Camping in Utah and Colorado

 Craig, CO

Enjoying the calm before the storm that missed us at Elkhead Reservoir State Park CO 

Canyon Rim Campground, Flaming Gorge Utah

The drive from Grand Junction CO to our campsite at Canyon Rim Campground was a really nice drive.  We passed through Northwest Colorado and then North East Utah.  We visited our last county in Utah, Daggett County, and stayed the night.  The campground was really fantastic.  We were far from everyone and a short walk to the canyon rim.  We set up camp and then did the 2 mile loop along the rim, to the visitors center and then back to the campsite.  

Hello from the awesome canyon rim overlook

There were interpretative signs along our walk

The beginnings of a pine cone

Nature is art

The canyon and reservoir are beautiful

Our secluded site

The next morning I got up early to use the restroom and noticed the sun was just rising so I grabbed my camera and went to the overlook to get some sunrise shots.  The sunrise was okay but the views of the Bighorn Sheep were better.  I watched them for a bit as they grazed on the cliffs edge and practiced their headbutting and then went to get my big camera and wake up Donna.  We headed back to the rim and watched the sheep for a bit more before heading back to camp and making coffee and eating breakfast.  While we ate the sheep passed through our site.  It was only fair, we watched them eat and then they watched us eat.  It was a great experience.

The so so sunrise

The adult sat and watched me

The juveniles grazed and practiced head butting and being dominant.

Breakfast and Coffee

The Sheep grazing in our campsite

After packing we drove north out the top of Utah and into Wyoming.  The drive was only somewhat scenic until we cut back down into Colorado.  The Colorado drive was really pretty.  We drove by herds of Pronghorn.  It was our second horned mammal species of the day!  We were expecting our campsite at Elkhorn Reservoir State Park to be just a convenient place to spend the night but when we got there we were pleasantly surprised.

Elkhorn Reservoir State Park, CO

Elkhorn Reservoir ended up being really great.  Our site was off by itself, there was a great shaded cover over the picnic table, and the weather was PERFECT.  After setting up camp we sat and watched 4 species of swallows fly around us.  It was so relaxing.  A breeze to our back kept it from being too hot or too cold.  Dinner was great and the bird show continued until dark.

We drove over this cool bridge leaving Utah

We stopped at a rest stop on I-80 in Wyoming

We passed through 2 areas of roadwork.  Winter has just ended in this area.

Donna and Francis enjoying the weather and the bird show

Donna took glamor shots of Francis on our walk while I was trying to scare up more bird species

More bird show, you can see a swallow just above Donna's head

Impressive clouds just before bed

The next morning we got up and made coffee, packed up, and took a walk.  I ended up getting a Sage Thrasher which was a new bird for me.  The drive to Silverthorne CO was nice.  We closed out the Northwest corner of Colorado and passed over a 9000+ft. pass.

Coffee Coffee Coffeeeee!

Simple rules to follow and yet people still couldn't follow the leash rule

The morning bird show

Donna grabbed a photo of the sign on the way out

Now we are in our hotel room in Silverthorne, CO.  We do a short 1h15m drive to Denver today and check into our Airbnb.  We already have dinner plans with friends, tickets to a day game at Coors Field, and reservations for a tour of the Coors Brewing Facility in Golden, CO.  It's going to be an action packed month.  I can't wait to share it with you all.

Our County Collecting Progress

Utah is complete!

Colorado is just over half done with more to come on this trip

Our US Progress together.  See a larger key for the colors below.  6 State complete and only 2711 counties to go!

The key to the colors

Yesterday we were on the road too. See the photos here.