Arrowhead Point Campground

Between Twin Lakes and Buena Vista, CO

2015-10-12

A nice start to the day.

Yesterday, we had a great day. It started off with a fabulous sunrise and then it just went uphill from there. Both literally and figuratively.

Kim on the road

After a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs…yum yum… we headed off for Buena Vista, which is about 12 miles from here. We were looking for the river park, but instead turned the wrong way and started to climb up one of the mountains. The road was magnificently covered in aspens whose leaves were changing to a vivid yellow. What a contrast it was to their white bark.

Aspens everywhere.

The road followed a rushing river, and ended at a small alpine lake. We were at about 10.000 feet, and the mountains towered above us. There were dozens of 12,000 foot plus mountains that surrounded us. We walked around taking one beautiful photo after another.

Kim trying to get a new angle on the beautiful aspens.

A real alpine lake!

Back at town we found the river park. It had the rushing Arkansas River running right through it. It was so picturesque that it almost made you cry with it's beauty. We sat on the rivers edge and ate our lunch.

This river runs through town.

we drove home and took a late afternoon nap. Another great day!

Arrowhead Point Campground

Between Twin Lakes and Buena Vista, CO

2015-10-10

We did a marathon drive yesterday, so today we get to reap the rewards of staying 2 nights in a beautiful place. There really isn't anything around us except 14,000 foot mountains, a beautiful river and a very big Sky.

And not one of them hit the car.

We did have a small traffic delay when a cattle drive came right through our country road.

Oh no, not another moose shot!

So far I haven't taken many pictures so, guess what, I am going to post a few more of my favorites from Grand Tetons. Just skip this post if you are bored with them

This beaver was just too cute.

Getting a photo of this Magpie was on my bucket list. Check!

Where else can you almost ski right into town, but Jackson Hole?

KOA Campground

Rawlins, WY

2015-10-09

We finally landed on a campground at about 4 pm. We only stopped a few times just to take care of the necessities. I didn't even take one picture, but it struck me that I have not posted any pictures from when Kim and I took our drive around the park. It had a very different rhythm than when I move around with “the boys,” but we managed to have a wonderful time and captured some amazing photos.

Let me show you some of them, and you be the judge!

First up is the obligatory photo a a bull moose. Nice, huh?

Then there is the waterfall. We saw so many I am not sure where this one is?

Getting ready to hike to the Artists Paint Pots.

Closeup of the Paint Pots. By the way, that's us.

So, hopefully you enjoyed coming along on a Kim and Peter adventure? I know I enjoyed the day. Tomorrow we do more driving as we head into the mountains to a place called Kremmling, WY, where I think there will be a pretty nice camp ground. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Grand Tetons National Park

Grosse Venice Campground

2015-10-09

Black bear feeding on elk

First I need to publish a photo that was taken several days ago of a bear feeding on an elk carcass. What a thrill. And it was one in which we were detained by park police for getting too close to. Fortunately, we were let go with a warning. In our defence there were no visible signs, that the park service usually puts up to keep people from disturbing the wildlife. We were a good distance away (I had to use a 750 mm lens), and from how comfortable the black bear was in sleeping on his kill, I didn't think we disturbed him too much!

Beaver posing

This is our last day in the park. The campground closes at 11:00 am. It's 7 am, and Kim and I are still drinking our coffee and trying to warm up before starting to pack up. It's 40 degrees outside. Much warmer than the 29 degrees in Yellowstone, still we are looking forward to heading south.

Bison posing

Yesterday, Jack and I headed off for another marathon photo shoot. It was successful in all of the ways that we hadn't planned. For example, we headed off down a gravel road hoping to find a dead carcass with a bear feeding on it, and instead we found a beaver sunning himself on the river bank.

Swan Lake without the swans

Were looking for a bald eagle nest, but instead we found a moose mother and her calf feeding in a swampy area.

Jack posing

We tried just filming some old farmhouses, and to get the added treat of a large bison posing in front of them.

We took a 3 mile hike hoping to catch a moose at Swan Lake, but instead found the most unusual looking lake filled with dead yellowish plants covering almost the entire surface.

What a great ending is to a super stay in two of the finest national parks in the US.