The Colorado Vacation Comes To An End

We arrived back at the farm late Sunday afternoon with Tank in-tow. He traveled very well considering he had to ride in the back of the trailer with us driving 70+ mph for 17 hours in all types of temperatures and weather. We stabled him overnight in Amarillo, and then headed out this morning early. Here are a few of the images to finish up the trip photos. We had a great time with Brody, Caroline, Amber and Bryan.

Driving back through the Chama, New Mexico area we passed this spectacular mountain with a wonderful thunderhead looming overhead. I shot this with my iPhone.

Tank, loading for the ride home at the Parelli Center in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. A beautiful setting for a horse training facility.

Caroline and Brody on their hike to the falls.

Caroline gets to feed a chipmunk on the hike up to the falls.

Caroline in control of her horse at the pony rides.

Brody at the pony rides.

Brody, an unnamed dog (at this point) and Caroline. The dog belonged to the pony ride owner.

Brody ready to ride.

Caroline trying on hats in preparation for the pony ride.

This is an old Mercantile store on a dirt road in the San Juan Mountains near Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It thought it had a lot of character. If pictures could talk, there is no telling what we'd hear.

This is the Teal Campground at the Williams Reservoir about 20 miles up Piedra Road. We have plans to come back here and camp in the trailer later this year. Probably one of the most beautiful campgrounds I've ever seen.

I caught this guy flycasting on the Piedres River on our hike. The only thing wrong with it is that its not me casting.

MikMik and Caroline on a Polaris Sportsman 4x4 ATV. We rented four of them and went on a ride on Saturday up into the National Forest. Beautiful but dusty. Our eyes cried mud for two days.

Amber and Caroline, with Bryan and Brody behind forging the stream.

Colorado Vacation

Yesterday we went up to the back country to hike a trail. The kids, Mik and Amber went to the river. I know it's mean to talk about temperature, but I can't help myself. It has been highs in the upper 80's and very low 90's, and the nights in the high 40's. Wow! Bryan and I went down the canyon on a hike and he ran back out. All the way. I walked:-)

In the evening, Mikki and I took off on a back-roads excursion in her Suburban. We took a road that on the map looked pretty curvy and interesting, but pretty short. Well, it was 25 miles and took us 2.5 hours. Needless to say, we had a couple minutes of wondering if we had done the right thing. Seeing a large brown bear and a couple Grouse with some babies convinced us we had taken the right road. What beauty!

Aspen trees up on Plumtaw Rd above Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

A mother grouse and her chicks... They took their time and crossed in front of us. We waited patiently.

Brody in the river.

Amber, Bryan Caroline and Brody in the Piedres River.

A wild rose on the hiking trail.

I thought this shadow was a bit interesting.

If you look hard enough you'll see my little chipmunk friend. Hint... he's brown.

Some sort of wild thistle or something. Whatever it is, they are beautiful along the hiking trail.

Another form of thistle, I'm assuming. If you know, leave me a comment and I'll properly name it.

Colorado Vacation

Mikki and I came to Pagosa Springs Colorado with Bryan, Amber, Brody and Caroline for two weeks. The temperature in Colorado is wonderful. At night, we're at about 50 degrees and in the day it reaches about 77. It is wonderful! We are camping on the river in Pagosa Springs at a camper park. Mike and Darlene towed our fifth wheel trailer and then Bryan and I brought up Tank, his gelding, for a two week training exercise at Parelli. Mikki and Amber and the kids followed in Mik's Suburban. It has been a wonderful few days.

We took a hike yesterday up on the Piedres River. What a beautiful sight.

We were hiking the trail to the river when we met a group of horseback riders. I can't believe they make it up these trails on horseback. Then in the river, I saw this guy following them. It looked like a western movie. The horses are amazingly agile.

MikMik, Papa G, Brody and Caroline at Piedres Canyon.

At the start of our hike. Coming back, we ended up carrying Caroline. She gave out. They got very tired, as did we. There was just no one to carry us no matter how much we whined;-)

We had lunch at a National Forest wilderness campground. Brody couldn't help himself. He ended up in the water, loving every minute of it.

Caroline, Amber and Brody at the Piedres River.

Amber and Liney at our camp.

Brody, casting his rod for trout. Bless his heart, there is only a cork on the end. It doesn't deter him one bit. He begs to go fishing almost all the time. When not fishing, he is casting the silly thing all over the campsite:-) He broke it yesterday and we repaired it with duct tape. Amber repaired it a second time with an ice cream stick splint and more duct tape. He is back casting away.