28.09. - 04.10.

This is about the third week being in the states. And it was the most exciting one so far. On Thursday afternoon, we drove up on the highest passable street in North America up to the top of Mt Evans. On the way up we passed some beautiful yellow-turned aspen trees and a bunch of bighorn sheep.

 The top of Mt Evans is at 14'300 feet, which is about 4'348m (compare: the elevation of the Matterhorn is about 4480m) and the temperature was at about 45F, so quite freezing. From the peak one could see for hundreds of kilometers far into the Gr. Plains. It is way above the tree line, but yet full of wildlife. We saw Chipmonks, Pikas, Ermines, Ferrets, Mountain Goats, Bighorn Sheep and Murmots, which were really large! As we drove up with the truck and two dogs in it, we finally ended up sitting in the open back of the truck as there was almost no space to sit inside.

On Friday noon, I went off for a 7h road trip south to Santa Rosa, New Mexico, to get dive certified in the Blue Hole. The blue hole literally is a hole in the midst of the desert with a depth of 81 ft, a surface diameter of 60 ft and a bottom diameter of 100 ft, so it is bell-shaped. The water was extremely clear; standing on a small platform at about 25 ft depth (where we had to show the skills we learnt the previous weekend) one could see more than 60 ft down to the bottom of the hole. The feeling being underwater and being able to breathe is just awesome!!