Colorado Rocky Mountain High

It is August and the mountains are calling to me. The last two summers I spent amazing weeks in Colorado camping in the mountains. Oh and last year I threw in a 'little' mountain bike race while I was there. This year, there are no trips to the mountains planned for me. I am feeling a little sad about this as I hear from friends that are enjoying the mountain towns and all that they have to offer. I am living vicariously through their pictures and events. I am also watching a race unfold via SPOT tracking on the Colorado trail. The things that I love most about being in the mountains in the summer are:
Afternoon rain and thunder showers. The clouds move in quickly, dump some rain, give a light show and then disappear over the next range. The sun comes back out and shines down on a clean crisp world with rain drops glistening on the trees. The air is so clean and smells so good. I loved afternoon rain showers, the were also great times to take a nap. It was even fun to get caught out in them on the bike, as long as you aren't above tree line!

The clear night sky and all the stars. Love sitting out under the stars and watching the night sky, especially if there aren't any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can ruin sitting out under the stars instantly, luckily during my time there weren't any of these pesky creatures around.

Waking up in the morning to cool mountain air that requires my down jacket to be in shorts and t-shirt 2-3 hours later. Who doesn't sleep better when it cools off at night and warms up during the day?

Early morning walks in the forest with my dog. We had some great morning walks where we were able to corner lots of squirrels up trees. (Okay, maybe that was Tana's favorite part not mine).

The changing cloud formations and colors in the sky. The paintbrush of nature is far more magnificent than any of the great artists.

From downtown Leadville

The solitude. Just a girl and her dog camping in the wilderness. Nothing recharges the battery more than time alone in nature. I am sure those folks riding the Colorado trail right now are feeling super recharged:)

In an attempt to ease my melancholy with this blog post, I may have just exacerbated the symptoms. I think the only cure is an infusion of Rocky mountain air!

Crested Butte area

'now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams, Seeking grace in every step he takes, His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand, The serenity of a clear mountain lake, It's the Colorado rocky mountain high' - John Denver