March 2, 2010---Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!

They did it! Chris and Eli braved the skycoaster!!!! What a rush--1300 feet straight down above the gorge! It is such a terrifying ride that they offer you a man diaper when you pay—no diapers were necessary here though—at least that's what Eli and Chris said.
From Canon City we are bound for the Colorodo Rockies—the part of the trip that Chris is the most concerned about the car and scamp making it through. B ut luckily it is a beautiful bright sunny day and tgemps around 45. We went through Monarch Pass, elevation 11,312, with a seasonal average of 350 inches of snow per year! It is also divided by the Continental Divide—so we figure everything from here is downhill. Chris couldn't resist climbing up the mountain, strapping on his snowboard and cutting through some of that beautiful powder—it was just like butter! It did get a little hairy driving through the Rockies in the dark but as long as we stay in low gear and don't get in a hurry we are fine (hopefully the people behind us aren't in a hury either).
It seems our most challenging time is when we don't know where exactly we will be spending the night and don't have a campsight in mind—sometimes this is just part of the journey. This has only happened a couple times so far but the first time was not successful. When it is dark, you have no idea where you are and kids are ready for bed the pressure is on. We did roll into Montrose around 8:00 and eventually found a spot to hook up for the night. It was a shot in the dark but we totally lucked out with awesome hot showers!
So far we have seen a fox, elk, mule deer, big horn sheep, prairie dogs, a golden eagle and a donkey named Willie.