9/6/16 - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO

This morning we drove the South Rim Road in the park.  We stopped at all of the overlooks and hiked the trails and it gave me 13,575 steps.  The views at all of these overlooks were fantastic. The canyon is very deep and has steep walls.  The canyon isn’t as wide as the Grand Canyon but I think it is prettier.  Jim lost the door to the battery compartment on his big camera.  We thought we were going to have to hike on one of the overlooks again to look for it.  He knew which overlook he would have lost it at.  When we went back, someone had found it and placed it on the sign pole at the beginning of the hike.  After we finished the drive we went to Colorado Boy Pizza and Brewery and Two Rascals Brewing in Montrose.  Then we made quick stops at WalMart and City Market.  The sunset was pretty tonigh and I got a picture of the crescent moon with the sunset.

9/7/16 - Uncompaghre National Forest, Matterhorn Campground, Telluride, CO

We left the national park this morning and drove to Matterhorn Campground in the Uncompahgre National Forest near Telluride.  We got the only first come first served site with full hookups available.  The people were just leaving as we arrived.  After setting up we drove to two small lakes in the national forest that were nearby.  Priest Lake and Trout Lake were very pretty with the mountains in the background.  Then we went into Telluride, about a 30 minute drive from camp up and down over the mountains.  We walked around the cute little main street with all of it’s shops and went to Smugglers Brewpub.  In the middle of town is a city park that has a campground.  They don’t have hookups but it is within walking distance of Main Street.  On the way back to camp we stopped at Telluride Brewing.

9/8/16 - Uncompaghre National Forest, Matterhorn Campground, Telluride, CO

It was 35 degrees this morning -- there was frost on everything.  Because of the mountain to the east, the sun doesn’t come over and get on the Casita until 9:30 am.  After we got some warmth from the sun, we took showers.  Then we drove over Lizard Head Pass and drove a circle from Dolores to Mancos to Cortez.  The drive between Mancos and Cortez took us past Mesa Verde National Park.  We have been there twice so we didn’t go in today.  The temperature was around 80 degrees down in the lower elevation.  We had lunch in Dolores at a burger place.  We went to Mancos and stopped in for a beer at Mancos Brewing.  Then we drove to Cortez and had a beer at Main Street Brewing.  On the way back to camp we stopped in Dolores at Delores River Brewing and shared a beer.   The setting sun was really pretty on the mountains tonight.  The sky wasn’t as pretty as the last few days because there weren’t any clouds for the sun to shine on.  The sky has been perfectly clear and very blue today. Trout Lake that we visited yesterday was really pretty in the evening light tonight.

9/9/16 - Uncompaghre National Forest, Matterhorn Campground, Telluride, CO

This morning we paid for two more nights here near Telluride.  Jim wants to do some hiking today so we drove to the National Forest Service office about 10 miles from camp.  When we got there, the office was closed for the season.  We rode into Telluride and went to the visitor center and got some information from them.  Then we rode the gondola up from Telluride to Mountain Village.  We walked around and had a beer and then rode the gondola back down.  On the way back to the Casita we stopped in and had a beer at Telluride Brewing again.

9/10/16 - Uncompaghre National Forest, Matterhorn Campground, Telluride, CO

This morning we found out that we have a mouse in the Casita.  It got into some of our food.  I cleaned the pantry out and threw away a lot of food.  I needed another roll of paper towels and I got into the space under my seat.  When I did, I saw that the mouse had been in there also and had shredded two rolls of toilet paper and was building a nest in a plastic bag where I had some paper egg cartons stored.  I was going to use them to make fire starters when we got home.  So I had to pull everything out and clean and sanitize in there also.  All pots and pans and everything had to be washed.  We finally left camp and went into Telluride to hike Bridal Veil Falls. On the way we saw a herd of Elk.  This was a strenuous hike up a 4 wheel drive road that will take you over the mountain to Silverton.  Lots of people were walking, a few were riding bicycles and most of the people were riding in vehicles up to it.  I had 11,000 steps by the time we got through.  Jim and I went to Ace Hardware and bought four mousetraps and then went to Smugglers Brewery for a beer.  We got back in time to sit outside and enjoy the sun this evening.  We played a game of Phase 10.  After dinner, Jim worked on the blog pictures.  He set two of the mousetraps and a little after 9 pm he got one.  Then he reset them.  In all we caught 5 mice in a period of 30 minutes.  We left the traps set overnight but didn't catch any more.

9/11/16 - Uncompaghre National Forest, Amphitheater Campground, Ouray, CO

This morning Jim and I rewashed all of the utensils, floors, pots, pans, etc. in the Casita again.  Then we left and drove to Ouray.  On the way we stopped in Ridgeway at a grocery store to replace some items that I had to throw away.  In the parking lot a couple came up and asked if we had been to the Bluebonnet Casita Rally.  They usually go to it.  They were Jan & Jack from Belton, Texas.  We got a site at the Amphitheater Campground in the national forest just on the outskirts of Ouray.  This was a very tight, small site.  We got the Casita in and the Silverado had to be parked in sideways.  We went into Ouray and walked around town then went to Ouray Brewing and Mr. Grumpy Pants Brewery.  Mr. Grumpy Pants was a unique place.  There was a swing on a pulley that slid back and forth behind the bar that the bartender sat on.  It also had a lot of strange signs all around with information on them.  They reminded us of the signs Jim’s sister Judy had around her house.

9/12/16 - Uncompaghre National Forest, Amphitheater Campground, Ouray, CO

So far no more mice!  We drove from Ouray to Silverton on the famous Million Dollar Highway.  This is one scary road to drive with sheer drop offs and few guard rails.  There was a memorial on the side of the road for snow plow operators who had gone over the edge.  Just as we arrived in Silverton the narrow gauge train from Durango came into the station. We walked around town and then went to Avalanche Brewing.  We had a pizza for lunch there.  I had a great Bacon Maple Stout.  Then we went to Golden Block Brewing and walked around town some more before driving back.  There was a beautiful rainbow on the road to our camp.