Acworth - Estes Park

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in Estes Park, Colorado.

I arrived Thursday afternoon after four days on the road, and it's been so nice reuniting with old friends and catching up.  In many ways it feels like I never left.  At the same time, I had almost forgotten how massive and majestic these mountains are.

I begin work tomorrow in the Back Country Office, and it's already looking like a great season to come.

ROMO 2014

Another season at Rocky Mountain National Park.

I cannot believe how quickly it went by!  May through September felt like five days rather than five months.  We'll see what the next five months have in store for us.

Thanks to everyone for all the fun and adventure that we shared.  And to Aaron and Ben who were present during my two separate concussions.

"The Mountains Are Calling"

"...and I must go."
-John Muir

The desert is beginning to cool down a little.  Instead of highs in the upper 90s and 100s, it's been in the mid 80s.  A nice change, actually.

But I still crave the mountains.

The cool, refreshing mountain air.  Lush greenery.  Cold mountain streams.  Aspen trees!  This is what I especially enjoy.

I decided to check out Grand Mesa National Forest, about a three hour drive from Moab into Colorado (recommended by Miss Anna Tucker).

I hiked the 10.3 mile Crag Crest trail along the summit of the mountain forest.  About five hours and breathtaking at every turn.  The aspen leaves are beginning to turn from green to bright yellow for Fall, and the clear mountain lakes reflect a bright blue mirror image of the surrounding trees.

The desert is great and glorious in its own right, but the mountains are bliss.



Note:  I also had the added bonus of editing this video in a Chick-fil-a in Grand Junction.  However, I must have been so enthralled with my Georgia lunch that I forgot to add a quotation mark in the end of my video.  A small, yet disturbing grammatical mistake that is not worth correcting.  Many apologies to my grammar OCD friends (and sister).

Almost to Arches

Tomorrow I will be arriving in Moab where I will begin getting situated at Arches National Park. Excitement and slight nervousness are running through my body - but mostly excitement. My brother and I left Georgia on Sunday morning and it's been a fun-filled and breathtaking couple of days traveling across our country.

We camped in Missouri on our first night and spent the next two nights in Colorado, where we were able to take in some sights exploring and hiking a bit.

Missouri was humid, and the nighttime noises of cicadas and other insects were almost deafening. I found it quite fascinating and was fortunate enough to fall right to sleep after I heard enough. I don't think Ben was as accepting of the ruckus.

Once we entered Colorado it began to get cooler, especially when the sun set. We intended to stargaze a little after the bright moon traveled its way across the sky, but once in our sleeping bags it was unthinkable to force ourselves out into the cold night wind (that is, for two Georgia boys under dressed in shorts and sandals). After giving in to a warm and comfortable sleep, I was fortunate enough to wake up during the middle of the night and briefly glanced up at the sky through the mesh roof of our tent; and there, during that brief moment, a bright meteor flashed across the dark sky.

I audibly said, "Whoa," then closed my eyes and fell back to sleep.

Hiking in Colorado at Eldorado Canyon State Park.