Carol was still sleeping. We went to the post office and mailed the ice axe Carol had borrowed from Liz back to Colorado Springs, since we weren't planning to head back down thataway.

Then we drove up to Leadville and visited the scenic but windy Turquoise Lake campground. Then over Tennessee Pass through Minturn to Frisco and Silverthorne, where we had a not-so-healthy lunch at Old Chicago. We paid a visit to Betty Ford - not the Clinic, but the Alpine Garden in Vail.

Then we drove over Loveland Pass, where we saw some bighorn sheep (see picture at top of page) and took a short windy hike. Then we drove straight to the Red Roof Inn at Denver International. We had a so-so dinner at the Marriott Courtyard next door, played map games, and returned to the Red Roof, where I got another 2 hours of sleep.

Wednesday I dropped Carol at the airport at 6, then drove up through Boulder to Allenspark and called Jan from the not-yet-open Wild Basin Lodge. I drove to the Wild Basin trailhead and hiked 7 miles and 3000' up to Lion Lake #1.

I had to wear my goretex because it graupeled (light hail, chunky snow, or hard rain) most of the day. For the last 2 miles I had to posthole through endless snowpiles that lay across the trail. On the way up I saw a mule deer and a snowshoe rabbit.

It was very soggy, snowy, misty and damp up at the lake. The views of the backside of peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) were very nice.

After a short lunch break (poptart & diet Pepsi) I limped the 7 miles back to the car and drove into Estes Park, where I briefly chatted with Michelle at the Colorado Mountain School. I got a room at the Alpine Trail Ridge Inn, had a Mexican Pizza at the Estes Park Brewery, and tried to sleep.

On Thursday I got up and had poptarts and coffee in the room, then drove to the Deer Mountain trailhead (in RMNP, just outside of Estes Park) at 10. I hiked the 3 miles and 1200-1500' or so to the summit, had lunch, then hiked partway down with some Estes women who were sharing recipes.

I got back to the car at 1 and drove down to Mitch's homemade house (he built it himself) in Boulder. I cleaned up and did laundry, then headed to the Mountain Sun cafe for dinner with my hiking buddies Dawn & Jason at 7. Afterwards I returned to Mitch's for an architectural discussion, then spent another sleepless night (still the altitude???).

Friday morning I got up at 6:30 and had breakfast with Mitch & Mel, then drove up to Estes and checked back in to the Alpine Trail Ridge Inn. Then I drove to the new Twin Sisters mountain trailhead and hiked the many switchbacks up to the summit in 2:15. There were some bighorns just below the summit, and the usual pikas and marmots on the summit.

The good trail went to the lower of the twin summits...Tray (a gangly teen from North Carolina) and I made the scramble up to the true summit. He left, and I had it to myself for a long lunch break.

Then I started down. The bighorns were still just below the summit - they were enjoying a long lunch too. I hiked back to the car, talking to a lot of up-coming people on the way, as well as a trail crew making improvements near treeline.

I got back to the car and decided I hadn't had enough hiking for the day, so I drove south to Camp Dick, which is nestled comfortably in Pleasant Valley. I hiked a couple of miles, and maybe 500' up, along a bubbling stream. The trees opened up every so often to small meadows full of early wildflowers. I did the hike up with Mary Ann from Boulder and her two cattle dogs. Then I settled in one of the meadows for a while before hiking back out and returning to Estes.

I had dinner at Hunter's ChopHouse (good stuff!) with Bob & Michelle from the Colorado Mountain School. We talked about our trip to Mexican volcanoes (they were my guides) 10 years previously, then talked about their more recent visit to Kenya.

Saturday I got up at 8 and drove south to the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area (Lake Brainerd) near Ward. I paid the $6 entrance fee, and had to park with the crowds around the lake, about a mile from the trailhead, because the road to the upper parking area was closed. I hiked most of the way up Mount Audobon (13,223') but stopped about 600' short of the summit because the winds were too strong to make it enjoyable.

Instead, I found a lower subpeak that was less windy and had it all to myself. I had a Snickers and diet Mountain Dew Code Red for lunch, then headed back down the trail. I got some chocolate-covered expresso beans from a Boulder couple along the way.

Then I drove to Boulder via Nederland and continued on to the La Quinta at the Denver Airport. The nearby Bennigan's was very crowded, so I drove into Aurora and found a good friendly family Mexican restaurant for dinner. Then I headed back to the hotel, tried to sleep, and flew home the next morning.

Take me back to Gary's Base Camp.