Instead of taking US 50 back to US 285 I decided to take CO 291 until it merged into US 295.After about a half hour I arrived in Buena Vista. I immediately made my way to McPhelemy Park to look for RNR's Retire and Relax box. No problem finding this one and there was a great place to sit and stamp. I enjoyed the park - it was nice and peaceful early in the morning. I replaced the box and continued on my way. Next I stopped at Buena Vista Roastery Cafe. One to get a letterbox and two to get some breakfast. I parked on the street right outside the place and from the car followed the clues to the box. It was obvious where I needed to be but there were quite a few people sitting out on the deck so I couldn't go and grab the box. So I decided to get some coffee and a snack. I sat out on the deck and enjoyed to morning. When I was done eating I had to pass on the box because there was still people sitting right where I needed to get the box. So I decided to go to another location and search for boxes there. At River Park I went in search of a couple of boxes - first I looked for and found Silver Eagle's Princeton Tiger. This box in hidden on the Barbara Whipple Trial. I didn't have to go far to find the box and I found a nice place to sit and stamp in. When the box was back in its hiding spot I walked back to my car and followed the clues for CW Sunseeker's Rafting Teddy's. This was a quick and easy find and while stamping in I had a great view of the Arkansas River and some people rafting. I replaced the box and went back to my car. On the way out of Buena Vista I drove by the Cafe again but it was still busy and I couldn't look for the box. I gave up and continued on my way.
My drive was interrupted about four miles outside of Johnson Village. I encountered some road construction and the north bound lane was at a dead stop. There were six cars in front of me and nothing seemed to be moving. After five minutes cars began coming through the construction area. I was bored sitting there so I started counting the cars coming by. There were 221 cars that passed by me and it took 25 minutes. Then finally it was our turn. There was only one mile of construction and when I reached the spot where the cars in the other lane were stopped I started tracking how far the traffic was backed up on that side - it was three miles of backed up cars. Once I passed all the construction and traffic I started looking for the place for the next box. I was looking for The Woodshed's Colorado Mountain Highway Passes: Trout Creek. I only had to drive about 15 miles before reaching Trout Creek Pass. I turned onto a dirt road and quickly crossed a cattle guard and parked. I easily found the box and sat right next to the tree and stamped in. Then I returned to the car and continued on.
About a mile outside of Fairplay I turned left onto CR 18 to look for a box by TaiChi and ChaiTea. The clues were very straight forward but I didn't find the box. So I returned to US 285 and made my way to Fairplay. When I arrived in Fairplay I drove right through town and started toward Alma. Before I arrived in Alma I turned onto CR 12 and then made a quick left on a dirt road toward an electric plant. Here I looked for and found TaiChi and ChaiTea's B.Y.D. #13: The Great Wall. I quickly stamped in and returned to the car. Then I returned to Fairplay. There were a couple of other boxes in the area but I decided to forego those and continue on my drive. Back on US 285 I drove about four or five miles and then stopped at a pullout at Red Hill Pass. Here I was looking for the Woodshed's Colorado Mountain Highway Passes: Red Hill Pass.
From the pullout I read the clues and realized I was going to have to cross US 285 to get to the box. The traffic today along this road had been pretty busy and I was just a little worried about crossing a busy road. So I got out of the car and thankfully the coast was clear and I was able to get to the other side without a problem. I found the box and brought it back to the car (crossing the road again) to stamp in and when I was finished I had to cross the road again to put the box back and then again to get back to the car. I was thankful when that was over and I continued on. My next stop was about 15 miles up the road at Kenosha Pass. There were two boxes here to find. First I looked for Colorado Mountain Highway Passes: Kenosha Pass by The Woodshed. This box is hidden on the informational sign for the Pass. I followed the clues and checked the lower metal bar and quickly found the 'box' but when walking back to the car I opened the box and realized that I had a found a geocache. So I turned around and went back to the sign and put the geocache back and looked for the real box. I found it very near where the geocache was - about a foot away. I then took the box back to the car to stamp in and then replaced it a little further away from the geocache. For the second box I had to walk through a gate and a short distance up a dirt road to the Colorado Trail sign and register box. From there I easily found The Woodshed's Smooth Jazz. I found a place to sit and stamp and enjoyed the quiet area. When I was done and the box was back in place I returned to the car.Another 25 minutes of driving brought me to Bailey.
I had clues for six boxes in Bailey and I made my first stop at Coney Island Hot Dog Stand. There are two boxes here but unfortunately I couldn't look for them. The place was busy and there were people all around so I decided to just move on. I then drove to McGraw Memorial Park. Here I looked for and found Camp IdRaHaJe by the Fantastic Four. I found a bench to sit on and stamp in. While sitting there the sky started to darken and by the time I got the box back in place and walked back to the car there were drops coming down. But I wanted to stop one more place and I hoped that the rain would hold out. When I arrived at Horn Cemetery I was hopeful because the rain had stayed away. So I followed the clues to one of the boxes and no sooner than I grabbed the box it started to rain. Thankfully there was a gazebo to sit under to stamp in. 
When I finished with that box I quickly hid it and then ran for the other two, I had kind of scoped out the hiding spots so it was quick to run and grab them and bring them back to the gazebo. So I stayed pretty dry while stamping in and the rain had slowed to a drizzle so that I didn't have any problems getting the box back in place. So I found three boxes a the cemetery - Blowin' in the Wind by The Woodshed, A Mother's Panda Love by Cowdrey Clan and Mr. Mario by The Woodshed.My original plan was to stop in Pine to do some more letterboxing but the rain was having none of that. As I left the cemetery the rain became a downpour so I decided to put the hotel address into the Garmin and call it a day. It took me 45 minutes to get to the hotel and I am glad it rained because I was really tired and I don't think stopping in Pine to letterbox would have been a good idea. So I checked in and unloaded the car. Once I was settled in the room I called Thomas to let him know I was okay. Then I decided to go and get something to eat. There was a Mexican restaurant just in front of the hotel so I ended up there - I decided I didn't want to drive any more. I had a nice meal at El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant and then returned to the hotel. Once I showered I felt much better and had a little more energy so I could log my finds and write this post. I think I will sleep in tomorrow and when I wake up I will decide what I am going to do for the day.
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