Buena Vista in September

As a general rule, Ben and I do not camp or backpack over Labor Day Weekend. On holiday weekends, you really seem to lose that sense of solitude you find out on the trails any other time. The backcountry is just another over-run trail system where you compete for camping and solitude. But this year, with all the construction and class and application nonsense, we did not camp one single time and I was not happy about it. I'm talking no outdoorsy stuff from mid-June through August. Who am I? Don't I live in the outdoor mecca of the U.S.? Arguably, yes. So, despite our plans to stick around the home front and spend another weekend on the house, on Friday morning -- on a whim -- I called one campground in Buena Vista to see if they had any availability. Surprise! They had just canceled a campsite hold not ten minutes ago and they now had one free spot for Friday and Saturday evening. Perfect, we'll take it.

I called Ben and told him plans had changed and we were now camping. It didn't take much arm-twisting to convince him. We both left work a little early, threw some clothes and camping gear in the truck, packed the dogs up and headed west. As suspected, the campsite was less than rustic and packed with families for the weekend, but we were okay with it. We managed to get in a little camping and mountain time, afterall! We enjoyed some of our favorite spots in the area, tried a new restaurant and hit up the trails for mountain biking. It turned out to be a very relaxing weekend. What luck to have nabbed that last camping spot!

Enjoying our favorite coffee shop -- Bongo Billy's -- on Saturday morning.

Mountain biking on the Midland Trail just outside of town.

I brought the dogs to the river to cool off while Ben extended his ride. The water was icy cold and I was shocked to see so many people swimming. The dogs sure appreciated it.

My very own Pigpen. Higgins loved camping! He rolled around in the dirt and chewed on sticks and hunted for bugs. Is it possible to see gender differences in dogs? Byrdie isn't nearly as messy or dirty or clumsy. Higgins is a boy, through and through.

Happy girl.

Back at camp.

Tasty dinner at Eddyline.

"At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one's lost self."
~Brendan Francis Behan

Nature. Natural.