Rainbow Falls Trail

We had another lovely day of Jeeping yesterday.  We did the Rainbow Falls Trail - don't know why it's called that - sure didn't see any falls!!

"Airing down" the tires before we get into the rough and tumble!

 Unbelievable vistas!!  The camera just doesn't do them justice.

 This trail was a lot of fun to drive.  It was undulating, curvy, hilly, and alternately sandy and then rocky.  Some of the curves were pitched enough that it reminded me of the 4th turn at Talledega!  ; )

 There was only one rocky climb where "spotting" was necessary.

This trail is very popular with ATV and dirt bike riders and there are lots of play areas off the main road.  We might not do it again on a weekend for that reason, but it is definitely a fun trail!!

Shubarth Trail

Our first Colorado jeepin' experience in our brand spankin' new 1997 Jeep Cherokee!!

Last year we rented Jeeps here in CO and had so much fun that we bought an old jeep, lifted it, rebuilt the engine and did a lot of other stuff that I don't really need to know about.  We enjoyed jeeping in AZ, but we are excited to start our CO jeeping adventures!!

 Today we did the Shubarth and Hell Creek trails and then went to the Rampart Reservoir which has just reopened recently after the Waldo Canyon Fire last year.

 At the end of Hell Creek trail is a vista that overlooks the Air Force Academy.

 This was a moderate trail according to the book we have, but we it found fairly easy.  There were a few tight spots.

And one "tippy" area that just took some skilled driving.

Local and visiting wildlife.  We saw several female elk, but they were shy and hard to photograph!

 Pikes Peak and, yes, we did get rained on.

This a great trail for a relaxing day in the wilderness.