Pike National Forest, Aug 21

Sunday I met a hiking group in Denver at 9am to carpool back to Bailey, CO, for a day hike in Pike National Forest. It borders Lost Creek Wilderness where Justin & I's hellacious 28 mile hike took place. If my memory is right, Grandma Clark told me once upon a time that we are descendants of Zebulon Pike.

I hope thats right, how cool. It was a very enjoyable 8 mile loop- no big climbs or rocks to climb around. So all attention was spent socializing. My carpool group was so much fun, a very out-going group of Mark from NY, Eiko from Japan, & Kasia from Polland. We really enjoyed each other's company, it was refreshing and much needed. After the hike 20 of the 27 of us ate lunch at 3000 Margaritas, a Mexican restaurant in Conifer, half way back to Denver. Good Day.

Mask Project

First mask I made loosely in an hour. Very gargoyle like.

The second I wanted to be serene & smooth. This is the beginning shape.

Now it's finished & drying to be fired soon.

I'm making 3 more of similar size & mood, this time using clay that has smaller or less grog so it doesn't have such a grainy texture.

Another trip to Durango, Aug 3-9

Not many pictures taken during this trip. We met up with my mom's cousin, my second cousin, Jen, for brunch and rafting trip down the Animas a couple miles through town. Meeting up with her was high on the list of things I gotta do in Colorado. Check. It was a lot of fun. She is as wonderful & strong as I remember.

Cheyenne Frontier Day, July 29

I drove north 2 hours to Cheyenne, WY, that Friday to check out the Frontier Days. Thirty-three years ago my parents went, thats how I heard about it. 7 days of rodeo? real cowboys kinda? I gotta see this! Best in the country, the announcer said. Twenty bucks a ticket best I guess. This smiley guy in the glasses sold me a corn dog and gave me one for free, after I dropped the first one trying to take a picture of the Coffee Wagon. After that I found my seat for the rodeo. I forgot my zoom lense so the pictures of men chipping away their vertebrae on the backs of bulls & broncos are useless (see below). But it was a hoot to watch- very suspenseful, big injuries could happen like that.

Sure enough a small bronco hurt his back leg. Suck. It changed everything. I left and walked around the fair part of it. Campers brought their best memorabilia, antiques were sold at very high prices, the Boot Barn sold T-shirts with rhinestones, and Native Americans sold jewelry in the "Indian Village" complete with teepees. Not after too long I got bored and starting taking pictures of women in skirts & boots for Ryan. He loved the slide show.