Friday, 13 July 2018

This morning is bright and sunny. The air is fresh and pine-scented, with just a hint of vanilla from the red bark of the Ponderosa pines. It’s hard to believe we were sweltering in Kansas yesterday morning. We return to You Need Pie for breakfast and then find a new memory card for my camera. Today we plan to play tourist again. We will drive Trail Ridge Road with its beautiful views.

We wind up the highway, stopping at the numerous turnouts to admire the views and to walk the short nature trails. We figure the more time we spend at 12,000 feet, the thicker the air will feel at 8000 feet. It’s all part of the preparation for our Sierra Club hiking trip which begins tomorrow. At one of our stops we join our fellow explorers to watch some yellow bellied marmots pop in and out of their rocky hiding places. We spy the herd of elk once again on a steep slope off the side of the road as we drive. No place to stop for photos here!

After another dinner in Estes Park we return to camp for the evening, where I will journal, type and then get my photos onto the computer. O and I are debating whether to attend a ranger program tonight. We are not sure of the topic and we are tired.