We went with our daughter and son-in-law to where Cliff and his family have very long ties

Up, up we traveled way up into the Paonia Mountain Range (the Elk Mountain Range) —-(Boomer didn’t get to go)

The road was a steep and marvelous wonder

The views amazing

and stunning (somewhere over there is Crested Butte)

At, one point along the trail, we looked down upon the West Elk Mine 

Climbing higher and higher and higher

Until we drove into a lovely meadow, where we had lunch.

It was here Cliff showed us the marker commemorating his late Dad.  Many generations of Rezak’s loving, and hunting, and living on this spot.

Then on we rode

All the while through

(This is Ragged Mountain)

extraordinary beauty

Marvelous lush meadows

Delightfully full ponds

Impressive vistas.

At one point we came upon a man-made object—a radio tower! Always a surprise to me, to see something like this in a prestine forest

We drove to snowbanks and through snowbanks

In lots of muddy melting water

In the thickly growing forests of the Standing People

Then down, down, down again, where we could get off and look back and see just where we had been.

It was a lovely day, and much needed as a wee break in work.

Back home again, standing at the edge of our field…I took a photo of the Elk Mountain Range…which I call the Paonia Mountains…

as a reminder of where we were and the beauty we just experienced.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda