Colorado National Monument and Homeward Bound

As rainy weather was moving in for a day or so, we had planned on a rest day ... just put up our tarp over the picnic table, sleep late, maybe hit a hot springs ... that sort of thing. But, the campground layout wasn't conducive to putting up our tarp, and the roof-box repair precluded sleeping in late. So we packed up and headed to town for breakfast and a strategy session. Feeling pretty sleep-deprived, and no great plan for the next day or two of rain, we decided to head for home. There was still plenty of more exploring in the area (Teluride, Durango), as well as in Utah, but it would just have to wait for a future trip. We mostly headed straight home, but did a drive-through of Colorado National Monument. Again, quite the visual delight ... big canyons with very interesting rock outcroppings.

In summary, it was a fantastic trip ... met and exceeded our expectations. 3300 miles with no car problems. Lots of new territory for us, leaving us with more than a few great ideas for future excursions. Mucho hiking without any significant breakdown of our bodies. We were lucky with the weather, but our flexibility in both timing and direction were helpful in that regard ... and quite enjoyable (just figure it out a couple days at a time). Sleep was a bit of an issue that we'll have to figure out. Perhaps having a rental place to hang for a few days somewhere in the middle might work to re-energize ... but at the expense of some flexibility. Oh well, what a problem to have! Our low-clearance car was a bit of a limitation, particularly in SW Colorado. We'll have to work on that, too. Can't wait for the next trip!!