Colorado Notes

My family and I visited some super sites in Colorado. At our rented house, we saw deer every day, a gray fox (twice) and a huge black bear in our yard early Friday morning.

We visited the Air Force Academy (my 12 year old Logan was really intrigued), Seven Falls, the Royal Gorge Bridge (largest suspension bridge in the U.S.), and we river rafted (helmets, life jackets, class 3 and 4 rapids) and generally had a great time. We also visited an Old West museum, the Dinosaur Research Center (where everything is of course millions and quadrillions of years old) and the Rodeo Hall of Fame (this was Meagan's site, but she was disappointed that the barrel racers were somewhere else in the country).

Tracy, Logan and I attempted 14,110 feet Pike's Peak Wednesday morning. We began climbing at 5:30 A.M. from the Crag's Trail and steadily climbed throughout the morning. Within an hour or so from the summit (approx. 13,500 ft.) at about 11:30, my son Logan became sick from the altitude with severe headache and nausea. It also began to sleet and snow. I called it off at that point, we traversed over a rock band to the road (where Bro. Acker burned his brakes up) and we rode with a park ranger the short distance to the summit. So I guess I have unfinished business. Hopefully, I will have another opportunity to complete the route.

Our trip ended in accident when my wife Tracy broke her shoulder Thursday morning. Her horse stumbled, spun, and threw her hard to the ground up in the mountains. She is in much pain and I ask you friends to pray for her recovery. (I think the couple who went with us may have decided that the Neals are a little too dangerous to run with)

That's all for now.....and remember....God loves you. You are His child. And your sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west.