September 19-21, 2016

High 70’s, sunny, blue skies. The trees are pretty close to peaking with fall colors. Beautiful.

Silver Queen Campground-looking more like golden queen, across the street is one of the 3 campgrounds we are hosts at. We hiked 3.5 miles up East Maroon Creek and back today. Some elk hunters passed us on the trail. It is bow hunting season now.

It was such a nice day there were lots of people on the trail that usually has no one. But once we passed the cut off for Maroon Lake it was mostly just us. Looking up West Maroon Valley with the bells at the end. Red and yellow foliage underneath the golden aspen.

Spectacular trees and blue sky. John supervising the trees while I take photos.

Suep looking up at the aspens-photo by John. They shimmer and glow in the sunshine. John took this of me with these HUGE aspen trees.

John on the trail back looking down Maroon Valley. John is  a tiny dot on the trail in these trees.

The big fishing hole has lovely reflections. We talked to some guests tonight, the wife had caught 4 fish here and he painted this scene. We arrived back at our campsite to find this fifth wheel with Ron and Louise camped in front of us. They claim to be friends of our boss  and are staying for 10 days. They said ‘ Didn’t they tell you we were coming?”  NO. John is going to talk to her  tomorrow.  Kind of ruins our ambiance, but  they are really nice people. It ended up they  had some miscommunications and were supposed to camp elsewhere and moved the next day.  Our ambiance is back.

Seed head, clover blossom, tiny green worm, knap weed seed heads, a big green cricket , snow berries. Second photo a dead butterfly, red grass, golden aspen leaves, the trail is yellow with them.

I was sitting in our site, looked up and the doe and two fawns that live in this area were watching me. They must be used to us, they don’t seem afraid of us. John and Mandy are visiting again in their A-liner trailer. It is always fun to see them. It was cooler and it  rained today.

We hiked back up East Maroon trail with them. Rain coming down the valley at us. A fir tree decorated like a Christmas tree with the fallen golden aspen leaves.

John and I in our matching rain coats. I have a green one so we won’t match, but it is too small to fit over me and my pack so John gave me an old one of his that is bigger. We hiked farther up East Maroon Valley, this is a panorama of where we turned around. Spectacular colors, steep glacial carved canyon.

A small water fall by the trail and I got a shot of the moment the sun came out for a few minutes.

September 15-17, 2016 Maroon Bells, Colorado

The weather has warmed up a bit during the day and is sunny, but down in the 30’s at night. The aspen are really turning now, more everyday. Against a brilliant blue sky.

We walked West Maroon Portal trail again today, in the sun instead of the rain this time. The aspens were lovely.

Mostly turned, but some green ones still. John in front of Sievers Mountain near Maroon Lake.

An orange patch of aspens. The trees by the bells are turning more every day.

We walked back along West Maroon Creek trail. Lovely views.

East Maroon Valley is looking good too. These trees by the road are already starting to loose their leaves.

View of Highlands ridge. Meanwhile back in camp my blue chair with the golden aspens, a small basket I am working on in the seat.

I set some golden aspen leaves in resin to use as basket centers. I have no idea if they will say yellow or turn brown in the resin. I hope they at least stay artistic looking. The beginning of a basket with the aspen leaf center. We had a little excitement.  There was a small fire across the valley from us. A forest service helicopter set down across the street, rigged up this bucket and made numerous trips to Maroon lake to fill it and back to the fire to dump it on the fire.

The outhouse at Silver Queen campground when I did my afternoon bike ride to check the bathrooms. The aspen in the campground are veru golden.

Aspens in Silver Queen. John went up at the crack of dawn to photograph the full moon setting in the sunrise over the bells. Thank you John, I hate getting up that early.

Along with about a 100 of his best friends. It is a very popular shot. Full moon setting over the bells at sunrise-with golden aspen, by John.

I finished another small basket. This one is done in the fern stitch.

September 14, 2016 Aspen Area, Colorado

We took a little sight seeing tour today. It was cloudy, windy and rainy most of the day.

I finished another basket. This one was kind of an expieriment, it has aspen twigs wrapped around it and an aspen branch as a lid handle. It came out cute, but way too much trouble to make more. Patty, the day use area host at the Bells took us to Marble to this BBQ resturant. Marble is a tiny old mining town. There is a big old marble quarry there that has been closed for years, but there are huge blocks of marble all over the place. The BBQ is about the only business in town, besides some galleries, lodging and  a number of marble artists in town. It is mostly a high mountain town with historic cabins and older small homes.

Patty, Keeper and John in front of the Slow Groovin’ BBQ. Patty and John with our yummy meals. Kind of cool and rainy, but we sat outside anyway with Keeper.

On the way back we stopped to view Hayes Creek Falls.  The falls and Patty, Keeper and John hiking up.

Very pretty color rocks with some fall color in the water. A cliff along the Crystal River with more fall color.

Beautiful downtown Redstone, Colorado. It is another old small mining town. They used to mine coal in this area. All the homes are restored and it is a cute little town.  A halloween display in front of the antique store in Redstone.

Coke ovens for processing coal outside of Redstone. The evening light was cool with all the storm clouds and sun rays.

We stopped at another canyon on the way back  and viewed the St Benedict’s Monestary and  yet another canyon and watched the elk come down. The almost full moon in the storm clouds. It was a fun day.

A rusty ax handle used as a door stop in the Forest Service bunkhouse in Aspen, a mourning cloak butterfly, deer seen outside of aspen, two marble sculptures-the angels are at a Marble gallery in Marble and the trout is by the river in Redstone and some elk.