Now THAT was a thunderstorm

Just when we thought it was safe to put out the deck chair cushions, boom, rain, lightning, thunder, flash flood warnings, and everything in between.

Mike is "gimpy in his back" - a phrase he uses and I've adopted - so we've been taking it easy on trails.  I've been going to the gym to keep up my endurance levels, but today we walked the Mears Trail, which starts on the west side of Crystal Lake and goes south along the lake and then in and out of the forest.   The wildflowers were so gorgeous, yellow, pink, purple, orange, and white.  We stopped at the Full Moon Trail trailhead, which looks interesting but hard, almost 2900 feet elevation gain.  I may put that one off until fall when I'm as fit as I'm going to be.

Red Mountains 1 and 2 reflected in Crystal Lake

Field of yellow flowers

Looking south to Ouray

PlantNet says Austrian Leopard's-Bane
but maybe Arnica?

Mike suggested Mears Trail would be great for snowshoeing in the winter, very little elevation gain, wide enough path to stay out of cross-country ski trails, and gorgeous in the winter I'm thinking.

Last night, we went downtown for drinks and dinner, starting off at the Imogene Rooftop Bar.  We had thought to have dinner there, but the waiter told us that they lost their chef due to the housing situation, so now they only serve drinks.  It's still a great view, and the beer was good and cold.  I feel so sorry for them.

Then we went to Full Tilt for dinner, which was busy but not packed.  Our waiter told us that he is living in his camper off Dexter Creek, which is essentially County Highway 14 north of Ouray.  He walks to and from work, 4.5 miles each way.  He has a bicycle but can't make that hill going home.  In Ouray off-season, he owns a house in Florida.  People are so interesting