Day 11 – Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

Day 11 – 5/23/2021 – Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

Today we leave Colorado Springs for Estes Park.  We’ll be traveling along I-25, US-36, and then finally CO-7 to Estes Park.  It is very cloudy as we leave the hotel this morning, but the closer we get to Denver it is beginning to clear. 

We have good view of what I think is downtown Denver with all of the high-rises.  Notice that the skies over Denver are clear, not so much over the mountains.

Buildings and other roadside obstructions obscure our view after passing the Mile-High stadium, but we are able to get a picture before that happened.

After passing Denver, the weather begins to clear over the mountains and we can begin to see blue skies.  Notice the lone building on the hill before the mountain, quite small in comparison. 

While still three miles from Boulder, we pull over, stopping at a viewing area, and have a full open view of the city.  Where we stop is a rest area along an 18-mile bike path between Boulder and Denver; many bikers pass by while we are here to take a picture. 

Once we reach Lyons on US-36, we get on CO-7 for the scenic road to Estes Park.  US-36 is also a scenic road, but if the Ridge Road is closed to through traffic in Rocky Mountain National Park, we will need to come back this way.  We have just past Allenspark and find Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock along the side of the road.  It looks like a quaint stone chapel, but do not have time to stop and explore.

Shortly after passing St. Catherine's Chapel, we get a clear view of Longs Peak, and at 14,259 feet, it is an impressive mountain within the Rocky Mountain National Park.  You can see how much snow there is still on the mountain.  It is not looking good for our through drive on the Ridge Road.

Near the Twin Sister’s Peak, at a pull-off, occupied with this old car, looks good with the mountain as a backdrop. 

We are about 5 miles from Estes Park and pass one of recreation areas in the Park.  Here Lily Lake offers a picnic area, hiking trails, and catch and release only fishing. 

Now that we are in Estes Park, we decide that we are very early to check into our hotel and decide now is a good idea to have lunch.  We decide to eat at a diner called “You Need Pie” and after sandwiches, we do indeed have pie; strawberry-rhubarb pie to be exact.  Everything was good and the old time Route-66 décor, enjoyable; if you are in Estes Park we recommend you try the Diner.

As we are driving west along route-36 to the entrance to Rocky Mountain National park, we drive by a store that sells bears, carved by chain saw.  Carmen wants one, but we have no room in the car to bring one home.

We were in a line of about 25 cars, three lines exactly. And after passing through the entrance, we happen to see these elk at the edge of the trees.  We just had to stop and fortunately, for us, there was pull-off so we were not blocking the road.  I think these are doe, but not sure.

Having seen the previous elk, we are on the lookout for more animals.  We have gone no more then a half mile when we see a bunch of cars parked along the road and sure enough, more elk.  Unable to help myself, I had to stop to get pictures. 

These are definitely buck elk having antlers beginning to emerge.  This one has the largest spread of antlers and seemed to have the presence as the dominant male as he chased others away if they were to close.

Driving by the Fall River Road, which is route-34, we continue along Trail Ridge Road until we get to Many Parks Curve.  I see this tree growing out of a group of rocks, meadow below and the mountains in the background.  This would be a nice place to just sit and look at the surroundings.

Moving around the rocks to a different view, I can see the full meadow below. 

I am interrupted from my musings when this squirrel shows up.  Having struck a pose, I have to get a picture.  The animals have been accommodating on this trip, posing for me as they have.

Before continuing on to the next viewpoint, I get a picture of the valley below us.  We seem to have increased our elevation fast and now look to the distant rivers and meadows.

Nearing Rainbow Curve Overlook, we find ourselves in a snow squall.  Carmen tried to get a picture of the snow and the size of the snow bank at the same time.  You can imagine the height of the snow bank by the size of the cars next to them.

Not staying very long at the overlook, because you could not see very much with the snow flying, we started down early.  On the way down, unable to believe the amount of snow on May 23, Carmen got another picture of the snow banks.

Retracing our route back to the park entrance, we see more elk in the distance.  Stopping at the next small turn-off, I made my way back to get a picture and find out that they are deer.  Two deer, not elk, were eating around a bush.

Approaching the park exit, we see three female elk lying in the grass.  Now that it is getting dusk I wonder if they are beginning to bed down for the night.

After having left the park entrance gate, we see, what appears to be the buck we saw earlier, the buck elk again.  They also seem to be bedding down for the night.

One of the male elk, up close and personal, and no I did not get too close to get the picture, just some cropping.

On the way to our hotel, I had to make a quick stop at the Stanley Hotel.  The Stanley Hotel built by F. O. Stanley in 1909.  F. O. Stanly made his fortune in photographic plates and co-founder with his brother of the Stanly Motor Carriage Co, which built steam-powered automobiles.  Also, the Stanley Hotel also hosted the horror novelist Stephen King, serving as inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in his 1977 bestseller The Shining and the 1980 film adaptation.

Tomorrow we head to Glenwood Springs, our stopover on our way to Moab the following day.

Day 9 – Colorado Sand Dunes and Broadmoor Seven Falls

 Day 9 – 5/21/2021 – Colorado Sand Dunes and Broadmoor Seven Falls

We stayed at the Quality Inn last night in Canon City.  This morning I noticed that several of the room doors had names on them like Goldie Hawn, Sam Elliot, Glen Ford, and my favorite John Wayne.  Apparently, these stars stayed in these rooms when they were here, apparently while making a movie. 

Anyway, we leave Canon City heading east on route 50 for I-25.  On our way, we happened to see a number of pronghorn antelope.  These are females and there were about five in the bunch.

Right behind the group of female antelope was another female and a male.  Both standing broadside with heads up so we could get a good picture. 

Shortly after I took the last picture, all of the Pronghorn ran through a break in the barbed wire and running away with the mountain in the background.  I thought it was a great frame so I took the picture. 

As we are heading south on I-25, we can see windmills and the snowcapped Spanish Peaks.  We know they are the Spanish Peaks because the sculpture further on the right that looks like a dinosaur, behind the gusty winds sign, has it printed on the side. 

After heading south on I-25, we turned west on US-160.  We still have some fantastic views of the snow capped mountains and the sagebrush fields. 

Well, I think Carmen and I have found our Colorado fixer-upper.  It has the sage field, hills in the back yard, and it is already fenced in.  All it needs is a little work.  LOL!!  Maybe park a camper on a pad. 

Not long after turning north on, route-150, Carmen happens to see these Pronghorn antelope on the hillside.  It is always good to see wild animals while we are on a trip.  Having them close enough so we can get a picture is even better.

We see sand dunes in the distance and even at a couple of miles away; we can tell that the dunes are high, but not nearly as high as the snow-capped mountains behind them.

Having reached the Great Sand Dunes we have parked.  Carmen has decided not to hike out to the dunes since we have to cross Mendano Creek, then a half-mile hike, just to get to the dunes.  The creek was about 9-inches at the deepest, but about 150-feet across.  That is High Dune, just to the left of center and is 700 feet high from the base.  Look at all of the people that come to the dunes, pitch a tent, easy-up, or beach umbrella. 

I get about half way to the dunes.  The sand is very fine and soft.  I get a picture of the dunes with people on it and looking for those that brought snow/sand board to ski down a dune.  

Check out the path leading up the side of the dune.  Many people follow the same route to the top.  I wonder if walking in other peoples footsteps in the sand makes it easier to climb the dune.

Standing in the sand with a full view of the dunes, I decided to get a panoramic picture of he dunes.

Since Carmen is not with me and I do not want to leave her in the car for hours while I hike to the top of High Dune, I turn around and head beck.  While I was still in Mendano Creek, I see where the dunes and the mountains come together.  I thought the snow-capped mountains and the dry sand dunes are in stark contrast with each other.

Before leaving Colorado Great Sand Dunes National Park, I get a picture with Carmen with the Dunes in the background.  If you ever get a chance and have a half or even a full day, this would be a great stop.

After leaving the Sand Dunes National Park, we are retracing our steps back to I-25.  Back on I-25 we head north to Colorado Springs, we are soon making our way to the Broadmoor Seven Falls.  This is a series of seven falls and the 181-foot drop of water.  This is the bottom portion of the falls, named Hills Falls and is a fan waterfall that sprays outwards as it descends.

The staircase that follows the rock wall on the left side of the falls has 224 steps leading up to the top of the falls.  Halfway up, I get a picture of one of the other falls in the series of seven.  I think this is Bridal Veil Falls, which is a horsetail waterfall that sprays outwards as it descends from the rock wall. 

After climbing to the top and seeing each of the falls in the series, we head back down.  The climb was not as bad as I thought and we are back at Hill Falls.  I get a picture with Carmen in front of the falls and she gives a good idea of the height of this section of the waterfall. 

Next to the waterfall, there is an elevator up through the mountain to a platform overlooking the falls and valley.  Carmen is ready to enter the tunnel to the elevator and if I wait any longer I’ll be left behind.

On the platform at the top of the elevator, because I did not want to climb the stairs, we have a fantastic view of the falls.  From here, you can see each of the seven drops; Ramona Falls, Feather Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Shorty Falls, Hull Falls, Weimer Falls, and at the bottom Hill Falls.

Besides the falls, you can zip-line or rock climb if you so choose.  From this platform, it is just a little way to either of those activities.  I think I’ll just take another picture of Carmen and the waterfall in the background before we head back down the elevator and back to the car.

On the way to the car, we hear someone above up whooping and hollering as the cross from one side of the canyon to the other.  Not able to get a picture of the person on the zip-line, Carmen settled for the daffodils and tulips. 

Back in the car, we checked into the hotel, got something to eat and settled in for the night.  Tomorrow we stay in Colorado Springs and will visit the Garden of the Gods, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, and the Wild West Ghost Town Museum.

Day 8 – Royal Gorge and Canon City

Day 8 – 5/20/2021 – Royal Gorge and Canon City

This morning we head to Royal Gorge and finally Canon City where we will stay for the night.  Route 50, the road we will travel, is closed for construction.  When we heard this, we checked the closure information and found that the road opens between 6:00 and 8:00AM and then again, at 1:00pm, so we are on the road by 6:00AM

Near the turnoff to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, we have a great clear view of the mountains we will travel.

At the construction site, we decide that the work is not to repave part of the roadway, but to clear away what might have been an avalanche.  The heavy equipment and empty dump trucks also leads us to believe it is clean-up and not new work.  In any case we are not stopped due to work, so we are happy as we motor on through the area.

Following the Gunnison River, we pass places like Blue Mesa, Pine Creek, McIntyre Gulch, and Lake Fort.  The same river we saw running through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in the National Park at this location is a reservoir.

The Blue Mesa Reservoir, created by a dam on the Gunnison River, becomes the local recreational areas.  People are out in their boats fishing already. 

Nearing the town of Gunnison, we pass this field with longhaired and long-horned cattle.  Not sure, what kind they are, but Carmen was able to get a quick picture.

Having past Gunnison, we see a few more ranches with cattle and surprisingly lama or alpaca like this one. 

During our trips, I like to take pictures of flowers and lizards, while Carmen takes pictures of flowers and barns.  Here is one of the barns that she captured.  Check out the expanse of lands around the ranch. 

Nearing Monarch Crest, we see several deer in the field. 

We know that we are gaining elevation, because it is getting colder and there is snow.  But, as we get a clear view of the scenery it is clear we are getting close to the top of the pass.

Arriving at Monarch Crest, we are at the Continental Divide and at an elevation of 11,312 feet.  The flow of rivers and streams to the Atlantic is in front of us and to the Pacific behind us.  A great view of the mountains and I think the mountain on the left is Mt. Aetna and Taylor Mountain on the right, both which are still covered with a reasonably good amount of snow.  Oh, and one other thing it is 36F degrees.  

After crossing the Continental Divide, we made our way to Royal Gorge, before going to our hotel in Canon City.  On display by the parking area is an old Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad narrow-gauge, coal-burning steam locomotive.  The engine was built in 1902 as a standard gauge 2-8-0.  Later it was rebuilt in 1930 as a narrow-gauge 2-8-2, model K-37 to become Denver & Rio Grande Western # 499.  The engine was acquired in 1981 for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to run in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. 

We pay our entrance fee and await our turn for the gondola ride to the other side of the gorge.  There are two sets, one coming and the other going.  You can see the gondolas now, near the center of the picture, making their way across the gorge. 

While crossing the Gorge in the gondola we happen to see people climbing up the rocks.  This is a guided climbing tour allowing guests to hike and climb the granite rock walls of the gorge with controlled mountaineering equipment. 

On the other side of the gorge, we ascend to the high observation platform and have a great view of the full bridge span along with the Royal Gorge.  We’ll cross to the other side of the gorge using this bridge instead of the Cloudscraper Zipline. 

Looking at the gorge downstream, we can see where the river turns and disappears around the bend. 

Heading down to the bridge, we move to an area where we have another good view of the bridge.  While I am getting a picture of Carmen with the bridge in the background, a park Ranger stops and asked if we needed help and that there was a better picture stop where we just happened to leave.

As we near the bridge, we can see how the suspension cables anchor into the ground.  Each of the eighteen cables made up with at least 18 wires extends outwards. 

Here the cables come together to form a single suspension cable used to extend to the bridge uprights.

As Carmen enters the bridge, we learn about the Royal Gorge War.  During the late 1870’s, because of silver, both the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe and Denver & Rio Grande railroads wanted to run a rail line.  Because the gorge only has room for one line, a fierce war broke out between the corporations.  Both laying track during the day and dynamiting each other’s work at night.  The courts settled the war, awarding the right-of-way to the D&RG, but by then most of the silver boom was over.

Beginning our walk across the bridge, we hear the hollering of people and the whine of cables.  Looking over we can see a couple of people on the zipline.  It is a little hard to see, but there are two people on the zipline, a different way to return to the entrance; we are taking the bridge.

Crossing the bridge, there are State flags flying along the railings.  Also along the railings are other information, such as an indication of a mountain formation.  The mountain is called John F Kennedy Mountain.  Can you see the profile?

On the bridge, we look down and have a great view of the gorge.  You can clearly see the train tracks next to the river 1200 feet below us.

While we were looking out over the river, we watched as 4 white water boats made their way down river through the gorge. 

As I watched the boats navigate the river, the boats would hit a rock under the water in one particular spot and swing around.  In this view, the boat in front, the third boat in line from before, hung up on the rock and the boat in the back ran into it.  Also, notice one of the people from the boat in front is now in the water, the paddle in the water in front of him.

The flags of each state run along the railing.  Here is the Maine flag, where we lived before retiring to Florida.  But, the funny thing on the bridge was a sign on the railing that indicated “No Fishing from Bridge”.  Ha Ha, we are 1200 feet above the water, that would be a lot of fishing line.

Having crossed the bridge, we made our way back to the entrance and stopped at the café for a late lunch. 

While having lunch, the gondola was running again, so I get another picture before heading out

On our way out, we checked out the water clock.

Not far from Canon City, we leave the Royal Gorge for the hotel.  On our way out of the park, we can still see snow in the mountains around us. 

Tomorrow morning we head to the Colorado Sand Dunes and then afterwards go to Colorado Springs and depending on the time, we will do what we can.