April 22

I hate laundry mats... too noisy, too hot, too many weird people. I need to get back to the wilderness and away from the "big" city.

I'll take a trip down memory lane to relax and recover.
Our first RV trip was 2007 to Colorado in our new 23 ft Surveyor. We had looked at Casita but when I saw the bed and the bathroom arrangement, I knew we needed something much bigger.

We opted for a queen-sized walk around bed and a full bathroom.

First overnight stop was Palo Duro Canyon near Canyon TX on July 3. Basket Flower was wall to wall and taller than me. Enjoyed performance of "Texas" -   horses, flags, fireworks, and musical history of Goodnight and  early Panhandle life. Nice dark skies with brilliant Milky Way.
Gasoline was $3.16 per gallon in Dalhart. We thought that was high.
Lunch stop at Sierra Grande, at 8720' the tallest extinct volcano in NM. When we topped the next hill, the Rocky Mountains completely filled the horizon with layer after layer stretching west as far as we could see. I could imagine how overwhelmed the early pioneers must have felt at the sight.

Second overnight was Lathrop SP, near Walsenburg, CO. Raucous Black-billed Magpie took advantage of drippy faucet and entertained us until the thunderstorm rolled in. Cleared up in time for 4th of July fireworks.
Next morning used park shower paying 50 cents for 4 minutes of hot water.

Monarch Pass 11,312" was a real experience, had to stop half way down to allow brakes to cool off.

Arrived Montrose CO 4:30 CDT on July 5, our headquarters for the next week. We explored Black Canyon of the Gunnison, 5 miles down into the canyon at 16% grade.

Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak were a treat, but bird of the day was American Dipper or Water Ouzel along the river's edge. Butterflies were Weidermeyer's Admiral and Sylvan Hairstreak.

July 8, we visited Ridgeway SP where mountain lion with 4 cubs was radio monitored and plans were to tag the cubs that week. Bears had caused all feeders to be removed but birds were still plentiful.


Box Canyon Falls at Ouray is noted for nesting Black Swift. We traversed the catwalk into the canyon where the sound of the waterfall was deafening. Located 5 Swift nests and my camera was back in the RV.
In the winter, this site is an ice park. As we started back to Montrose, White-throated Swift swarmed around the mountain meadows.

July 9, change of plans. Alvin is allergic to Cottonwood trees so we're heading east to lower elevation and more desert terrain.

Destination, Moab UT, OK RV Park. After roast beef with potatoes and carrots, we drove out to Ken's Lake. Strange little place that appeared to slant uphill. Vaux Falls was beautiful and unexpected. Primitive campground produced Black-throated Grey Warbler.

July 10 going to Canyonlands NP, the largest NP in Utah. With 20 miles of paved road, the Island in the Sky unit provides breathtaking scenic vistas and staggering diversity.  After the coolness of the Colorado mountains. the desert heat was stifling, so most of our sightseeing was in air conditioned comfort.

More to follow...