I checked out of my Steamboat Springs hotel on Monday morning (the 15th) with the intention of heading toward Boulder after walking Fish Creek Falls Overlook Trail. However, when I arrived at the trail there was a notice posted that the trail was closed less than a quarter-of-a-mile from the starting point. There isn't a lot of inspiration to hike a trail that goes by a waterfall if it doesn't actually reach the waterfall.
Instead, I decided to take a detour on my way to Boulder, taking me over to Fort Collins instead. It seemed like it would be quite a scenic drive through the mountains. First, a shot of the downtown area of Steamboat Springs, and then, as I started the climb out of the valley, I took a some shots overlooking the area I was leaving.
The drive to Fort Collins was a little over 3 hours ... let's say 3 1/2 with the several stops I made, mostly to take these pictures. Of course, also to fill the car up with fuel; that's usually at least once per day when being on the road like this!
I had kind of hoped to find an opportunity around Fort Collins for a little bit of a walk/hike, but the weather started turning right after my arrival. I had made plans to meet a new friend (from the Dabrowski Congress) and one of her friends for dinner and then a Souza concert in the park in Boulder, so I decided I had better head that way and find a place to stay. It was an interesting drive, with periods of sun but also periods of rain in which the raindrops hitting my windshield were about an inch to an inch-and-a-half in diameter!
Once in Boulder (arriving around 4:00pm) I check in to my hotel. We had agreed to meet at a specific restaurant around 5:30pm. I pulled in to the parking lot and discovered the restaurant had a sign saying that it was closed until further notice. We regrouped and found someplace else, in this case a Mexican restaurant. While at dinner, I managed to snag a 9:00am entry ticket to Rocky Mountain National Park. After dinner we headed over to the park. We missed the beginning of the concert, but all and all it was a lovely experience.
The sun was still up when the concert ended, and I had an opportunity to take these pictures, one of a very interesting sky and one of the moon.
Tomorrow Tuesday, 16 July), Rocky Mountain National Park!
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