Poudre River Visit/Rockies NP

 

A few hours ago we were saying our goodbyes to Glenda and Jeff and heading  east down the river.  We have been in the Poudre River Canyon, just west of Fort Collins, for 5 nights.  After setting up a new camp, we promptly went to bed for a nap, exhausted after 4 days of non-stop visiting!

This has been a fun week!  My socialization needs have finally been met.  Been starved for some good ole girl talk.  And did we talk!

A few days ago they treated us to a wonderful tour of the Rocky Mountains National Park.  It was a long day, Jeff drove over 200 miles but it was worth it!

Maybe I’ll back up and show what we found going into the P. R. Canyon last weekend.  After getting through Cameron Pass, at 10,000 plus feet, we are greeted by this magnificent guy.

There was a moose made of barbed wire at a visitor’s center right before we saw the real thing!  The texture in his coat comes from the barbs.

Hummers are all over the feeders at the State Park State Forest welcome center and strange little chipmunks are running everywhere scooping up the falling bird seed

A ranger identifies this guy at the Least Chipmunk.

End of summer flowers are blooming everywhere.

We are dawdling down the canyon waiting for the magic hour that our friends will be off work.  Finally we arrive at the Poudre River Resort and I’m surprised that it’s not a campground.  It does have a few tent sites but it’s more of a cabins and store type place.

Our home for the week.

Full moon in the canyon.

After a couple of days of boondocking, our battery monitor shows 17.4 volts.  After testing we decide to disconnect the battery and hook up to electricity.  It’s nice to run the fan and charge up the laptop that’s getting plenty of use due to the park’s wifi.  No cell phone connections though.

This tree catches my eye as we are traveling toward the RMNP.  Wondering if it could have been a cottonwood?

The rest of the day is a photographer’s dream…..so many beautiful scenes.  I find us amusing as we all are hanging our cameras out the windows, shooting right and left as we descend the mountain.

We take Trail Ridge Road that leads to the Alpine Visitor’s Center.

The elevation is making me feel funny…like my legs are made of jello.  Not trusting my ambulation, I hold on to my husband as we walk across the parking lot.  This is the highest I’ve ever been….with my feet on the ground!

 Glenda looking for that perfect photo!

The clouds are adding drama to our shots.

Great fun, good company and a wonderful place!

The visit is about perfect until the very last day when a local cowboy asks me if Glenda is my daughter?  I’m in a state of shock as I know which one of us is the oldest.  Letting it go, finally, after realizing it’s time to get the hair in for a tune-up!

 

 

These berries are growing in our Friday night campsite .  Don’t usually pick strange berries and eat them but they look just like huckleberries……..and we have not died yet!

After pondering what to do about Labor Day….we have no reservations,  decided to head for the Kansas rally very early hoping to get one of the none reservable sites.  Hoping for good luck in finding an electric site…forecast in the 90’s.