all about Monday

Today's update will be quick because 1 - it's late and 2 - we have an early start tomorrow! But do not be deceived; a short update has nothing to do with the quality of the day. 'Matter of fact, it was outstanding!

Morning: Tony took us for flights parallel to the Rockies west of Denver. We got to see the rocks where we were climbing yesterday, as well as the towns we've been hopping between: Denver, Louisville, and Boulder. Oh - AND the mountains! When the haze cleared, we could even see Pike's Peak!

Afternoon: Hike around Brainerd Lake State Park. We made it to Lake Isabel and nearly to Isabel glacier. The wildflowers were profusive, the lake beautiful, the mountain streams delightful, the mountains awe-inspiring. We actually made it above the tree line to 11,047 feet before a crashing storm (we must attract them?) with pea-sized hail (with a few mutant baseball-size ones thrown in for good measure - ok, so they felt that big) chased us down and out of the park.

Evening: Mexican & "Bar" food at two neighboring restaurants, followed by a Haagen-Dazs chaser. We ended on a bit of a low note, with Michelle's car breaking down and with Aaron needing to split so he could get to work in the morning. The evening wrapped up with a shakedown of our backpacking gear and supplies so we can take off first thing in the morning. Our next update will probably be Thursday night once we've returned! [more photos].