Yellow bellied Whistle Pigs, Platte Rivers and Yampa River Colorado

Proud Mary under one of the only trees.

The North and South Platte Rivers were above flood stages in Nebraska and many places near I-80 were under water. We went over two bridges we would not go over again after the storm on Saturday.  California is missing all this rain the SW is getting from that early hurricane.  Yampa River is high, too, so no kayaking for us. 
Yampa River State Park is between Steamboat Springs and Craig on Hwy 40 and surrounded by riparine wetlands and high meadows.  Coming into Colorado by way of small highways we passed through Routt National Forest which still had snow along the forest floors, but today it is 76 degrees F. 
People come from all around in the winter for winter sports like ice fishing, skiing and then for floating the river in summer, but today two folks turned their canoe over in the fast moving waters.. The river has four endangered fish species.  Wolves, otters and bears are inhabitants, but we have only seen rabbits and the yellow bellied marmot, also called rock chuck because it looks just like a woodchuck and Pat is insisting there are two different species here, a real woodchuck and the Marmot. The campground is small,but nice and actually covers 100s miles along the river. Outfitters bring people for $1000 along the river from Steamboat to West Cross Mountain Deerlodge Park in Dinosaur National Monument, our next stop. I am sure it is one of those great trips we will plan one day to do with the grandkids (ha!ha!ha!)  The Visitor Center in the park is small, too, but very well done with the story of the first peoples-the Yamparica Utes-lots of natural and pioneer historical information (gold to coal mining) and a huge relief map that shows the different access sites where people can haul their canoes and kayaks up and camp. I wish we had more time here and could do all the 101 things listed in the travel brochure. 

Behind our camp where the MARMOT hide out and rabbits play. There is another area where they squeak on top of an old wood pile to warn others. 

Yampa River above its banks