Salida, CO to Gunnison National Forest

BETH writes - After taking yesterday off in Pueblo for the changing of the riders, we dropped Bethany at the bus station at 5AM. Mike, Mom and I packed the car and headed back to Salida. Mike and I were on the road by 11:15 am for a 33 mile day over Marshall Pass. Marshall Pass is at 10,800+ft and was the old rail bed for a train that went from Denver to Salt Lake City. The pass is also the intersection of the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide. The grade was easy, but the hill endless. I have discovered that Mike is an excellent wildlife spotter. We saw many Mule Deer. Halfway to the top we encountered more common creatures of the west - cows - a herd of about 30. Of course they were coming down the road at us. Once at the top of the pass we had a fast 6 mile down hill to our Aspen enclosed campsite where we met my Mom. We saw many Mule deer investigating us cooking.It has turned chilly. After playing Cribbage, we were off to bed to listen to the thunderstorms pound our tent and echo in the hills.
JAN writes - Back to the mountains. We returned to Salida so Mike and Beth could get their bikes and gear together and resume where Beth left off on Saturday. Dick Arnold from Amherst, and his fiancee Caroline, arrived while the bikers were getting ready. They had been to a wedding in Colorado and were driving back to Denver. We had been in touch by phone and were amazed that we could coordinate a get together! After the bikers set off Dick, Caroline and I had a nice lunch together. That delayed the realization that I am now alone. In the afternoon I drove over 11,898' high Monarch Pass in pouring rain on my way to meet Beth and Mike at a (free) primitive site in the Gunnison National Forest. The rain had stopped and we set up our tents next to a creek and obviously in a deer thoroughfare. There was a constant parade of mule deer to get water. About 9PM the electrical storm we could hear coming hit us. Wow-such noise! We were camped next to an Aspen Grove at the bottom of a hillside, so remained safe in the tents all night. The area is badly in need of rain, so we can't complain about getting it.