Our lot at Sanderling Court (“the lot”, from now on)  is located in Park County. Here is a bit about the County from a travel web site:

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Park County

Park County, with its spectacular views, rich history and challenging climate was established in 1861. It is home to the nation’s highest incorporated town, gold mines, mountain passes and rare plant communities. Forty-five miles wide from east to west, and 60 miles long, it encompasses 2,166 square miles and includes more territory above 9,000 feet than any other Colorado county. Federal lands comprise about 51 percent of Park County’s landmass. Primary population centers include Fairplay, Alma, Bailey, Como, Guffey, Lake George, Hartsel, Shawnee, Grant and Jefferson.

Several named mountain ranges define the perimeter of Park County, including the Mosquito Range above Fairplay and Alma. This spectacular range includes four of Colorado’s peaks higher than 14,000 feet. Despite the harsh climate, or perhaps because of it, this landscape is home to a number of botanical rarities and truly unique biological communities. The high mountains and broad valleys that comprise Park County are an integral part of its heritage and appeal. While mining and ranching are a remnant of what they were historically, the influence of these traditional industries on the local culture is apparent.

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This past Friday I took half a day off and drove to Toby’s place. I delivered several boxes he had stored with us, and we went through them to see what he wanted to take to Indiana. Some items he kept, some went into a “donations” bag, and some went into a “disposal” bag. I brought a few things home, but not much. We still have a few boxes of his “stuff” in DeBeque, mostly kitchen items, that he may need later (even though his new place is supposed to be fully furnished). Toby will let us know if he needs anything from these boxes and we’ll [gladly] ship them out.

After taking Toby to dinner, I headed out. The plan was to stay in a small hotel in Grant, a small town not far from our lot. I checked into my room and went to sleep early as Saturday was going to be a busy day for me.

It was 38 degrees when I woke up Saturday morning. After a trip into Fairplay for breakfast, I took on my first task for the day: how to dispose of the brush pile we have been accumulating in our driveway clearing. Good news on that bit: our homeowner’s fee ($40.00 annual) pays for access to a burn pit. I stopped at the community center, filled out a form, and was given the code to the burn pit gate. The next trip over will see us hauling loads of brush to the pit. This will help clean up the non-firewood stuff such as branches and semi-rotten wood.

Next up was to “flag” more of the driveway. Armed with my 100-foot tape, I measured from the property line and set out more flags that outline the driveway path further into the lot. Visual aids really help; it is becoming clearer where the drive will go.

After a trip “up” to Pam’s Pavilion Point I began the major work of the day…removing more trees from the driveway path. There was one major clump to go through, consisting of 20+ trees and quite a bit of dead stuff on the ground that needed to be removed. Five [pretty steady] work-hours later I was done for the day.

While that doesn’t sound like a lot of trees to get out, keep in mind I had to cut the trees, limb them, then drag the trunks about 160 feet down to where we could get at them with the trailer. It is the dragging and going back and forth that takes the time and most of your energy, particularly at that elevation. By the end of 5 hours my legs were just about done in.

After that it was time for one more trip up to “the point,” a quick call to Pam, and just sitting for a few minutes in the sun while taking in the view. I didn’t want to leave for home, but finally had to get going.

On our next trip over (Monday) we have a couple of tasks: first, to fill out our driveway permit application with the County, second, haul brush to the burn pit, and third, finish with loading the trees I cut to bring home to cut into firewood for Kathy Hall. It will be a full day.

I’ll close with a few photos from this trip. The first is a group of mountain goats spotted near the road. These animals are reclusive and we have only seen them a couple times over the years, never in a group this large. *Correction* Larry in his coments is indeed correct; these are young and/or female Bighorn sheep. Thanks for the correction!

Bighorn calves and ewes near Red Hill Pass

For you “aspens turning color” buffs, here’s a “fall color” scenic view looking north from Red Hill Pass (on Highway 285 between Fairplay and Como, on our way to the lot):

Fall scenic from Red Hill Pass

Last but not least, the driveway in progress. Trees have been cut and stacked but top branches still have to be removed:

Trees gone, tops remain

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!