July 23rd - Saturday - Drive to Bowie, Texas (608 miles). Spend the night at the municipal campground, Selma Park, just outside of town on Lake Amon Carter.
July 24th - Sunday - Drive to San Isabel, Colorado (590 miles), with a side trip to the Capulin Volcano in New Mexico (late afternoon). Spend the night in a National Forest campground near San Isabel.
July 25th - Monday - Drive to the Rocky Mountain National Park's west entrance near Granby, Colorado (254 miles). Set up our camp in the Timber Creek campground (elev. 8,900') in the park. Do an acclamation day hike on the "Green Mountain/Onahu Creek", 6.5 mile loop trail (elev. 9,670').
July 26th - Tuesday - Day hike the 4.2 mile "Old Ute Trail", from the Alpine Visitor Center to Poudre Lake (elev. 11,800'), and the short trail up Sheep Rock, and the 2 mile roundtrip trail to the "Crater". Spend a second night in the Timber Creek campground.
July 27th - Wednesday - Day hike the 9.2 mile roundtrip "Lulu City/Little Yellowstone Canyon Trail" on the headwaters of the Colorado River, to an old mining boomtown (elev. 10,000'). Spend a third night in the Timber Creek campground.
July 28th - Thursday - Drive east across the park (53 miles). Stop along the way at the "Alpine Visitor Center" (elev. 11,796'), the lava cliffs, the snowfield near "Iceberg Pass", the beaver ponds, and several overlooks. Do short hikes on the "Tundra Trail", "Sundance Mountain", and the "Ute Ridge Trail" (time permitting). Leave the Park and drive to Boyd Lake State Park in Loveland, Colorado (south of Fort Collins). Set up our camp and do "SHOWERS". Have a sit-down dinner at a restaurant in Loveland and maybe do the nearby "Outlet Mal". Do laundry in the campground afterwards.
July 29th - Friday - Whitewater rafting on the Cache la Poudre River in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the morning (9:00 am till 1:00 pm). After clean-up and lunch, start heading home. Drive to San Isabel, Colorado (223 miles). Spend the night again in a National Forest campground near San Isabel.
July 30th - Saturday - Drive to Bowie, Texas (590 miles). Spend the night again at the municipal campground, Selma Park, on Lake Amon Carter.
July 31st - Sunday - Drive home (608 miles), arriving late afternoon. Those without personal transportation will be taken home. |
