September 2007
It is all to easy to spend our time at the cabin working on the land. This can be exhausting and we try to make time to be tourists since there is so much we have not seen or want to revisit within a short distance.
Independence Pass is just one of those places. It peaks out at 12,000 feet and no attempts are made to keep it clear of snow in the winter months. Snow was late this year so we took advantage.
The climb starts from Leadville at over 10,000 feet and goes gently at first passing the beautiful Twin Lakes reservoirs, giving stunning views of some of the Collegiate Peaks - so called because they are named after prominent US colleges like Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
The final steep climb gives breath-taking views east and the summit is rugged and very exposed. More snow covered peaks abound!

A fall view of the larger Twin Lakes reservoir with Collegiate Peaks behind
Looking down from the climb up the easterly side of Independance Pass - the western side goes down to Aspen
A snow covered ridge to the south of the summit
The mate posing at the top
Snow covered peaks to the south
East across the Collegiate Peaks

The skipper has had a new camera since July and it was great fun to experiment with such photographic opportunities. (For the technical - Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi 10 megapixel with Image Stabilised 28-135mm Zoom Lens)
The camera can record raw images at the same time as smaller .jpg images for the website. The bigger ones print at A3 or 13x19 inches and will start to appear on the cabin walls when we next return.
Our US grandchildren need lots of reminders that there is a very big world out there with lots of other places and countries that need visits!

A pale version of the Albert's Squirrel stoking up on sunflower seeds
Our new pop-up camper!
Sunset in the wilds of South Park looking like flames
Aspen with a crawling monster hand at the Pumpkin Patch in Evergreen
Pumpkins awaiting Halloween

Up at the cabin one of our favourite pastimes is feeding the small animals and birds with sunflower seeds. In the autumn they greedily gather these up and store them away for the winter. A few weedy sunflowers appeared in places this summer...
The Albert’s Squirrel is usually darker than the one we had this year but the tall curling ear tufts are typical. The chipmunks will hand feed if you are patient and they are hungry.

We just had to try out the camper and went to a lovely reservoir in South Park for a couple of nights where A/C was available on site. This helped with the night time heating as we had frost. All a great success and we look forward to our next opportunity.
We left for the East Coast just before Halloween and stayed with our daughter en route to the airport. We were taken to the Pumpkin Patch to select pumpkins for Aspen and Christopher. Aspen loved all the sinister toys that might have daunted older children and had such fun - Christopher just slept.
And so back to the boat...

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