Arches National Park

Hey there! Looks like it's time to update this humble blog! As mentioned in our last post, Charlotte and I were fortunate to spend a full day exploring Arches National Park. We covered lots of ground on an incredible hike. Some spots along the trail helped us to test our fear of heights. For example, Charlotte and I made it to the notch you see above this arch before I reached my limit. 

Charlotte, on the other hand, is still seeking her limit!

However, even the spots we visited on terra firma provided some amazing scenery. Here are just a few photos we captured!

Beyond carving arches and dramatic pillars, the wind and water have etched amazing features into the rock walls (some which are perfectly Charlotte-sized)!

Anyway, we were pretty tired after our day of hiking. However, we added a short, 3-mile slickrock hike so that we could see some petroglyphs (rock art) and the park's most famous sight, Delicate Arch. It was worth it!

Our time in Arches was great! In our next post, we'll briefly share some highlights from our time in Canyonlands National Park, Arches' less-visited neighbor. Until then, have a terrific week!

Spring Break, Part I

Hey y'all! Hope you've been well since our last post. Since we last spoke, Charlotte and I took a quick, great Spring Break trip to Moab, UT for some camping and exploring. However, first we had to get there! This involved a late-winter drive through the Rockies and across the Continental Divide. On a beautiful sunny day, it's always fun to look up at the Rockies from Fort Collins and imagine what the weather is like. This time, we found out firsthand! The closer to the mountains we got, the more ominous their "little" gray cloud looked!

By the time we reached the Eisenhower Tunnel at around 11,000', our sunny 50 degree driving weather had turned into a 16 degree blizzard!

Fortunately, the weather got great once we descended back down, and after a quick lunch stop in Grand Junction, CO, we were speeding along toward new desert sights!

Our first order of business was claiming a campsite. Unfortunately, all the sites in Arches National Park were full, so we found ourselves "stuck" in this BLM (Bureau of Land Management) campsite in nearby Moab. Needless to say, we didn't complain too much!

However, it was getting late, and so our real desert exploring would have to wait until the morning (and the next blog post)! Before getting into our sleeping bags, though, we did make an evening trek into Arches National Park. There, we were treated to a gorgeous sunset at the first sandstone arches of our trip, known as "The Windows." People get really excited about seeing arches (I know we did), so I'll try to warn you in advance.

Snazzy arch coming up-first arch shot on this blog! 

Brace yourselves!

Phew! Anyway, our brief hike and exploration was enough to convince us that we'd made a good spring break decision by ditching our books for a few days, and that the blizzard driving was worth it! We were happy to be in Moab!

Our next post will feature some more of the desert scenery that we were treated to at Arches National Park. In the meantime, though, we're sleepy, so have a good one! Oh-one more thing. Incoming arches-bottom left of frame!

In Town, Enjoying Winter, Fort Collins Style

Well, hello again! This time, our blog is coming to you from Fort Collins. Even though Fort Collins is a good deal lower than Laramie (4,982' rather than 7,220'), it still gets a good dose of winter! Fortunately, when it's too snowy to leave town, there are plenty of pretty sights to see in Fort Collins, as well. So, in order to get you some new blog photos recently, I grabbed my skis...

...left the "Mountain House"...

...and headed about 10 houses up the road to City Park.

City Park has to be the second-prettiest town park in the US. With good snow, nice views of the Rocky Mountain foothills, sunshine, and ski tracks made by other folks, I've definitely been worse places!

If you're wondering, the prettiest town park in the US is "Fort Foster," located in Kittery, ME. Yowzahs!

Anyway, we hope you have a great week, and we'll catch you soon! Stay warm!

In Town, Enjoying Winter, Laramie-style

Well, winter is finally here in Laramie.  Hah!  That's a funny joke, because it's been here now for about four months (since early October).  However, all of us, including Mort the Mazda, are making the best of it that we can.

One source of continued consternation, however, is Laramie's "relaxed" attitude towards street plowing.  Here's a good road in town...

...and here is a more representative neighborhood street.

How might we make the best of this situation when it's too snowy to leave town?  Well, while Charlotte was at her university's gym one afternoon, I had an idea, and grabbed my skis!  What did I find?  Block after block of glorious "packed powder"!

Here's a dilemma for you to ponder: what side of the road do you ski on (I chose left)?  Fortunately, Laramie's roads aren't the only nearby places to ski when I-80 is too snowy to reach Happy Jack.  We also have a great spot, "Washington Park," just a few blocks away!

Anyway, as we daydream about the warm weather, summertime hikes, and gardens that lie ahead, it's nice to find little ways to enjoy the beautiful snow while it lasts.  After all, it'll be gone in just a few more...months (photo below taken last April 18)!