Whoa. Usually I'm pretty gung-ho with weekend planning and know exactly what I want to do. But I had to shift gears this time around ... what can you do with a new puppy? We really want Frankie to be the ultimate adventure buddy, but we weren't sure how far she could hike (she's only 10 weeks old!), we didn't want to fry her in the desert heat, and there are lots of places where dog aren't allowed (National Parks, etc.) So what do to?
Eventually we decided to head up to Grand Mesa, just outside Grand Junction, Colorado. Grand Mesa is one of the biggest flat-top mountains in the world. Its elevation gets up to 11,333 feet, so everything was coated in pine trees and dotted with alpine lakes. We figured Frankie wouldn't get too hot and she'd have places to swim. Grand Mesa is managed by the US Forest Service, so dogs are allowed.
We ran a couple errands in Grand Junction, then drove up the Mesa. It was beautiful up there -- aspen, pines, mushrooms, moss, and alpine lakes. We stopped at the Island Lake campground (10,000',) along SR-65 about 33 miles from I-70. Usually we steer clear of big established campgrounds, but it was getting late. We actually found a perfect spot tucked amid a bunch of spruce trees and away from the big RVs. Frankie was laaaaaaving it -- it was so funny to watch her explore. She's lived in the desert her entire life, so a cool pine forest was totally foreign to her. After lots of sniffing and running around, she zonked out. She loved the tent, too, which seems like an auspicious start for an adventure buddy.
The next day, we rented a canoe at the nearby Grand Mesa Lodge and tried out our new fishing pole. Jordan and I have tried fly fishing a couple times before but never really got the hang of it, so we bought a plain ol' rod and reel. And it totally worked! We canoed around the lake, Frankie slept in the middle, and we each caught a trout. A nasty hail storm sent us scurrying back to shore, but all and all it was a great trip!
We ran a couple errands in Grand Junction, then drove up the Mesa. It was beautiful up there -- aspen, pines, mushrooms, moss, and alpine lakes. We stopped at the Island Lake campground (10,000',) along SR-65 about 33 miles from I-70. Usually we steer clear of big established campgrounds, but it was getting late. We actually found a perfect spot tucked amid a bunch of spruce trees and away from the big RVs. Frankie was laaaaaaving it -- it was so funny to watch her explore. She's lived in the desert her entire life, so a cool pine forest was totally foreign to her. After lots of sniffing and running around, she zonked out. She loved the tent, too, which seems like an auspicious start for an adventure buddy.
The next day, we rented a canoe at the nearby Grand Mesa Lodge and tried out our new fishing pole. Jordan and I have tried fly fishing a couple times before but never really got the hang of it, so we bought a plain ol' rod and reel. And it totally worked! We canoed around the lake, Frankie slept in the middle, and we each caught a trout. A nasty hail storm sent us scurrying back to shore, but all and all it was a great trip!
Your pictures are amazing! Glad you're having fun and exploring with your new dog!
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