Hidden Track

On June the 29th, I went for a hike in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness near Buena Vista. I hiked up Avalanche Gulch on the Colorado Trail. I wandered up to a pass on the ridge line for Mt. Yale. The pass was at tree line. The ridge is an alternative route for climbing Mt. Yale. I went up Mt. Yale a different way a few years ago. The way I went looks a lot easier. That doesn’t matter; I was not hiking up Mt. Yale this time. I was climbing an unnamed peak on the ridge in opposite direction of Mt. Yale. The unnamed peak has an elevation of 12,505 ft. The view was wonderful. Here are the pictures.

Unnamed Peak

Old Mine - Mt Colombia and Mt Harvard

Looking down the mine shaft

Mt. Princeton - Haze on left is from the West Fork Complex Fire

Mt. Princeton on the left

Mascot Peak and Mt Yale

Buena Vista

Mt Yale and me from the top of the unnamed peak

Flowers

Alpine Sunflowers

Mt. Yale and alpine sunflowers

Snow and unnamed peak

Flowers

Close-up of flowers

The Final Cut

After the Medicine Bow Peak hike, I decided to head west towards Utah a little early. I didn’t have a plan. I was just seeing the countryside. However, there was not much to see in southwest Wyoming. I ended up staying in a hotel in Evanston, Wyoming since I didn’t see any place I wanted to camp. Evanston is the last town in Wyoming before I-80 reaches Utah. The good thing about the town is that it has a brewpub that has good brews and good food.

The next day, June 18th, I headed northwest into Utah. I decided to check out the Golden Spike National Historic Site at Promontory Summit. I wasn’t sure what to expect or if there would be much there. The Park had a nice Visitor Center. They also had replica trains that were pretty sweet. The area was a cool piece of history. I wish I had more time to explore the old grades. The railroad no longer goes over Promontory Summit. It has been moved to a causeway across the big salty lake to the south.

Union Pacific's No. 119

Union Pacific's No 119 in action

Central Pacific's Jupiter

Site of the last tie

Side of the Jupiter

Central Pacific's Jupiter and Union Pacific's No. 119

The Last Cut in the Union Pacific Grade before it reach Promontory Summit

The Last Cut looking southeast towards the salty lake

Looking south at the Union Pacific Grade from the Central Pacific Grade

Chinese Arch

After visiting the Golden Spike National Historic, it was time to head to the town next to the big salty lake for the World Cup Qualifier match between the US and Honduras. For the match, I had 2nd row seats. The US warmed up right in front of me. It was pretty cool. During the game, I also saw a couple of unhappy exchanges between Eddie Johnson and the coach, Jurgen Klinsmann. The US won the game 1-0 on Jozy Altidore goal. I drove home happy the next day.

Michael Bradley and others warming up

Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans, & Michael Bradley kicking it around

Gonzalez, Kljestan, Bradley, Altidore, Jones, & Johnson

National Anthem time

Final drink before the game

Klinsmann showing some emotion

Halftime interview

OK Computer

Due to multiple computer problems, I haven’t done a new post on the blog in a while. I’m back now, and I have a bit of a backlog of blog worthy pictures. So here we go with the first post of the backlog. In June, I made a trip to Salt Lake City for a World Cup Qualifier. I decided to take some time off from work and do a little hiking and sightseeing on the way out. On June 16th, I camped in the Medicine Bow –Routt National Forest in Wyoming. The next day (June 17th), I went for a hike in the Snowy Range. The range was well named since there was still a good bit of snow. I did a loop trail that took me around to the backside of the range and then up Medicine Bow Peak. (12,013 ft.)

Near the start.  Schoolhouse Rock on the left.

View to the southwest

Trail on the backside

From the top of the cliffs.

Flowers

Medicine Bow Peak from the false summit

View from Medicine Bow Peak

Me on Medicine Bow Peak

Lake Marie (the last lake below the cliffs) is where my car is parked.

Browns Peak and lots of lakes

From the top of Medicine Bow Peak, I looped around to the front side of the range and hiked past numerous lakes on the way back to my car. The snow made the hike easy when it was hard, but the snow was not always hard. So by the time I got back to my car, I had a good work out. I also had a lot of beautiful pictures.

Some small lakes and the frozen Lookout Lake

The Snowy Range

Small lake and the Snowy Range

Gap in the range

Lookout Lake

Lookout Lake and Medicine Bow Peak

Lookout Lake

Lookout Lake

Lake Marie.  Medicine Bow Peak (Last Peak)

Into The Fire

The fire season has been rough in Colorado so far. There are fires all across the state. I happened to be near the Royal Gorge Fire when it was active. Here are some photos I have of the smoke from Skyline Dr just west of Cañon City.

Smoke over Cañon City on June 11th.

Looking towards the fire

Looking south toward the river.  A closed US 50 is below

Looking Northwest - US 50 below

The fire is not far beyond that smoke

Fremont Peak

Smoke on June 11th

The next day (June 12th) - the fire on the north side of the Gorge was smoldering.  The winds had shifted and the more dangerous fire was on the south side of the gorge at that point.

Sunset on June 12