August 20, 2022 A day away from the park

 

August 20, 2022 Saturday… stay away from the park

It was cold last night and I had to snuggle with my humans.  I even went under the covers.  Everybody loves me.  I am so popular!

Woke to a chilly morning.  We actually turned on the heat for a while.  Spouse is turning into such a wimp.  He made a good breakfast and then he went on the walk with me.  This campground is situated on Granby Lake, right by the dam.  So we walked along the dam.  To one side is the lake, with the mountains in the background.  On the other side is a pretty valley with some hills.  There are a few homes but nothing too close by.  We stopped at a picnic area along the lake.  This is set up really nice for boating and recreation.  When we looked at the dry side, we saw a dirt road and decided to take that back.

The road is heavily rutted but ok for walking as long as you watch your step.  I hear birds screaming.  Turns out there were two osprey high in their nest.  I think they were trying to fledge but couldn’t bring themselves to make the leap.  I know they will at some point, but for now, they serenaded us.  There are quite a few of these osprey poles set up for them to nest, but this was the only real activity we were able to see.

Once back at camp, we decided to stay away from Rocky Mountain National Park as it was Saturday, the busiest day.  So we headed for a day of exploring.  We went south to Granby, then continued on through the valleys.  It started getting quite crowded as we neared Winter Park.  We took a dirt road to maybe find some adventure, but too many bicyclists.  The scenery may be pretty, but way to crowded for our taste.  We decided to explore more around our own campground.

After a good Mexican street taco lunch, we headed back up to our lake, and took the road around it.  It is nicely graded dirt.  We cross over a dam or two then follow the curve of the lake.  There are a few hiking trailheads that caught our attention.  And way on the other side is another campground with lots of sites bordering the water’s edge.  Reservations are needed at this one.  Looks pretty.

Got back in time to enjoy the cocktail hour before the wind started and then the thunder and rain.  Wow, things change so fast here!  And oh, did it rain…

Some people have asked how we manage without RV hookups.  Spouse has batteries that could charge the sun, a generator, and all sorts of gadgets to make this easy.  Our tanks can hold quite a bit.  We were 5 days in Howard, being frivolous with water and we did not fill our tanks, or our head.  When we know we are without hookups, we know how to minimize water usage and such.  And if need be, we could always use campground facilities… at least Spouse can…  If it is too hot outside, our generator can run the air conditioner, but that gets old.  That is when we are in an RV park for sure.