Lodore

 Joyce rejoined me at Heaton bay Campground and we packed up and drove 40 some miles to Kremmling, CO to meet up with my cousin Jennie Uren, ne Beirne, youngest daughter of Uncle Greg on my mothers' side after whom I was named, and Aunt Mary.  Jennie moved to Colorado at a young age, attracted to the mountains and the lifestyle.  The last time I saw her was 3 decades ago when I attended a summer Family Medicine conference at Keystone, where she was working.  Since then she had 3 handsome boys and is now a teacher.   We parked outside her home. It was the last day of summer camp and she treated us to yummy Meatball Sandwiches, great conversation, and a nice walk about Kremmling with her 3 dogs, Walter, Pippin and Sparky.  It was great getting reacquainted and hearing about her adventures in moving the town of Kremmling school system to a 4 day week, putting up little libraries across town near the local bank, growing her own chickens, and helping rescue horses with a local charity.  

Walking the dogs at Jennie's in Kremmling

We had visted her mom, Mary annually over the last few years because she lives close to where Epic, El Rio's Electronic Health Records (EHR) vendor has an enormous and creative campus where they host their annual User Group Meeting.  We always try to visit when we attend.  She really misses my uncle Greg, who passed away a number of years ago from a stroke, but she lives in a beautiful log cabin home with her youngest son Philip.  Jen will visit her mom near Madison in a few weeks.  

The next part of the journey is rather long, so we got an early start, not knowing exactly were we would camp.  Originally planned to go to Lander, WY but took the turn to Steamboat Springs, CO and thus went off the original route.  We were ultimately heading to the Grand Tetons National Park and Jackson, WY.  A search through RV Life Trip Wizard found what might be a good spot: the Gates of Lodore Campground.  After 5 miles on a forest service road: What a find! It is in Dinosaur National Park shared between Colorado and Utah, along the Green River.  They have an original cabin from the late 1800s set up for recreation, much like we do today with a twinned cabin downstream and river trips between the two.  This is a launch point for private and commercial Green River Raft trips limited by lottery to preserve the sense of wilderness and awe.  Camping in the National forest is inexpensive--even more so for 60+ year olds with Senior Lifetime Multiagency passes.  We paid $7 for a site adjacent the Green River.  

The Gates of Lodore Campground

We set up and took a rest, then got the kayak out and toodled around the shallow, 140 yard wide gently moving (at that point) river.  I felt confident I could paddle upstream and found a channel in the grassy patch opposite the launch point that looked interesting.  Coasting downstream I saw a shadow in the water pass me that was the size of an 8 inch wide log.  Headed upstream!  What was that?  Carrying on, I saw two curious eyes atop a brown furry head staring at me swimming across the channel then swooping elegantly downward into the water and passing my on the other side.  I could then see what must have been their beaver's den made of mud and branches.  I didn't have my phone with me to take a picture (in case it should get wet) but the sight is firmly in my mind.  

There were beautiful yellow birds: bullocks orioles, western kingbird, and yellow warblers aplenty in the huge cottonwood trees and sage brushes.  My Merlin App heard a belted kingfisher, but regretfully I never laid eyes or binoculars on it. :(  Brown Headed Cowbirds, American Robins, Hummingbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Flickers, Spotted Towhees (whose call I knew from Mt Lemmon), Mourning Doves, and an occasional European Starling rounded out the chorus.  My app seemed happy gathering 6 species at a whack. 

Joyce saw a Sage Grouse!  I went to where she saw it but was unsuccessful. The fragrance of the Sage itself (Big Sagebrush; Artemisia tridentata) was heavenly. 

We went on a brief nature tour to an overlook into the Gates of Lodore, named such by English Explorers and referencing a famous English Poem.  It would be fun to raft or kayak the rapids below, as the young people setting off in the morning would do.  The head of the half mile trail had guidebooks to be used and returned explaining the geologic formations, the flora and fauna, and the history of the place. 

The Gates of Lodore

That night we settled into HUMSFR, as a mountain storm rolled in and we wondered how those in tents were doing.