Day trips: Junior & Hunting Camp

For a small town, Craig has a number of fun diversions....

One afternoon Allan, Connie, Daisy, Julie and I drove out to visit this museum.  

I posted about the museum three years ago so I will skip doing it again, but it is very interesting and well worth a visit.

The kitty with the glowing eyes is the ruler of the museum and she did not like Daisy sniffing around her territory.  The proprietor suggested we be careful because kitty has been known to attack interlopers --and she always wins.

A far more gentle beast known as 'Junior' was waiting for a handout.

He had been found as a calf one hunting season and was raised here at the museum.  He is the museum's second elk orphan to become a pet.

He is so docile he took carrots from my hand.

 Daisy could not quite figure out those big dogs.

Our next trip was to visit Allan's hunting camp high up in the mountains south of Craig.  Allan and a few of his friends purchased this ranch many years back and have enjoyed it as a retreat and a great place to 'get their limit' every fall in deer and elk.

During the summer the ranch is used for sheep grazing. 

The sheep are the only occupants for miles in any direction; except for the deer, elk, rabbits, coons, porcupines, bears and the sheep-keeper (shepherd?) This wagon is his house. Not too different than what I live in but his surroundings are much more fantastic.

Is there anything more magical than a stand of aspens?

Way down in the middle of those quaking aspens you will see one of two cabins that Allan and his friends built on the property.

A bit rustic but comfortable and....

...well, rustic. 

The porch was a perfect place to sit and, well, sit.

There is a kitchen, a table for meals, and a bunk, but no internet, no phone service, no TV, no electricity, no noise, no neighbors, no traffic.   

The view from the porch.

Yes, there really is such a place.

She loved it...

No, I won't take your leash off.  You would be lost in a nano second, chasing butterflies.

See what I mean.

Yippee!

The Colorado columbine.

"Do you want to be best friends?"

An afternoon storm passed over,  sprinkled the hills a moment, then moved on.

Allan spotted a bear on the hillside but I couldn't see it.

 After dinner he built a fire and we relaxed some more before heading back down the mountain. 

Is it worth it to have this ranch for hunting and playing?  

Well, if I could visit here regularly I could probably throw away my blood pressure medications.  

And Allan informed me that it had been years since he had to buy any meat at the grocery store. 

During the three days of my visit I ate:

Smoked duck

Smoked trout

Trout Caviar

Goose steaks

Moose steaks

Elk steaks

Venison Bratwurst

and 

Elk Italian Sausage

Much of it was thanks to this lovely ranch, and it was all delicious!