On The Road Again

After spending a few days visiting my family in Montrose, Colorado, I am once again on the road. With four weeks on the road, the weather still holds for me, the rain squall that I saw in the Yellowstone is the only moisture that I have seen. Just sunny sky and warm to hot days.

After leaving the Yellowstone, I crossed the wind swept prairies of south Wyoming, wind is putting it mildly. The only highway that I have ever seen that had aviation windsocks along the highway every ten miles or so. Inquiring as to why, I was told it was primarily for the truckers so they can judge the velocity and direction of the cross winds blowing across the highway. The number of Pronghorn antelope was countless.

I entered Colorado a short distance from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, remaining in Granby, Colorado for the night so I could enter the park at daylight. While I was safely tucked away in the Ford Motel, the park had it's first snowfall. Consequently, once again I could not drive through the park. Although it was just a dusting of snow in the park, the pass did receive a heavy snowfall and was closed. However, the ten miles that I was able to drive into, was well worth the trip. I was able to get up close and personal to a nice "royal bull elk that had a half dozen cows with him and one spike bull. The air was filled with the "sound of Bugling elk" including the big bull that I was photographing. I have several shots of him with his head back and calling out the challenge to other bulls.

This young bull was hanging with the "big guy" and his lady friends, however, when he got to close to the cows, the big bull would intervene and send him running.

"First Snow"

Taking out his frustrations on the nearest Ponderosa Pine tree. As with the the horned species, I have witnessed this trip he to was "scenting" his territory.

"Attacking the Tree"

"Victory"

"Watching Over His Ladies"

After spending, a few days visiting my family in southwest Colorado, I once again returned to the road on Friday, 10/15/2010. Driving south, I entered the San Juan Mountains in Ouray, Colorado. This trip would include attaining the highest elevation on my trip. At the summit of Red Mountain Pass, I was at an elevation of 11,018 feet. I have driven this route hundreds of times, in all seasons of the year, however, I had forgot how beautiful it truly was. The fall colors were at their prime. I have accidentally, downloaded these pictures out of order. This morning, I entered the canyon lands of Utah. There are Desert Big Horn sheep in this area, however, today was not my day to find them but the natural beauty of this area is well worth the trip. Exploring this vast area should be a mandatory place to visit on your vacation plans. It cannot be fully explored in less than a week. The area is so vast. To my surprise, there were more visitors in the areas that I visited today than I saw in Yellowstone or Mt. Rushmore combined. Although, my reliable GPS found me a spot where I did not see a person for twenty miles, I questioned her wisdom of taking me through the Sand Flats Road, but it was beautiful. "Window Rock" The fall colors are at their prime, this colorful hillside is Oak Brush recovering from a previous forest fire.

"Top Of the Pass" "The Castle" "Castle And Adjoining Rock Sculptures"

"1 of a 1,000 Rock Domes"

"San Juan Mountains ~ Red Mountain" "Base Of The San Juan Mountains ~ Ouray, Colorado"