Colorful Colorado and Howdy Wyoming!

So Colorado it is... it's getting greener and greener and instead of sandy dunes we can see real mountains now. The wildlife remains on our side. On the first few miles through Colorado we see the rather rare prairie dogs. Super sweet! A beaver is swimming its rounds at our overnight spot and a family of geese grazes next to us.

Tuesday, August 3rd 2021. It's raining. The street we are on is literally flooded. But as quickly as the rain came, it clears up again. Colorado is definitely a huge skiing destination, so almost every place specializes in tourists. This is also the case in Telluride, where tourism is also booming in the summer. Understandably, there are hundreds of hiking trails here and there is also a lot to offer for off-road driving. And that's exactly what we want. Our goal is the Ophir Pass at 12000 ft. The route there is pretty challenging. Scree on the slope and oncoming traffic don't make things any easier. But Joss brings Sir Quigley safely up to the top. And since it is so beautiful here and Joss is pretty exhausted, we just stay here for the night. During an evening stroll, we also see the cute pikas, who are really loud with their whistling. In the evening and at night it gets really cold, but after the heat in Moab we are happy about the “colder” temperatures.

A pika is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears. The large-eared pika of the Himalayas and nearby mountains is found at heights of more than 6,000 m (20,000 ft), among the highest of any mammal.

Since we are here in a breathtaking mountain world, we continue to the next pass. From Ouray it should go up to  Engineer Pass. The way up there offers a beautifully colorful landscape. We also see all the mining ruins. Gold and silver were mined here until the 1980s.

But on to the pass. The route actually starts out very pleasantly, but quickly turns into the biggest challenge for Sir Quigley and us so far. Our ground clearance is actually quite good, but with such huge stones we always have to see how and where we can get over them. We're not making fast progress either, as other vehicles keep coming towards us or we let them overtake us because they have an easier time with their light Jeeps. In the end, Lynda walks most of the way and maneuvers Joss through the rocky terrain by Walkie-Talkie. As much as it is fun, it is also exhausting for everyone involved. Again and again we ask the oncoming drivers how long the route is still so demanding and the answer varies between 1-4 miles - so not really meaningful. Well, at some point we're so exhausted that we just look for a place in the forest and spend the night there. Maybe tomorrow morning with new strength and without oncoming traffic it will be better.

And it does! We start in the morning without coffee and the way to the pass was really not too long anymore and we get so much rewarded for it! Since it is still so early, we are the first ones at Odom Point - a fantastic view, complete silence, a little closer to the sky at 12952 ft. So first of all coffee and enjoying the scenery. Of course, we won't be alone for long. Little by little, other off-roaders arrive and at least 20 vehicles are quickly standing around us. We get to know a lot of nice people and chat with everyone. Great encounters!

After more great days and a small repair on the van (the bushings of the track bar had to be replaced) our course continues towards Wyoming. Driving past the Dinosaur National Monument (there are rows of fossil legacies of the giants) and a little bit through Utah and then we are already in Wyoming. Many who have already been here can guess why we want to come here. Exactly, Yellowstone National Park - our next bigger destination.

In between we find awesome spots. For example at the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The place is part of the National Forest, which is why we pay a full $5 for the night. A dream, right by the water and in the evening the pronghorn antelopes come by with their fawns to drink. Oh yes, that was also the night when the skunks tampered with our sink bowl. Thanks to Kristi and Bob who gave us the night-vision camera. Very valuable!

Thursday, August 11, 2021. Today and tomorrow, Ms. DRZZZ will have a run again. Joss sets off on the bike and Lynda sets off with Sir Quigley. It will be a very relaxed drive for Lynda, through the whole ski areas and along the Snake River. Unfortunately Joss had not downloaded any routes, but since there are OHV routes everywhere here, Joss tries to explore them. He succeeds, but he has to turn around a few times as there are no routes towards north. Not too bad, then he zigzags through great mountain worlds towards Jackson. A nice change. After our meeting point at the library in Jackson, we set off for the Teton National Forest, where we have a great spot on a kind of a plateau. By the way, we are already in bear country. We can anticipate that we haven't seen one yet, but it's still kind of exciting to know that the black and grizzly bears hang around here. The next day, Joss enjoys a ride on Ms. DRZZZ again and is happy about the single trails that have been established here, which leads him to the peaks of the surrounding mountains.

We continue to Grand Teton National Park, which is directly below Yellowstone. We actually only drive through here, then turn onto a forest road and drive to a place outside the park that Chris has already visited. Here, we are completely alone again. An elk is showing up in the evening, who is very shy and quickly searches the distance and then we see a few days later that a little moose bull passed our van at night when we were already in the land of dreams.

Friday, August 13th, 2021. We have arrived in Yellowstone National Park. Oh dear, there's something going on here. Despite the many people, we drive from the southern entrance to the northern entrance. We line up in the crowd in front of the Old Faithful Geyser and can witness the spectacle of the “eruption”. We also like the various hot springs very much, they are so colorful and you want to jump straight into them. Likewise, the white sintered terraces of the Mammuth Hot Springs, which look so surreal. A small herd of bisons is rolling in the dirt next to the road, which we can watch with amusement. So the park is also a highlight - the only disadvantage: there are simply too many people around here, so we are heading north in to Gardiner.

We have to do laundry again and we also need a network to publish the blog. So we made it to Livingston, Montana. And where we camped here, we'll tell you next time.