Continental Divide

Monday was a day off from rehearsal and a day out along the Continental Divide, which is about 20 miles from our cabin along Highway 149.

At the turnoff for Continental Reservoir, we stopped to say hello to some grazing cows. This one took a brief break from nursing to stare back at us.

And this one is The Laughing Cow!

I think this guy just wanted to make trouble.

 The Continental Divide Trail runs for more than 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada. We only hiked a mile or so of it, but where we hiked it in the La Garita Wilderness, it runs for about 70 miles at about 11,000 feet.

A few other highlights of the day included spotting a Dusky Grouse and a Swainson's Hawk. John's been diligent about photographing all the many birds we've seen this summer, so be on the lookout for a bird-specific blog post soon.

Nature All Around Us

We had a hard rain last night, so today was the perfect day to explore some new nearby water features. We started out at Brown Lake, so named because the water is muddy and filled with algae. Despite the water color, the lake is perfectly picturesque as it reflects the cloudy sky.

The rain has helped the wildflowers bloom...

And greened up views in all directions.

Across from Brown Lake, John spotted our first waterfall of the day.

We hiked up to the top -- more like a rock scramble.

The steep hike was more than worth the effort.

And as much as I felt guilty for desecrating nature, we added our mark to this trail, which is apparently no less than a lover's lane in the wilderness.

From Brown Lake, we crossed the highway to discover South Clear Creek Falls.

The mist from the falls is cooling, and resilient plants spring forth from rocky cliffs.

The falls were so peaceful and relaxing.

Another perfect outing in Creede!

What I'm Doing When I Should Be Writing

Inspiration Peak

Today we attempted one of the hardest hikes in my hiking history. It begins at Willow Creek in Creede on a trail we've done before called the Up and Over. Then the trail branches off and climbs way above town. Here's John stopping for a snack about halfway up. You can see Inspiration Point in the background.

The hike traverses numerous rock fields, wooded areas, an old logging road and eventually through the trees to the rocky peak at 11,200 ft. -- an increase in elevation of about 2,400 feet in under five miles. We were super exhausted by the time we reached the peak, but the views of Creede and the valley are pretty spectacular.

My iphone calculated the round-trip journey at 8.9 miles, 22,866 steps and 45 floors, after which we stopped for beers and tacos at Kip's. This afternoon's activity: snoozing with Squeaky!

Loaves and Fishes

Such a fun and busy weekend here in Creede!

Isaac Grody-Patinkin (in the hat) invited us to shabbat dinner Friday night, where we lit candles and had a great meal and conversation with Isaac and Manuel Zarate. 

Who knew there were Jews in Creede?

John made this bench for our porch...

And a wall rack for our fishing poles.

Wildflowers from our yard are cut and ready to bring to Johamy and Matt, who's cooking dinner for us tonight. 

And here I am at Sunday morning church on the river. I'm getting the hang of casting with a fly rod and can now walk on water, but the fish are still proving to be elusive. 

Ivy Creek Hike

It seems that every hike we go on here in and around Creede is more beautiful than the last. Yesterday's gem was walking along Ivy Creek in the Weminuche Wilderness. It's a lush, wet, wildflower-filled walk along rushing waters filled with brook trout. Check it out!