Yellow Aspen in the Rockies ©2008 Bo Mackison

All day the clouds hung heavy over the Rockies. We hit rain driving through the passes, but we could see snow accumulating on the higher peaks above 9000 feet.

Our campsite straddled the Colorado River and the train tracks hugged the canyon walls across the river. Between the rushing waters (why does the sound of running water cause that biological trigger?) and the howling, screech-braking trains passing through a half dozen times, sleep was frequently interrupted. Amazingly enough, it was never hard to fall back aleep – over and over and over.