Start:  Canon City, CO
Destination: Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes, Co
Odometer: 107,153 (start)  107,770 (end) – 617 miles
Date:  Friday, September 16, 2011 - Sunday, September 18, 2011

Our day began around 5:40am and the sun eventually arose over the mountains to join us.  Our destination today is Rocky Mountain National Park, but prior to our arrival, we have an important errand.

<a href="http://www.richgoldman.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/STA70534.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-416" title="STA70534" src="http://www.richgoldman.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/STA70534-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>

My sister is an avid runner, and had recently finished and enjoyed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Running-Buffaloes-University-Colorado-Cross-Country/dp/1585743283" target="_blank">Running with The Buffaloes</a> which follows the University of Colorado cross country team  for a season.  Since we were going to be nearby, my sister asked that we get her a Running with the Buffaloes t-shirt.  One would think this would be an easy task, but alas, it was not.

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left @ 5:40
stopped at Boulder to buy a t-shirt for Bethanne
rich was starving and a little irritable, so we went to a restaurant near Rocky Mountain NP for brunch, Dad had buffalo burger which wasn’t bad, I had french toast and hash browns
drove to drake which literally and figurately lies at the intersection of routes 34 and 43, it consists of 3 buildings, including a post office and a restaurant and campgrounds
scenic drive by a creek through a canyon
on the way back, we took different roads and had views of the mountains
bought some food at local safeway, which would become a hanging out spot for us since it had free WiFi and a comfortable place to sit and work
while were driving, we saw elk grazing on the side of the road
we found our way to bear lake parking lot and located trail heads we’d use on Saturday/tomorrow
Kirstin is supposed to meet us tomorrow and join us for a day of hiking
we had shabbat dinner of peroggies and soup - tuna hadn’t thawed
rich was anxious to get back to camp, prepare dinner, and empty car for tomorrow to fit Kirtsen in the car and remove any food items or things with scent to trunk to make safe for bears
Rich and I share trait of becoming anxious when there are tasks to be done
preparred car for bears, bags were removed and put in the trunk or tent, anyting with scent (food, toothpaste, etc) put in trunk...oops, the next morning, Dad discovered after all the efforts we put into making the car safe, we had left a bag of snacks in the front seat.

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Saturday
last night was cold, threat of rain, but only a drizzle came, wind was howling, but trees sheltered our tent
Dad got up at 6 to dress and use bathroom.  Found the phone had lost most of its power during night, only had 3-4% left.  Being saturday, Rich was still sleeping in bed at 8:45.  Dad to meet Kirstin at 10am and plan to leave camp @ 9:15.  Turns out Kirsten has also gone out of her way to buy a XC shirt for Bethanne.
Dad and I had PB sandwiches before going on hike...Kisten had already eaten
we went to Spraque lake which was a short, pleasant walk and a hike to Alberta Falls, which was about 2 miles round trip, which we did in a drizzle that ended in a heavy/heavier rain/downpour.
the cascade at alberta falls was worth the hike, which hopefully you’ll appreciate from the pictures...but the long hike to the top of the falls we passed up on
had lunch/dinner at pizza shop
Kirsten ate with us
pizza was good and was served in small pieces instead of 8 slices
the three of us polished off the two pizza
returned to the tent, outside a bit wet, but inside was dry
tonight we might go to the DQ and rich might work on the blog - ended up just as Safeway

Sunday
awoke to a wind storm at 5:50, must have slept well, becuase that is the first time I saw
no sence getting up until storm ends
we plan a long drive around RMP and no sense driving if we can’t appreciate the views due to the darkness or storm
Dad got up around 6:30, rich around 7
we should soon be on the road for a 200+ mile scenic drive around RMP
last night we were at safeway until after 10:30 finishing day 9 blog - we began after sundown about 8pm - Rich took a shabbat nap from around 5-8
Rich retunred from bathroom to car that morning where dad was wrting note sand warming up.  a few seconds later, rich exclimed , look!, and there wer thre elks grazing around our tent, no more than 5 feet away...see pictures
we left about 7:30 for the drive
there was snow on the RM
the first part of the drive is the trail ridge road which is the highest road in the US
we eventually reached a point on that road of 12,246’ (according to the GPS) the temp had dropped about 9° to 31° and 12,000 foot peaks were now low hills, since we were at almost the same elevation as the peaks
there were strong winds...we were at the level of the clouds and could see the motion of the clouds.
at millner pass we stpped at a point on the continential divide and we learned that the unassuming lapoudre creek that we were looking at flowed into the platte river to the Miss. to Miss. to the gulf and the Atlantic, while the creek on the other side down the road, hte beaver creek flowed to the Col. river, thorugh GC, to the Cal. Gulf and the pacific ocean
later we ate lunch - PB sandwiches and fruit and popcorn - at grand lake and later in the day drove up Mt. Evans to an altitude of 12,883 feet
Mt. Evans is actually 14,264 feet, which is 100 or so feet higher than Pikes Peak, but access to the summit by cars is denied after labor day.
the 9-mile road up Mt. Evans was a comfortable two-lanes, but winding and alternated sheer drops with traffic going in opposite direction.
there was ice and snow on the side of the trail and on the mountain
Rich got altitude (and/or car) sickness
returned to camp at 5:40pm, having spent 10hours driving the 200+ miles
bikers on the mountain
at this point, we have driven 6301 miles on 204.33 gallons @ $748.50 (you’ll notice the 2 cents ia more reaonslbe even number...blame rich)
made tuna steaks nad enjoyed watermellong brought from the farm Kirsten works