As surprising as it may seem, this is what I next photographed on the
trail to Thunder Pass. Click on photo to see the Grand Ditch behind us.
"Water Supply & Storage" of Ft. Collins, Colorado has an A-Frame,
vehicles and equipment, right here, to help maintain the Grand Ditch.
This water diversion is older than Rocky Mountain National Park,
which began in 1915. The dedicated employee shown here is John
Hossley. His ancestors hail from Switzerland where "Ossley" means
"Guardian of the Gate". John keeps close watch over the many gates
that divert water into the Grand Ditch and send it by gravity over
La Poudre Pass on the Continental Divide and down to the Great Plains.

There is a recent novel that weaves this cabin, the ditch, and the trail to it.
It is The Grand Conspiracy by "William Penn", and is available locally
and through Amazon; e-mail us for details. (Donna Ready says,
"The book is terrific and is a 'must read' for anyone familiar with
Grand County." She is a big fan of spy stories and murder mysteries
and loves the book's local color.)

John brought his board to the cabin to tune it up before his next trip
to the west coast. He loves the cabin and its environment. He has a
recording of thunder booming around him that we hope to add here soon.

.. return to list of journeys ..

(Note to John: I hope your picture is as you like it! Please send your
wave file of rolling thunder to relax@ MountainLake.com or post it
where we can retrieve it. Thanks a bunch. Catch some big waves for us!)