August featured our first trip on a commercial airliner since January 2020. We flew from San Francisco to Denver for Jon's High Ground un-conference and then went to the Vail/Beaver Creek area for a few days of vacation. The airport and airplanes were packed. Fortunately everybody was masked. The last day in August, Jon continued the August mountain tradition with a hike on Mt. Tamelpias.
High Ground #25
In early August, we went to Buena Vista, CO for the 25th annual High Ground. It was good to see the High Ground gang in person but the skies were kind of hazy due to west coast fires - very unlike the typical Colorado experience.
Right photo courtesy Tucker Viemeister
As usual, we stayed in the South Main neighborhood of Buena Vista in a relatively nice loft.
Bachelor Gulch
After High Ground, we drove to the Vail area and stayed at Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch. It was a nice big resort hotel and we had some nice meals and hikes around Bachelor Gulch and nearby Beaver Creek. Smoke from West Coast fires made the normally pristine air hazy.
Mt. Tamelpias Hike
The last day of August, Jon continued the mountain theme by hiking at Mt. Tamelpias on a loop hike from Rock Springs on the Benstein, Northside, International, Warner, Railroad Grade, and Rock Springs trails. The hike was through alpine woods and meadows and went by the West Point Inn and Mountain Theater.
