A few pics from Colorado

[C. Cash]

Thought I would share a few photos with you fellas. I went Elk Hunting with my Dad for the first time last week(I'm 40 and he's 74!)...better late than never I guess, and had a wonderful time. Started at my Mom's in Mesa, AZ...then went with my Dad up to his place in Flagstaff.....loaded up the 5th wheel and headed out on an 8 hour drive to Pagosa Springs, CO where we spent 6 days. It was stunning...surrounded by 13K foot Mountains with the Aspens in peak season. This portion of the Elk Rifle season was combined with another Deer hunt so we were hind end to hind end with other hunters for the same territory. It was warm also and the Elk stayed up high. The only folks who seemed to kill had horses and mules to get up high and get their Elk back to camp. Saw a couple of dead Elk. My Dad and his buddy Tony Baca toted their scoped Mod. 70's in 300 Win. Mag. and I had my standby old Big Bore 94 in 356 Win. with a peep. Though I did not get to pull the trigger, the light 94 with Williams Peep sight seemed the ideal rifle for this type of hunting. All shots would have been 75 yards or less in that thick timber and would have been much faster to get into action than a scoped bolt gun. Wish these pics turned out a bit better:

[mescalero1]

C.Cash,
You are blessed, just being in that place must have brought tranquility to your being.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Beautiful country ... great pictures. Good call on toting that 94 instead of a big bolt.

I live down here near sea level. For me to go on a hunt like that in the crappy shape I'm in, they'd have to drop me out of a helicopter up about 13k with a glide parachute. I'd have to do all of my scouting and shooting on the float down.

[mescalero1]

Rimfire,

[C. Cash]

You hit it on the head Mescalero. It is perhaps the most beautiful area that I have been too and a great place to just "be". Much recharged having been there. Me too Rimfire...I just use the shelf presented by my stomach as a rifle rest to keep my arms from getting too tired, and hunting with your 74 year old Dad helps too, although he can still out do me!

[Ysabel Kid]

Wow - that looks simply wonderful. Great scenary - I love Colorado. I grew up just north of Indianapolis where the tallest "mountains" are indeed molehills!

I'd give almost anything to spend a week with my father hunting - or anything else. You are truly blessed!!!

[TedH]

Gorgeous country.

[Mike D.]

Beautiful. I'll be headed to CO on Thursday for 3rd season elk and deer. Goin' to a ranch near Maybell, a little nothin' place about 30 miles from Craig. Hope to score some meat.

[gunslinger598]

Sure are some nice pics. They make me homesick though.

I lived 23 years in Colorado until I moved to Oklahoma in 2000 for cheap land to raise horses on. I could do with less horses and more mountains right about now.

[Borregos]

What beautiful country
It must be great to hunt with your Dad.

[C. Cash]

You bet fellas.....nothing better than hunting with your Dad. We were seperated for many years by a bad divorce between him and my mom, so the time we spend has been especially wonderful. I wasn't going to miss this one for all the reasons mentioned.

Good luck Mike D!

[rjohns94]

thanks for a beautiful post. living vicariously through you!! Beautiful scenery and nice choice of weapons

[OJ]

Great pics & post - thanks. I've been a legal resident of Colorado since 1942 and love it - especially now in retirement. I had the good luck to buy a 1/2 acre lot on the north edge of town (in 1975) - now a mile from the geographic center of town - but backed up to a wooded 20 acres or so designated as permanent "open space" park to never be developed. I look out in my back yard to see such things as -







and have friends to share happy hour with -





Life is good !!!

[Nath]

WOW WHAT A FANTASTIC PLACE
I was wondering where you was, now I know, heaven!

Nath.

[C. Cash]

WOW WHAT A FANTASTIC PLACE
I was wondering where you was, now I know, heaven!

Nath.

Indeed Nath...I kept telling myself the same thing...."Heaven has to be something like this" There were a few moments, especially after a night of beans and tamales, that we felt like we were approaching the gates of Hades, but I digress.....

OJ...great pics! I was stationed in the Springs for a few years back in the 80's and fell in love with the State as well...wish I would have stayed.

[ArcticGoose]

Cash,
I've hunted the Pagosa Springs area and it is beautiful. It's been more then 15 years but the place looks just as I remember. Great place to hunt elk! Thanks for the pics.

Mike D,
I haven't been to Craig since I was a kid. My Grandmother's family is from there but I haven't hunted it. I grew up in CO but haven't lived there since I came to AK over 15 years ago. Best of luck to you on your hunt there.

[AmBraCol]

Beautiful. I'll be headed to CO on Thursday for 3rd season elk and deer. Goin' to a ranch near Maybell, a little nothin' place about 30 miles from Craig. Hope to score some meat.

You made me look. I KNEW I knew where Maybell was, but could't remember exactly where. I've been through there plenty of times, have hunted on a place east of Hamilton - got a young five point bull there. That whole area's a beautiful place to hunt. Good luck. We expect pics.

[marlinman93]

Beautiful country C Cash, and even better on a hunt with your Dad! It's never too late to start until it's too late. I'm glad you were able to still take this hunt together, and glad you shared it with us!-Vall

[CowboyTutt]

Cash, I'm envious of you and the time with your Dad. Glad you are enjoying yourselves! Actually, that countryside looks like the spittin' image of places I've seen in CA! But I have a special place in my heart for CO, particularly around the Rockies.

-Tutt

[C. Cash]

Thanks for the kind words fellas. You bet Tutt...the Sierra's are a wonder to behold as well. What I like about Pagosa Springs is the broken country...beautiful valley plains mixed in with high mountains. You never feel surrounded and closed in by the forest. There are many beautiful ranches in there where you expect old Gus McCrae to ride out into view at any moment, yet all around you are those majestic mountains. South of there towards the New Mexican border is beautiful ranch country as well. If only I had a cool million laying around......

[CowboyTutt]

Cash, I have very fond memories of my trip through CO on the way to Kansas to see Grandma a couple of summer's ago. I went over La Vita Pass, Wolf Creek Pass and right through Pagosa Springs. I camped up in Summitville which is an abadoned mining town not far from Pagosa or was it Montrose? I can't remember well without a map. It is right on the Continental Divide. I don't know if you remember the story, but that is where I got stuck in the mud and later was surrounded by deer while I camped out. Must be incredible hunting back there! Anyhow, love CO but couldn't find a good salary for what I do. Ukiah is great though and I'm very happy.

-Tutt

Here are some pics around Summitville again:

[RIHMFIRE]

wish i was there!....on a horse...... with a winchester...

[C. Cash]

Not too bad a place to get stuck Tutt. That is beautiful country and thanks for sharing those. Your pics remind me that I need to get a better camera!

I've not been to much in SW Colorado but hope to get back to Durango to ride the steam trains with my oldest boy(my train fanatic). I've heard that it is a very dramatic ride up to Silverton. When I said I was stationed in the Springs I meant Colorado Springs. I just never made it down to SW Colorado until this trip. Sure glad I got to see it.

[CowboyTutt]

Cash, go to Abe's of Maine and get a Canon digital camera dirt cheap. You will love it.

-Tutt

[C. Cash]

Thanks Tutt! I'll take a gander at those......

[OJ]

We went to Cripple Creek (wife grew up there) and had the ex-mayor (I like seeing him - he refers to me as "young man" - his birthday is 2 days before mine - and also 10 years) & wife take us out to lunch. Came home the "back" way (via Florissant) on CR1 and came upon the most gorgeous herd of elk - easily more than a hundred - within two hundred feet of the highway. Most beautiful sight of the largest herd I've ever seen in my (over) 82 years.

Tragic - the things you see when you don't have your camera along.

[Mike D.]

Headin' off for Maybell, and maybe a fat cow elk. An 0500 start should get us there by 2100 tomorrow night. Hopefully, the Winchester 71 will get meat. Lots of photos will be taken, too. See y'all in a week.

[C. Cash]

Good luck Mike D....get a big un.