Colorado vacation day 8 - July 17

This was a day of mostly sightseeing and a bit more scouting for the upcoming Colorado trip with Les and the kids (we leave in less than nine days - yikes!) Drove up to Cottonwood Pass just to see the views and because I love the place and got a short hike in on top to a peak south of the pass that's about 12,500'. Then I drove back to Mike's to stay the night. I returned via Leadville and I-70, taking a detour over Loveland Pass just for the nostalgia of it all, since my folks and I loved going up on the pass for picnics and sightseeing back in the day. When I got to Mike's he and Ginger took me to dinner in Idaho Springs for my birthday. A good day!

Trip journal:

Broke camp by 6:30. On Cottonwood Pass @ 7:15. Another perfect day - so far! A quick climb S. of Cottonwood Pass up a trail to an unnamed at around 12,500' or so. Very clear. Stayed up ½ an hr. Took lots of pics & video - will be interesting to see how that turns out! [Note: I will be posting some of the videos from my cell phone at a later date - Jim]

Back in the truck before 9:00. Drove down, tried to make it over Weston Pass from the Arkansas Valley but got tired of driving up the stream that thought it was a road & turned around. To Mike & Ginger's by about 5:30. Out to dinner with them in Idaho Springs.