Colorado

Feeling Great!

by Ingrid

Al turns onto my brother’s circular driveway with ease and plenty of room to spare.  Within minutes we’re plugged in and have the RV set up.  It’s lunch time.  While I whip us up a couple of sandwiches, Al raises the blinds and opens some windows.  He comments, “Wow, Ingrid.  Check out these views”.  We have some pretty darn good views of Grand Junction’s Bookcliff mountains.  Great views, great price, great company…..brother and sister-in-law may regret extending the invitation for us to stay in their driveway for the week.

With lunch complete, Al’s off to run some errands while I contemplate a blog post…..

Ouray
San Juan Mountains, Ouray, CO

As I sit in my comfy chair in the RV staring out the window…..actually admiring the view. I have my laptop on my lap.  I think about the past week.  We enjoyed plenty of hiking and exploring.  The weather wasn’t always agreeable but we managed. I review our time spent camped at Ridgway State Park.  What exactly is it about this place that we’re drawn to?  Probably the location….the location is awesome;Ouray Colorado

Ouray, Colorado
Ouray, Colorado  (pronounced – your ray)
  • The town of Montrose is only twenty minutes to the north providing us with a large grocery store, Wal-Mart, Target, and more.  To the south are the towns of Ridgway five minutes away and lovely Ouray just another 10.
  • Plenty of hiking trails out our front door with plenty more a short drive away
  • Views…..beautiful Colorado scenery in all directions
  • Exploring…..abundant amount of ghost towns, old mines, and 4×4 roads
  • A lake for kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, and more

    Ridgway Lake
    Ridgway State Park. You can see the RV’s beyond the water. We’re camped on that hill.

As I compose this list, the word ‘hiking’ jumps off the page….it makes me smile.  It feels great to be back out hiking again.  For about a three year period, hubby and I were confronted with some difficult times that left us physically and emotionally exhausted.  Perhaps one day I’ll share.  For now, let me just say, exercising took a back seat.

Our first two months on the road, hubby and I focused on recovering.  Recovering not only from the events of the past 3 years but the physical move from a sticks n bricks house into a RV.  Our decision to go full-time wasn’t planned over a long period of time.  It just kind of evolved naturally over a few months and on a whim.  And then the house sold in 48 hours.  Yikes, we went into overdrive.  Exhausting to say the least.

I can honestly say, hubby and I are feeling more like ourselves than we have in a very long time.  We’re back in hiking mode and feeling better for it.  We started our hiking endeavor off slow by taking the “nature trail” at Ridgway State Park.  It’s more of an interpretative trail with plaques describing plants, geological items, and an authentic tee pee.Nature Trail

And from there….. as Emeril would say, we took it up a notch.  The hiking got longer and more challenging.  Sometimes we would hike an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening or we’d hike two hours in the morning, aware weather was approaching later in the day.  One way or the other, we found ourselves out on the trails every day.  Yep, the paws have been hurting, but in a good way.

Telluride
Hiking the 4×4 road to Bridal Veil Falls, Telluride, Colorado

TellurideWe hiked every trail at Ridgway State Park; some easier than others.  However, our real push was tackled in Telluride when we hiked up to Bridal Veil Falls.

From the Pandora Mill to the falls is a 1.8 mile distance with a 1200 foot elevation gain.  At the top of the falls is a restored house/power plant that provides 25 percent of Telluride’s demand for electricity.  Bridal Veil Falls is the tallest free falling fallings in the state of Colorado; 365 feet in length.

The hike took Al and me approximately two hours round trip.  Elevation around 10,000 feet.

Telluride
The Pandora Mill is near the bottom by the Mill’s runoff pools. That’s where we parked the truck. The town of Telluride off in the distance.

Al and I felt great after completing this hike.  It had been the longest and most challenging to that point.

Telluride
Bridal Veil Falls, Telluride, Colorado

We drive back into the town of Telluride, park the car, and walk the main street looking for a place for lunch.  We enjoyed a great burger at Flora Dora’s Saloon.  Always on the lookout for cute T-shirts, after lunch Al asks if I’d like to browse the shops a bit.  “Sure I’d like to, but these paws are telling me otherwise”.  Time to head back to camp and tackle another hike tomorrow.Telluride

Telluride

Telluride
Hiking the road back down.
Telluride
Stunning scenery all around
Telluride
We drive through a residential area in Telluride on our way to Bridal Veil Falls. Such cute houses!

61 thoughts on “Feeling Great!”

  3. Hello Ingrid! My name is Eugin from Wholesale Warranties. You guys are so difficult to get a hold of! I sent you guys an email regarding our Summer Photo Contest. You guys sent in the photo just above and won first place!!
    As promised, I have a gift card for you as well as a 7 year Happy Camper Membership waiting for you. I just need a little bit of information from you but instead of chatting on here, email me at eugin@wholesalewarranties.com.
    I hope to hear from you soon and congratulations!

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  4. Glad you got your mojo back…has to feel great. I’m trying to get back there…what a perfect spot you landed at and allowing you to beat the trail!

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  6. I can’t wait to be in Ouray next summer…your photos are great!

    There are lots of 2 hour hikes in Moab…Negro Bills, Corona Arch and several in Arches NP.
    Have fun!

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    1. Thanks for the info on Moab. Maybe we’ll see ya around Ouray next summer. We barely scratched the surface on all there is to see and do in the area. So guess we’ll just need to return 😉

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  8. I loved your post AND your photos today! Especially since Jerry and I are resting after our 9-mile hike on the Colorado Trail from Durango. It was so much fun! And so beautiful. Tomorrow we are going to do another section of the trail from Little Molas Lake. We heard the views are amazing!

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    1. Wow, 9 miles? It’ll take us awhile to build up to that. You’re in some beautiful country. Enjoy your next hike and I do hope Jerry takes some photos to share 🙂

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  9. Once again my vicarious hikes with you have tired me out. My legs are only aching a little. So thanks for taking all those beautiful photographs. I’m glad to hear you still feel you made the right decision. It must have given you a moments pause when your house sold so quickly. I will be keeping track of your travels and I hope we will get together in Arizona.

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  11. Wow! You are making realize I have get off the front range more and get to more Colorado! What a great state with so much beauty! Way to get back at hiking, I have found the views here are the best motivators ever!

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    1. You MUST plan a trip to the Ouray area for some fabulous 13er’s. You and the hubby would love it …. the hiking is endless. We are lucky to have the Rockies in our backyard….far cry from Chicago!

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    1. Seeing that we don’t have floats on the RV, I’m thankful the rains in western Colorado weren’t on the scale as the front range. That is so sad. Some gorgeous communities devastated. Thanks for the nice comment.

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  15. Hiking is so therapeutic for me, too. When I can hike (or stroll) in beautiful natural settings, my world seems to ‘come together’, and I feel peace and calm. Love your photography!

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  16. 1200 ft in 1.8 miles is 12% grade if I figured right. An east green if skiing down but a hard black if I’m walking up it. Congrats and thanks for the great shots.

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    1. Math wizard I am not. So thanks for figuring this out. I’d say double black diamond going up….cause that’s what it felt like to me…..lol.

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  18. Belated congratulations on becoming fulltime. Have been “traveling” vicariously through your posts as much of the summer has been spent with illness, hospitalization, or surgery. Hope to meet you both on the road sometime. Doc and I plan on heading Southwest in mid to late October. Keep up the great work on your blog!

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    1. Gosh sorry to hear……life does throw us some curves sometimes. We’ll be leaving Colorado next week and start meandering down to Arizona. See ya there 🙂

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  20. Stunning. I keep thinking you can’t get more beautiful than your last post, and then you do! Glad you’re almost recovered from that hectic house moving.

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    1. I’m reviewing some of your Moab hikes and picking a couple to tackle next week. We’re not ready for anything over 2 hours just yet, but working on it. Next summer I want to ride our bikes around the town of Telluride just looking at all the cute houses and beautifully landscaped yards.

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  23. There’s nothing like being out in gorgeous mother nature to engage the healing process, no matter what ails you. So glad this change in lifestyle suits you both!

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    1. You are so right Lisa. We’ve been really enjoying ourselves. Your posts (and Pam’s) have been an inspiration. We’ll be working on our endurance while in AZ this winter.

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  25. Oh you make me want our time to pass even quicker… Linda and I went to a camper place this morning to look at the second motorhome we are considering the Vista Six… we are sold, that is what we want, and it has everything even down to 2 TV with automatic satellite dish so I won’t miss the sports… Centre bed, toilet, shower, basin, 3 plate stove, fridge freezer, Aircon rear reversing TV, you name it , it’s got it and it is cheaper than the other… they even supply an interior decorator to help Linda decide on colour combos for matting, wooden floors etc… oh how the excitement is building… and you r site just drives it on now reaching the push stage… 2.2 lt Turbo diesel engine, 6 forward gears and a tow capability of 1 200 Kgs… MY DREAM….

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    1. So very excited for you and Linda. It’ll be an adventure that’s for sure. Sounds like a great RV choice. As I’ve told folks before while working in the home building industry and my brother when they were looking for trailers, sit in the RV and envision yourself living in it, watching TV, etc. Have Linda stand at the sink and think about cooking. Everyone’s priorities are different. Don’t be fooled by bells and whistles. Think about how ‘you’ like to live. This advice stirred my brother and his wife in the right direction and they love their choice. Happy trails 🙂

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      1. Linda asked for a few changes to the layout but she was as ecstatic as I was… and the fact she gets to work with an Interior decorator for her colour choices etc…

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    1. Thanks Mark and you are so right…..feels great get the ole body moving. Should be ready next summer to tackle some 13er’s. The wildflower’s will be waiting for me.

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  27. We all have our “rough patches” in life’s journey. Glad to hear you are back on track and feeling healthy..that is worth more than any dollar amount. Those photos are wonderful and how great is it to have family living in such fabulous surroundings…Have a great visit!!

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