How we got here: Part 2

Apparently Im only allowed so much space for each post. I was on a roll with what is now "How we got here: Part 1" and then I could't upload any more pictures. ... so here we are Part 2

Hey! If you haven't read Part 1 go back and fill yourself in or you will miss out on the suspense!
(yes I am aware that I let the suspense drag on for far too long, and that by this time most of you have lost interest or faith in my returning to finish this thing. Take heart! I have returned, and will finish this thing, today!...I hope.)
Anyway, where were we...
Ah yes. Our trailer looked like this:

I made this picture extra large so that hopefully you can tell that the trailer tongue is riding literally 3" from the concrete. 

this is where Sack-boy and I waited for Phil to drive 30 minutes to pick up a new trailer and haul it back.  In the Outlet mall information office.

This is where we settled to camp that night as we did not make it quite as far as we wanted that day.
Not sure if I mentioned it or not but we only made it 70mi from Denver before we stopped.

This was not too bad of a place to stop, the bathrooms were clean and much to my surprise in the chill of the early morning, heated. There was a river just downwind of our campsite that lulled us to sleep in our open air tent. We decided it would be best to leave the rain fly off because of how moldy it was after Phil took it out last. (...all is forgiven, but certainly a lesson learned, nobody likes falling asleep to the sounds of nature and the smell of thick must.) Here there was also plenty of space between campsites, which we learned by experience later on in the trip, is a necessary commodity when lodging on non-wooded terrain.

Next Day we made our way to Aspen. Besides the outrageous price on gas, $5/gal, Phil was immediately convinced that we should live there because the bus drivers were courteous to us on the road. Apparently it's the little things with him. I was a little harder to convince, I mean, besides the fact that this was the most beautiful place that either of us had ever been our entire lives. This sign is what did it for me.
Im still not exactly sure what it means, but im convinced that there is a large hula-hooping community in Aspen and drivers are to be aware that they often utilize the crosswalks.













If those things are not enough to convince you to move to Aspen, CO, or at least visit; maybe these views we captured on our hikes will.
Day 1 went something like this

Day two began rather early. 3:45am to be exact. We wanted to catch the sunrise from Crater Lake which was just under a 2 mile hike from the parking lot at the base but around 1300' in elevation. It took us about 50 minutes in the predawn darkness with only our headlamps to light our way. The previous afternoon took us an hour+ to reach the lake. I think something about the possibility of being attacked by bears and or mountain lions could have made up the difference for our speedy ascent. (Remember how I had been sick just two days before this, well my fever had left me with a very unpleasant amount of sinus fluids, which rendered my breathing capacity at about 30% for this high altitude adventure, not to mention the fact that my insides were doing their monthly dance. Just note that I do not recommend an intense hiking excursion under either of those circumstances, let alone both of them at once.) Our fears were proven unnecessary, as we did not encounter one creature on the way up,  and whatever state of uneasiness, breathlessness, or bodily discomfort we were in once we got there ...it was SO worth it.

Aspen CO everyone, Go there!

 Our last adventure before moving in day, was to camp at Arches National Park in Utah. 

When we arrived we were flabbergasted at the # of people who had obviously copycated our great idea. We made the decision at that point to not go to Arches all together, and save the experience for another time when we can really enjoy it. Not that we don't like people, we just don't like crowds of strangers in our photographs.

 We camped just outside of Moab instead.  

Nothing says no worries camping trip, like all your earthly belongings camping next to you  in a UHAUL

This was the night that we discovered that camping at a public sight in the dessert kind of sucks. We fell asleep to the sounds of the river, the crickets, the frogs, and our neighbor camper snoring as if he was tucked right in with us in our two person tent. Also, breathing in copious amounts of dessert sand whilst battling a sinus cold...not cool.

What was cool though, was the Not crowded park that we went to to take our sunset pictures. 

Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah.

We woke up bright and early the next morning, surprisingly rested, considering our snorry neighbor and the blazing moonlight that made 1am seem like dusk.

Headed straight to Salt Lake City, through the stark wilderness that is Southern Utah, we were altogether exhausted, excited, and unsure of what exactly we would find once we got there.

So far, I think we like it.