Due to the jetlag we wake up around 5am. We continue to reorganise the luggage, car and camera's. At 7.45am we have breakfast at the hotel and then drive to the Safeway to get some groceries and a styrofoam cooler. Around 9.30am we finally start our first trip to Rio Grande National Forest and Gunnison National Forest. We drive along beautiful sceneries and get all kinds of weather: sun, rain and even snow!

We make a short walk to the South Clear Creek Falls and enjoy a bit later a nice lunch (picnic). As we continue our drive we arrive at the North Clear Creek Falls but there is an extremely strong wind and it even starts to rain. We just have time for some quick shots and drive on. Now it even starts to snow. We then reach Windy Point and it is... windless but beautiful!
Our last point is the Lake San Cristobal overlook. While driving we see deer and marmots.

We drive back and reach again the North Clear Creek Falls. It is now beautiful weather and we can take our time to shoot the waterfalls in all its beauty! We decide to have a break here and eat our fresh fruit we bought this morning. We just finished when it starts raining again.
We drive on and a bit later Patrick sees a moose with a little one. We stop and have ample time to take pictures. We are lucky to see this already on our first day!

We discuss whether or not to drive on to the Treasure Falls but as it is already 4pm and from the next crossing it is an additional one hour drive, we decide not to do the 45km (one way). We drive back to the hotel.

Along our drive we get lots of wind and even a huge sand storm!

Around 6pm we our back in our room and enjoy a refreshing shower. About an hour later we drive back to Rialto's for dinner and are again going to sleep early.

Daytrip approx. 371 km