Gunning for Gunnison

After getting a small sample of Colorado, Gunnison was first on our road trip objective.   Andy, Mike, and I planned to arrive by nightfall but with a late start, the three and a half hour drive didn’t seem like enough time for a decent hike.

We got farther from Denver, with the mountains growing larger the more distance we drove.  I was reminded of my trip to Seattle as we found ourselves surrounded by forested mountains and winding roads.

Storm clouds came and passed as we drove out of the city and into the countryside.  Being Memorial Day, we found ourselves on the opposite side of traffic, with everyone else heading back home.

Crested Butte

Our first hike was Crested Butte, 35min outside of Gunnison.  It was beautiful, with soft, wavy hills, creeks, and trees surrounding us.  The vastness was apparent as we walked two miles out and back.

Along the way, we saw a beaver swimming in a stream, and heard coyotes baying as the sun started to go down.  We were the only people hiking aside from a man and his “grey fox,” as we joked.

We arrived back to the car at the perfect time, as the sun was going down.

We got to our guest house for the night, where our host recommended we check out Hartman Rocks as well as the Black Canyon the following day.  Having planned pretty loosely, we discovered it was on the way to our second destination.  After making pb&j sandwiches, we went to bed.