View to west after leaving Kremmling

Left Meadow Lake around 620 AM for Centennial Airport to pick up the instructor...Brian Jones. Centennial is supposedly the first or second busiest GA airport in the US and I do not care for lots of rapid-fire radio transmissions. Fortunately, I was given a normal "Report left downwind midfield for runway 17L"

First stop is Kremmling Airport (20V). No major surprises other than I had to find stuff by pilotage and not GPS. Makes it harder. I like my crutches.

After leaving Glenwood Springs we went to Aspen. Many corporate jets there. Probably Hollywood types. Not for me. From there we went to the main location. Leadville. This is the highest airport in the mainland US. The density altitude when we left was 12,300'. That was on the runway and not 2000-4000' AGL!

Last picture is just another one taken during the flight. I did not take many because I was a bit busier than usual.

Brian was an excellent instructor. Of course it is a safety issue that my co-pilot be able to fly the plane competently. So Brian got adequate time to become proficient at the RV. And he loved it!

I was surprised at the number of bugs picked up during the flight. It is obvious in several of the pictures taken through the windshield.

Although I have received excellent instruction by the Colorado Pilots Association (CPA) in Mountain flying, it sure commands respect for the potential dangers. One Mooney coming in for landing at Leadville as we awaiting takeoff was clearly too high on final but continued down the runway. Throw in gusty crosswind and it was a marginally executed go-around. If you plan on flying in the mountains, a course like that offered by CPA is worth taking.