Hiking Photos

These photos are from last weekend when Joe came up. And I thought the hike I picked out was going to be a challenge to him... Yeah right! He whooped me. I'd like to pretend it's because I was carrying the backpack. :)

Trail Log: Gem Lake (click for trail description), 3.6 miles round trip, 910 ft. elevation gain. Short but steep! This is what most of my photos are of in this album. Joe remembered his hiking boots this time and we got a late start on the trail. The weather was fantastic and the storm clouds hovered in the distance but never made it past the continental divide to ruin our hike! We went back to Lumpy Ridge, where we had found that dead elk the previous weekend. It was still there, and Joe took some great (nasty) photos - flies included! We looked like a couple of tourists taking photos of everything, to the point that I didn't know if we'd actually make it to the lake! But we did, just before the sun starting dropping the the weather cooled off.

After our hike, we went to Mary's Lake Lodge for dinner, which has a great reputation but I had never been there. We didn't sit in the really really expensive part, but the Tavern was more up my alley anyway. Fantastic food, live bluegrass music, and great views! Anybody that comes up here has to try it at least once.

Ok that's all for now, I know I haven't updated in forever but I have been working like crazy and still mostly living on the West Side, where I don't get on the computer much. The good news is we finished our slash clean-up at Green Mountain and I flagged those 1,000 trees - including pounding in sign posts - and we can now move on to more exciting things. Next week we supervise the pesticide contractors - not looking forward to it, we have to put plastic over all picnic tables, tent platforms, fire pits, etc - but our trivia team, formerly "The East Siders" now called "Good at Drinking, Bad at Trivia", is expecting a BIG WIN and I'm excited! Just kidding, we suck. :)

I'm still busy trying to find a truck, an apartment, and catching up on all the stuff I neglect while I am away from Estes. I've been on the computer at this coffee shop for breakfast AND lunch and still haven't finished everything I am working on!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINDA! My sis is 23 today, and I wish I were there to take her out!! Miss you, Winny!

BTW, I am amazed that the radio is playing "Question" by the Old 97's. Suddenly, I like this station a whole lot more!

One more tidbit: One guy that works on the West side is in the Army and has men coming back from out East. He said that if I can get my motorcycle to them in Indiana, they'll ship it out here on their way to El Paso! SWEEEET! Now, if I only had an affordable way to get it to Indiana...!!