Peg's ashes: where to find the spot

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=40.071070,-105.591067+(Peggy)

Or, enter the following latitude / longitude coordinates in a GPS navigator for location:

Lat: 40.071070
Long: -105.591067

It's a beautiful walk to a beautiful spot, next to the little creek that flows into Long Lake. It's about 30 feet off the main path toward the lake.

Tour de Colorado

This is the Batmobile, the Mustang convertible we've been flogging all over the state. We only put the top up to lock it up for the night.  Zoë is my DJ, providing the soundtrack for our travels through her iPod. She's a fun traveling companion.

We did an early evening hike in the Maroon Bells near Aspen, one of Peg's favorite spots on earth. She was very much on our minds...but, as you can see, we always pack our silliness as a companion for our solemnity.

Tomorrow we'll do a longer hike there, then head over Independence Pass and back to Denver.

Ashes in the mountains

We hiked in about half a mile in the mountains above Nederland to a place called Long Lake (Leann and husband Pete, Kent and wife Diane and their two youngest, Zoë and me). Just below a field of wildflowers, beside a swiftly-flowing stream is where I spread Peggy's ashes.

It's a place Peg probably loved the many times she hiked this area in college.

My hands were shaking as I opened the box. Another emotional hurdle. So thankful our friends, who were so close to Peg for so many years, were there with us.

The grey powder that was Peggy's body, cast in and near the stream, will eventually wash into the lake and become softly embedded into the silt. A final rest after a long, tiring journey.

We'll spread Peggy's ashes tomorrow morning

Flagstaff Mountain, overlooking Boulder, is restricted to local traffic due to wildfires. It's where we'd originally planned to spread Peg's ashes. I think Plan B is a blessing.

Brainard Lake is where she loved to hike with her longtime friend Leann, who suggested this might be a beautiful place to spread her ashes. This will be the final resting place for the wisps of ancient stardust that comprised Peggy Smith's body.