Crow Hill Almanac

It's been a couple of weeks, but I would love to share some pictures from our trip to the mountains. Red Cliff is a tiny town (population ~270), but with inspirations around every corner. I think I planned a dozen paintings that weekend! There are lots of pictures here, but the tour bus is packed and ready to roll. Let's go!



Red Cliff is about 20 miles from Vail, off Highway 24~ the Top of the Rockies Scenic Highway. Don't look down! *shiver*


We got there mid-afternoon, the guys set up for that night's show.


Gil, Monette & Jeff. The crowd was so much fun and we made great friends. :) There was a bonfire outside the restaurant afterwards. We got to bed around 4am, but got up bright and early to go exploring.


Cute house, giant dandelions, cool bridge, sweet church




Behind the old town hall is the old jail. I wonder what you had to do to get locked up in here!

Three green buildings~







We followed some old tracks by the river




to the Green Bridge~ the highway is up there. Up the mountain, in the middle of the woods, is a beautiful old cemetery.


Crumbly stones, gothic iron gates, and tangles of brush and wild roses. I wish I could see it in winter!


Some markers were just wood. They must have been decorated for Memorial Day.


So many people died young, just in their 30s. Childbirth, sickness, accidents~ life was hard.




This marker was so neat! There were orange columbines growing inside the gate.




Back down the hill into town. Imagine the processions that came up this trail from the church~ bells ringing, horses and carts, ladies in full, black mourning gowns, rough mountain men cleaned up in stiff, solemn suits.

On the other side of town, is this~



an old mine shaft!

After the late night before, the elevation, hiking around and drinking beer in the sun all day, I passed on Saturday night's show. Sunday's show in Glenwood Springs was cancelled, but that was all right since it was an outdoor BBQ and it was chilly and rainy. We already had a hotel room, so we went anyway and swam and sat around in the hot springs, then went home the next day.


It was a wonderful little family trip, leaving my mind full of miners and dancing saloon girls, outlaws and lace petticoats swishing down wooden sidewalks, tommyknockers deep under the mountain and ghosts on top. Oh, the stories hidden in those hills!