Colorado

Brooke and I spent a week in Colorado, September 4-11, and it was one the best experiences of my life. We had so much fun together, filled with some great adventure.
We flew into Denver Friday night in time to catch a Rockies game with my cousins, Heather and Jena.

A view from our condo balcony, from inside the hot tub (ok, from next to the hot tub)

A spot I found two years ago that still produced some nice rainbows. Can you see Brooke reading her book on the bank?

An early Saturday morning. Little did we know we'd be hiking almost 10 miles that day.

Starting our hike at Fern Lake Trailhead

Stopping for a rest and snack at "The Pool"The Pool

Just 2.1 miles til we reach Fern Lake Fern Falls

Native Greenback Cutthroat Trout caught at inlet to Fern Lake (my favorite fishing spot)

Spending time at the inlet to Fern Lake

Almost to Odessa Lake

Odessa Lake

Almost to Bear Lake (and finished with our hike).

We spent a morning taking photographs at Maroon Bells. Maroon Lake reflects the Maroon Bells (the two 14ers behind all the aspen trees). Definitely a highlight of the trip!

I didn't plan to fish, but how could I resist. After all, this was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen and the trout were rising everywhere!

I took this nice brown trout on a fly near the back of Maroon Lake. What a thrill!

After an afternoon in Aspen, including a wonderful meal at Little Annie's, we spent an hour (or so) on the Roaring Fork River. I could see the trout, and I'm sure they could see me, because they didn't bite.

This is where I should have been the whole time...The Frying Pan River. This is the kind of river you read about in Field and Stream. I'm not kidding, there were huge trout within spitting distance from me. I didn't have long to fish here because we needed to head back over Independence Pass before dark. However, I did enoy a conversation from a fly fishing veteran from Oregon who has fished this little stretch of river every Summer for 20 years. Needless to say, I listened to what he said and I'm ready for next time.

The rock behind me is called Quandary Peak and it was my first Fourteener and something on my Bucket List. Quandary Peak is 14,265 feet high.

A view from the summit of Quandary Peak

Looking behind Quandary Peak. In the direction I'm looking, I can see Breckenridge, Keystone, Dillon, Longs Peak, Torres Peak, and several other peaks including Pike's Peak.