Monday's Drive into Denver

For the last few months, actually since the threat of snow has diminished, we have been driving back into Denver on Monday mornings. There are a few reasons, but the two biggest in making the decision, was being here the completed day on Sunda,y and there is less traffic on Monday mornings.

The drawback is that we are up at 3:30am to be at work by about 7am. But is reality this is only a little over an hour earlier then when we normally get up at 4:50am on work mornings.

When we began this it was a drive in the dark, but as we get closer to the Summer Solstice the sky is brightening at only about an hour on the road. Starting with this Monday's drive the days will now start getting shorter.

Because Marlys drops me off downtown Denver, we drive in via the CO 9 - US 285 route which can make for some incredible sunrise scenes.

These phone shots don't do it justice but let me place a couple of them. They were all taken along 285 east of Fairplay.


This first one is of the hang gliding launch at Kenosha Pass. It is looking to the NE directly at the launch. The LZ is right where the road curves to the right out of the frame.

These are in reverse order, but I am too lazy to re-config. This pic is looking at the backside of the Front Range just west of Jefferson at the east end of South Park (yes there really is a South Park and a Middle and a North Park). On this morning the only other living thing we had seen on the road, to this point, was a elk we spooked back on CO 9. Meaning there was no traffic.


This last pic of the drive in was earlier so it is pretty dark. This is looking at the south side of Hoosier Pass just south of Fairplay on CO 9.


On the north side of Hoosier is Breckenridge.


Besides the drive in we made a lot of progress over the weekend and finished the under decking project.


Marlys made incredible progress on the deck staining, utilizing the combo scaffolding/shelving purchased last summer at Menard's.


No longer is she standing on the top of a 8' fiberglass step ladder. When I say top it is not the top rung, but the top. It was frightening to watch.


We also got the stair railing finished. I will grab a shot and post it next week.


The projects on the list for this weekend are Marlys' trash can and the living room end table.


Marlys is out today at garage sales buying skis for the building of more Adirondack-style chairs. At the last update she had paid $20 and gotten 4 pairs, so far. She appears to be in her element.


UPDATE: Just in Marlys is up to 8 pairs of skis for a total of $50. We will be making chairs all summer.


She is the Skiueen (Ski+Queen) of garage sales.


She has also become pretty proficient in using the HVLP sprayer, which was her weapon of choice in staining the under decking material.


Next week she is staying up and hopes to finish her deck staining project (she has a rear one to re-stain now too). I will also leave the trash can and table for her to put a finish on.


BTW our next hike up a 14er is tentatively scheduled for July 10, and we will be going up Mt. Sherman.