Cedaredge, CO - July 27, 2008
HI EVERYONE,
WE TRAVELED HERE TO CEDAREDGE TO VISIT SOME FRIENDS WHO HAVE HORSES. THERE WERE SO MANY PLACES TO RIDE IN THIS AREA. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT OR BLM LANDS WERE PLENTIFUL AND OPEN TO EVERYONE.
ONE MORNING WE LOADED UP OUR HORSES AND WENT TO THE GUNNISON RIVER AREA TO RIDE. THIS WAS MOSTLY A HIGH DESERT PLATEAU AND WAS HOT AND DRY. WE GOT AN EARLY START, SO WE COULD FINISH BY NOON.
THE TRAIL LED US THRU MOSTLY BARREN LAND, BUT EVEN IN THE DESERT THERE IS PLENTY OF LIFE. THE LANDSCAPE WAS SPRINKLED WITH JUNIPER TREES WITH THEIR BLUE BERRIES AND THE SAGEBRUSH WAS PLENTIFUL. ALONG THIS FLAT AND SOMETIMES ROCKY TRAIL, A VARIETY OF CACTUS WAS BURSTING WITH RED AND YELLOW BLOSSOMS. AS WE ROUNDED A MOUND OF SAND, WE CAME UPON A BEAUTIFUL ROCK GARDEN DESIGNED BY NATURE. WILD GRASSES AND SEVERAL VARIETIES OF CACTUS GREW AMONG THE ROCKS.
ON ONE OF THE ROCKS, A LIZARD WAS SUNNING; AND AS WE LOOKED CLOSER ,HE WAS A BRIGHT GREEN COLOR WITH YELLOW FEET AND HEAD. HE WAS A COLLARED LIZARD AND WAS NATIVE TO THE AREA. HE ACTUALLY LET US COME QUITE CLOSE TO TAKE PICTURES. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, HE WAS FINISHED WITH HIS PHOTO SESSION, SO HE RAISED UP ON ALL FOUR LEGS AND RAN OFF TO HIDE UNDER A ROCK. OTHER VARIETIES OF LIZARDS ALSO INHABITED THE ROCK GARDEN.
THE TRAIL LED US TO A HIGH CLIFF WITH A BEAUTIFUL OVERLOOK OF THE GUNNISON RIVER FLOWING THRU THE CANYON. A LUSH GREEN OASIS FOLLOWED THE RIVER THRU THE VALLEY. FURTHER ALONG THE TRAIL, WE REACHED THE VALLEY WHERE COTTONWOODS TREES AND WILLOWS FLOURISHED ALONG THE RIVER AND WILDLIFE WAS MORE ABUNDANT HERE.
THE TEMPERATURE WAS RISING, SO WE HEADED BACK TO OUR TRAILERS. A GREAT RIDE!
WE WISH YOU MANY “HAPPY AND SAFE TRAILS” UNTIL WE MEET ON OUR NEXT VENTURE.
BOBBIE AND LARRY
