Meadow outside Telluride.

Link to Valley Journal story published last week.

This week’s story is about beetles in Rocky Mountain National Park, also in Colorado. You can find it at here.

One of Colorado's most beautiful northern rivers.

For more than 60 miles north and west of Fort Collins, the Poudre River dances, runs, jumps and gurgles through a beautiful valley. Fueled by snowmelt from the closest Colorado mountains to the Wyoming border, the Poudre’s campgrounds were packed, meaning its not much of a secret, but still a very special place.

Camped in this valley below sleeping elephant rock last night.

Wow. We’ve been here a little less than 3 weeks and have seen so much. Here were some of the highlights.

This weekend we’re on our way into Wyoming. On Sunday night we’ll get to see friends of Leah’s from SB in Laramie, Wyoming. Then we’ll head for the Tetons and Yellowstone.

First night on the Rio Blanco. Beautiful free camping.

Checked out Pagosa Springs' newest hotel.

Delved into Durango, and drove north.

Sig Creek, another beautiful free campground above Durango.

Mesa Verde.

Then we took a brief detour into Utah.. and came back to Colorado in Grand Junction.

Grand Junction had a great downtown.

Montrose was understated and lovely, like roses in a home garden.

Amazing beauty outside Telluride.

Ouray had the best hiking.

Leadville had the least touristy historic downtown of any high alpine town.

Bit by beetles in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Boulder was in bloom with trees and tourists.

Waters run out of a pool in Pagosa Springs.

Link to today’s story about Southwest Colorado (yes, that was a few weeks ago now) here.

We’re in Fort Collins. My meeting in Boulder went well, it was great to be there again. It rained just a little around lunchtime, but overall excellent travel and weather conditions. I picked up Elvis Costello’s new bluegrass CD since we didn’t get to hear him in Telluride. (Music is a bit of bummer with the van, which doesn’t allow for an I-Pod hookup because it only has a CD player, which in turn won’t play burned CD’s. Oh well.)

Today we are going down to Boulder and then back up to Fort Collins. I was last in Boulder in Nov. 2007. My impression of it at that time was of a very cool city that really accomodated runners and cyclists and had great mountain access. I also liked the downtown Pearl Street area and how walkable everything was.

I had friends who were living there then and now they’re back in Santa Ynez. But they did a great job showing me around so that gives me some invaluable background.

We’re feverishly trying to figure out a plan for 4th of July but haven’t come up with anything definite yet. We know we’ll be in northwest Wyoming and we’re hoping to avoid the crowds if that’s at all possible.

Last Loveland shots.

Big Thompson River right by our campground.

Random sand volleyball court along a country road.

Mowed and ready to bale.