Missed Monument and Antero Reservoir
Breakfast at the hotel was…limited. A bagel with some chocolate flavored peanut butter. And coffee. But it was interesting as the Nepali immigrant owner came by for his daily cleansing ritual. He lit some form of herb and while chanting he passed throughout the public spaces within the hotel and the walkways outside of the room. Fun to see how some of those traditions have stayed with him.
After breakfast I headed towards Browns Canyon National Monument with the thought that I might join a rafting trip. But I missed the turnoff and ended up in Bueno Vista, CO having a delicious cup of coffee and tiramisu at Brown Dog Coffee Company. While enjoying my coffee, I checked out the map and noted a reservoir a short distance east. The reservoir was noted as a birding hotspot and indicated an American Avocet had been spotted there recently. So, I dropped the rafting trip and headed out for some bird watching. I spent about an hour and a half bird watching and was able to identify 16 different species. Two of those were new to me including the American Avocet and the Wilson’s Phalarope. A couple of photos from the site are below (most from a long distance so be kind).
After bird watching I grabbed a quick lunch of hatch pepper chili and then headed towards Breckenridge to see how the other half live. Scenery was okay but the traffic was brutal so I kept pushing north thinking I would stay in Granby, CO again. On a whim, I checked the campgrounds on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park and was able to grab a spot. It didn’t occur to me until I reached the park that it was Juneteenth and that explained some of the traffic. On the way to the campground, I was able to spot a moose and then had a bull elk walk through the campground.
Had a fun time listening to the elk calls in the evening and viewing all the stars before bed. Really helps recenter oneself.