July 4 Weekend to Steamboat Springs

I hope everyone had a safe July 4th weekend.  We sure did! 

On Thursday, Jim and I took a beautiful drive to Steamboat Springs and spent the night with Jim's nephew and wife, Jeff and Shelly Dillingham, at their beautiful home in Clark, twenty miles north of Steamboat Springs.  Jeff had asked Jim to help him install a new generator at their cabin in exchange for a weekend there.  What a deal! 

On the road to Steamboat Springs near Kremmling. 

We have not been below 5,400 above sea level since we arrived in CO. The highway to Steamboat Springs took us over the continental divide 11,049 feet. Breath deeply!! Expand those lungs!!   Check out the elevation on Navagail nearing Steamboat Springs.

We drove to Jeff's cabin on July 2.  On the way we passed numerous rivers that looked perfect for fly fishing.  We passed Wolford Dam which supplies water to Denver - from the WEST slope.  Jim's says there is a large underground pipe through the Rockies.  That must have been an expensive project!  We passed over Rabbit Ears Pass at 9,578 elevation, named after a rock cropping that looks like........guess what!

After numerous dirt road turns, we arrived at the cabin.  The structure is only 6 years old and quaintly decorated by Shelly and her mom.  It has a beauty of its own, unlike the Barthaven cabin. 

See the cabin way over yonder?

We came across this Sandhill Crane and her two chicks (just born) as we were riding the quad around the lake. First mama (with about a 4' to 5' wing span) flew off into the Aspen trees. Then she decided she'd better come back and protect her chicks, and she did so with vengeance, squawking all the while. We left the scene immediately and were sorry we disturbed her tranquil nesting area. 

The Colorado State flower is the Columbine.  Aren't they beautiful!

I'm so used to gray skies most of the time in Seattle, I continue to be amazed by the deep blue skies with fluffy white clouds of CO.

The Colorado River originates in the Rocky Mountain National Park.  Here, a 100 miles south, it is only 50 feet across, tranquil enough to train new kayakers.  Once the Colorado River meets the Green River in Utah, it then becomes the large, deep river we know that cuts through the Grand Canyon. 

  

On our way back to Arvada on the 4th, we passed Vail, Colorado, the famous ski slopes that go on forever through the mountains.   This photo of the bunny hill was taken from our speeding car.

We ended July 4th by watching the fireworks at the local park.