Life as a transient continues :)

So, I found the coolest place to live in Fort Collins. The only hitch in the plan, is that it's not available until the beginning of August. So...everything I own, barring some clothes, is in storage. And I have no home :) I have great friends and family who have offered to let me stay with them, but seriously!! 4 or 5 weeks? That's not just overstaying your welcome,  that's OVERSTAYING YOUR WELCOME!!

So...I had to figure out the cheapest way to live while waiting. I even called the KOA campground in Fort Collins, but it was not cheap! Even for a little ol' tent camper!! She explained that it is because it's a 'destination KOA'. Huh? Is that a real thing? 

Anyway, obviously, tuna and tortillas are cheap, and the Colorado trail starts in Denver and is 486 miles long. To Durango. Should take about a month-ish.  So..it kind of worked out perfectly!

Spent last night in Denver and had dinner with a few of my kids. And my kids and their 'significant others' surprised me with the cruiser bike of my dreams. Gotta say. I have some pretty great kids.

Storing it for me until my return. I love it!

Emily dropped Murphy and I off at the trailhead. 

The first 6.5 miles is basically a gravel road along a creek in Waterton Canyon. Gravel road. Sounds boring, eh? But before we'd even gone three miles we saw about 6 Big horn sheep.

Then we walked about another 1/4 mile, and we saw another larger big horn with the full round horn thing. He was majestic and about 50 yards away. We stopped to give him his space. He started stamping his front feet and I said, "I wonder if that's some sort of aggressive thing?"  To which he responded by lowering his head and charging us!! Took our trekking poles and started banging them together and as he got close , he veered away. Whew!! Pretty exciting start to trail! 

The trail itself is lush and green. 

And we've met lots of others who started today. Here's the group at the first water spot.

People from Denver, Louisiana, a few college grads from Rhode Island.  Good group.

This is what the trail markers look like for the CT

It is divided into 28 sections. We are just a few miles short of completing section 1.  It goes through or close to some of my favorite places in CO. Breckenridge, copper mountain, Salida, Creede, and Lake City to name a few.  It's going to be cool! And now that I have some of the big pieces of the puzzle of my life put together, I feel really good about being where I am. 

Hung my food for the first time since the AT!  Not really that bear proof, but I figure it might take a little work .

Beautiful sunset. Nice to be in the mountains again. Especially in Colorado.