Colorado

Roses are red, violets are blue

Colorado Rockies I frikkin love you

I spend a few weeks traveling all over colorado, and there wasn't anywhere that wasn't filled with natural beauty. Even in downtown Denver and Colorado Springs the Rockies are right there 14,000 ft up and calling to you.

I had originally planned on climbing Pikes Peak while here, but when I climbed engineering mountain in San Juan national forest I very quickly died as soon as I crested the tree line so I'll have to come back here when I'm in a little better shape before I try a 14er.

I started my trip off in Black Canyon. I can't imagine what it would be like to stumble on that place. As you approach the canyon from the side you have no idea the depth you are about to encounter. I didn't realize I could get vertigo until I looked over a railing down into this canyon. The pictures I have really can't capture what it's like. The size and scope of this place is something to behold. It certainly doesn't hurt that the walls of this canyon have this beautiful marbling of colors.

From there I spent a couple of days at great sand dunes where I absolutely tore it up sand boarding. And by tore it up I mean I climbed all the way to the top of high dune and rode down from there. Gotta say it's worth the climb. I unfortunately didn't get any good photos from there because I didn't want to get sand in my equipment. Sand dunes is not for the weak of heart though. It's loose sand just about everywhere and steep inclines. It's probably the hardest climb I've ever done.

I also spent a day at Messa Verde, but I really didn't enjoy that park as everything is incredibly spread out and the maps and roads were horribly labeled so it took me 2 hours to find my trail head and I was so pissed off about wandering around lost that I forgot my anti mountain lion gear so I turned back early in the hike when I realized there was no one else on the trail.