Heading West in August...

After spending a month and a half in Ohio, we headed out West again at the end of July.  Our rough itinerary was to spend some more time in Colorado before joining fellow EarthRoamers for an owners rally near Steamboat Springs, Colorado in early September.  We would then plan to explore Glacier National Park in Montana before returning to Ohio around the end of October.


In between our travels, we typically spend time in Todd's hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.



Todd and Shonah with friends Sean, Jeff, Jerry and Kevin during a Sean inspired rooftop bar crawl as we passed through Chicago, Illinois.

On our way to Colorado, we decided to stop and explore Omaha, Nebraska.  Todd and Chip were trying to find fish while admiring the various sculptures along the riverwalk.

North of Silverthorne, Colorado is the Green Mountain Reservoir which had a few picturesque dispersed camping spots along the road.

The view of the Green Mountain Reservoir from our window.



Todd and Chip enjoying a paddle on Green Mountain Reservoir near Silverthorne, Colorado.



Chip and Shonah out for a hike around Cataract Lake near the Green Mountain Reservoir, Colorado.



Chip and Todd taking a break during their hike around Cataract Lake near the Green Mountain Reservoir, Colorado.



Chip and Shonah enjoy hiking up streams in search of waterfalls near Cataract Lake.



Chip and Todd enjoying cocktail hour after finding a dispersed camping spot in the Arapaho National Forest near Grand Lake, Colorado.



We spotted this moose between some trees while driving down the National Forest road on our way to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and had to stop to hike in for a better view.



A herd of Elk just off Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.



Todd and Chip watching momma deer and two fawns walk through our campsite in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.



The deer had no problem exploring the campground with people around.



The two fawns were cute, curious explorers.



Todd taking a short hike up the Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.



Shonah on one of the many waterfalls of the Alluvial Fan.



Todd and Shonah executing a decent jumping picture along the Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.



Todd, Shonah and Chip enjoying a drive and the scenery along the Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.



 A quite large bull moose near the Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.



Dropping off our vehicle (STEV) at Bulletproof Diesel in Mesa, Arizona gave us a chance to visit Raegan, Tony, CK and Stephanie (Todd's niece) in Chandler, Arizona.



"Great Uncle" Shonah and CK enjoyed some bonding time while watching TV.



We spent our "down time" in Aunt Lou's condo at Copper Mountain, Colorado while STEV was being Bulltproofed in Arizona.  It's a beautiful time of year in Colorado as the Aspens turn from green to gold.

With a rental car for transportation, Chip, Shonah and Todd set out to hike a couple more of the Colorado "fourteeners". 



Shonah, Chip and Todd jumping on the summit of Mt. Sherman, Colorado (14,036 feet above sea level).



Old mines add to the scenic beauty and are a reminder of the historic past in these mountains.



Todd, Chip and Shonah jumping at the summit of Mt. Democrat, Colorado (14,184 feet above sea level).



Chip and Todd hiking back down the ridge from the summit of Mt. Democrat, Colorado.  The arrangement is that Chip has to hike up to the summit on his own, but then gets to ride in the backpack on the way down to ease the wear and tear on his paws.