Eldorado Canyon, the Fowler Trail

June 26th, 2008

Larry and I took a short hike in Eldorado Canyon in June (2008). He climbs there a lot, but I hadn’t been in several years.

The rock is conglomerate sandstone, which is great for climbing but also soft enough to wear smooth.

Here’s a climber near the popular Calypso climb. Same face, different route.

The trail is actually wide, safe and not very difficult, but this view looks precarious. The cliff face/drop off is as steep as it looks.

Poison ivy! Larry swears he’s not allergic. I didn’t get close enough to find out if I am.

This field of rock fascinates me. How was it made? Why don’t the rocks fall?

The Bastille is another famous crag. Some of the climbs are worn pretty smooth from use. You can see the chalk from directly below.

Squirrel!

The payoff view:

And, if you ever wondered what it looked and sounded like to spin slowly on the trail, here’s a quick video.

On the way home, we passed Stanley Lake, with the Denver skyline in the distance.

We also saw mountain bovines.

Paris – The First Day

June 26th, 2008

We came out of the metro at Blanche Station, ready to find our hotel. It was *very* cold.

Where we stayed, there were cats. French Cats.

We immediately walked the 3 miles to see the Arc…

(Great view from the top!)

And the Obelisk that marks the place where Marie was beheaded.

And to walk the Champs Elysees.

The Moulin Rouge was on the way back.

Paris – Notre Dame

June 26th, 2008

Gargoyles fascinate me. These are all sitting at the top of Notre Dame, watching over the city, I suppose.

(This one is also sitting in my office.)

Keeping the evil spirits away.

Paris Cemeteries

June 26th, 2008

The cemeteries are laid out like small cities, with names for the lanes and a map to the famous locations. Here are a few of the most interesting graves.

The brilliant Chopin is buried here.

Paris – The Catacombs

June 26th, 2008

I must confess the catacombs freaked me out. You enter via a very long, very narrow underground tunnel, and you reach a labyrinth of old bones. It mostly smelled of dirt. Here are a few pictures.