East to West to East Again

Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

I've been pretty much from one end of the state to the other in the last 10 days. Surveys are going well, getting to see a few different birds on almost every survey, which is nice.

I've gotten to see some parts of the state I've definitely never been to before and have to say how amazingly beautiful the drive is heading south on Hwy 141 from Grand Junction toward Dove Creek. Anyone interested in roadtripping should check out this drive! The highway follows an old channel of the Colorado River and it's like driving through a mini Grand Canyon, sheer cliff walls on both sides. Amazing! For you Chaco fans, one of the canyons it passes through is Unaweep Canyon (used as the name of one of their beloved models of sandal, a pair of which I've been doing my best to destroy for 8+ years). I'm hoping to convince Craig to do a river trip on the relatively flat water of the Dolores River, which very disorientingly flows north as you drive alongside.

Ruins of Drigg's Mansion - it had 6 rooms, took 2 stonemasons 4 years to build and was lived in by the Driggs for only a couple weeks before being abandoned.

I've been reading a book of short stories of women solo travelers. One of the authors wrote about her actual enjoyment of eating alone, making it easier to appreciate each moment, each bite of food. I typically hate eating alone, b/c I think of eating out as a social occasion, but I was passing through a town and really wanted to eat some real, granola-free food. So using that author as an inspiration, I took myself to an Italian restaurant for dinner without anything to read or work on, something I haven't done since my days as a study abroad student. It seemed like a good test to leave my comfort zone a little. Although not exactly a blast, it was totally fine. The wait staff and I got to talk a little and maybe I really did pay more attention to each bite of food. Perhaps eating alone is an acquired taste...one I could cultivate over this summer.

On a less appetizing note, yesterday was day 5 without a shower. That coupled with intense sweating due to lack of car AC was creating dangerous atmospheric conditions in the general area of my person. I won't even mention my hair. I am happy to announce that upon re-entry into civilization, many scented bath products were liberally applied, and my stench has been beaten into submission. You may now approach safely.

Enjoy the photos and video!

Pinyon-juniper and Grassland Interface

Grrr....videos are refusing to be uploaded, so I will try again in a couple of days!

Into the Mountains

I've made my way out of the grasslands and into higher elevation! I had a beautiful transect this morning just outside of Golden (home of Coors) on Lookout Mountain. The name made me feel like there should be some "See Ruby Falls" signs around, but I didn't see any. What I did see was some beautiful views and a whole new community of birds. And a lot of woody plants I couldn't identify, although poring over my field guide helped. Also, the steep winding road heading up the mountain seems to be a mecca for cyclists and there was even a paraglider taking off and circling his way over the city. Pretty sweet for a morning at the office!

Grasslands II

Craig came to visit me in the grasslands since he got the long weekend off work. It was so nice to have some company! We got to explore a little of Carrizo Canyon, close to the Colorado/New Mexico border and spent a little time in the town of Trinidad.

a reminder why white legs in shorts with hiking boots is never a good idea...