Exploring the Rockies

Turns out it’s a sight easier to explore the Rocky Mountains now than it must have been in the 1850s.  

We’re in our last day with Pat and Patty in Colorado before flying back home for Mary’s rotator cuff surgery. Yesterday we took the cog railway to the top of Pike’s Peak and it was truly a lovely day. Today we’ll do a Rockies loop and visit with Mary’s old work buddy in Leadville.

We’ve also done a nice drive up the Poudre River drainage which has been one of my favorite scenic drives since I first did it with Pat years ago.

We have cameras and binoculars and bottles of water. A Garmin gps has replaced hand-drawn maps. Nary a pack mule nor a Sharps rifle to be seen.  Donuts and muffins have replaced jerky and beans in our travel  larder.

Both in the car and on the railway, internal combustion engines have replaced leg power and the sweat on my brow is due solely to the heat of the day. Speaking of the heat of the day, we’re only exposed to it when we step out of the rental car to get a closer look.

We have it a lot easier than those earlier touristas.