Grand Junction Getaway

Interstate 70 from Denver to Grand Junction is a cross-section of the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Rising from 5,280 feet in elevation at Denver to over 11,000 feet at the Continental Divide, the highway weaves through forested canyons, below 14,000 foot peaks, through massive tunnels, beside world-class ski resorts, past historic mining towns and hot springs, and along the mighty Colorado River. This is what most people think of when they visualize Colorado. Nearing Grand Junction though, as the rest of the landscape becomes more rocky and barren, unexpected peach orchards and vineyards flank the highway. These are the source of delicious Palisade peaches and Colorado wines. Less than twenty miles from the Utah state line, Colorado National Monument seems more like Utah than Colorado. Colorful rocks and geological formations are the attraction here.

We took a getaway weekend trip to visit this area, but first we had to navigate Friday night ski traffic in driving snow. The drive to the Eisenhower tunnel which usually takes little more than an hour turned into three hours. After that and a bit of snow on Vail pass, the roads dried out and we made it to the western slope. Rising early on Saturday to blue skies, we wanted to get a hike in with our dog Luna, but the Monument trails do not allow dogs. Alltrails.com recommended a dog-friendly alternative next door in Devil’s Canyon, part of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, administered by the Bureau of Land Management. This proved to be an excellent choice, giving us an up-close experience of the area landscape. Aside from a few other hikers/dogs and a couple on horseback, we had the trail to ourselves. The trail makes a six-mile loop, but we went only a couple of miles, enough to get a fantastic panoramic view of the canyon before turning back because of snow/ice and the increasing steepness of the trail. Plus, we wanted to allow time to visit the Monument.

Rimrock Drive bisects the Colorado National Monument, taking 23 miles to wind up to the top of the plateau, around the rim of the canyons, and back down the other side, connecting the east and west entrances only 8 miles apart as the crow flies. Coming from the Devil’s Canyon trailhead in Fruita, we started from the west entrance which was closer to the visitor’s center and the most popular overlooks. We stopped at Balanced Rock, Independence Monument, Grand View, Monument Canyon View, Coke Ovens Overlook, and Artists Point. Then realizing that we had yet to get our picture together, we retraced our drive back to Independence Monument and went back out the west entrance without completing the drive to the east entrance. By this time the wineries of Palisade were calling our names, and we felt like we had seen the best side of the Monument.

Notwithstanding our Friday night drive in the snow, winter was an excellent time to visit Devil’s Canyon and the Monument. Both of them would be very hot in summer, although we were fortunate to have a clear, warm day in February. I would not want to drive a snow-covered Rimrock Drive with its serpentine turns and thousand-foot drop-offs. Morning or Evening light would be a better time to visit the Monument as we felt like our photos failed to capture the depth and colors, although the snow added some interest. We would love to return to Palisade in late summer or fall to see the vineyards and peach trees full of fruit, but we enjoyed the wine-tastings and brought back several bottles. On Sunday we stopped for breakfast at the one-of-a-kind Shooter’s Grill in Rifle, Colorado, and enjoyed a beautiful drive back to Denver in time for a Superbowl party. A great Grand Junction getaway.

Camping in Comfort

For several years my wife and I have discussed the idea of getting a travel trailer. Among our motivations are the ability to take weekend trips to the mountains, have a home-away-from-home for longer trips, and take our dog with us when we travel. I grew up camping, both the roughing-it type and the comfortable type and enjoy both. My wife on the other hand, prefers the comfortable type. If it doesn’t include a regular bed that you can walk around and a regular private bathroom, she’s not interested.

We had been to an RV show a couple of years ago and were looking at smaller trailers that we could pull behind our mid-size SUV with a V6. However, anything that would meet the above requirements would be pushing our towing capacity limit, something that is not advisable when you want to tow across mountain passes. In addition, our homeowners’ association doesn’t allow us to park a trailer in our driveway, so we would have to pay to store one, whether it was 13 or 30 feet long.

We bought a used Ford F150 in December which opened the door to a much larger trailer, but we still had concerns about towing and setting up a travel trailer. Although I grew up around them and have lots of experience towing a boat and other smaller trailers, I had never towed anything longer than 20 feet or heavier than about 3,000 pounds. And I had never been responsible for emptying a holding tank and all the other responsibilities that go along with a travel trailer.

The obvious choice before buying one and committing ourselves to the sales cost, storage costs, and operational costs, was to rent one and try it out. A weekend trip celebrating my birthday and our anniversary seemed like a good opportunity, so we found a 24′ model on RVShare.com and booked it for the first weekend in June. Finding a campsite was another challenge since we wanted full hook-ups, but we were able to secure one at Echo Glen Resort in Poudre Canyon, about an hour and a half away. This was probably because the Cameron Peak Fire last summer burned to within a half mile of the campground, but the campground itself was untouched.

So early on Friday afternoon we picked up the trailer from the owner, who patiently showed us everything we needed to know, and headed out to the campsite. The trailer felt very large at the start and definitely required planning ahead for acceleration onto the highway and for stops, but the 5.0L V8 engine in the F150 handled it fine in tow/haul mode. An anti-sway weight-distribution hitch supplied by the owner helped and before long I became comfortable with the towing experience, despite narrowed lanes for construction on I-25 and on the winding two-lane Poudre Canyon highway. As we approached a tunnel I briefly panicked about not asking the owner about clearance height, but it wasn’t an issue. Arriving at the campground I was able to back the trailer into the site with direction from my wife after only having to pull up and straighten out once.

Setting up the trailer, including leveling, electrical/water/sewer hookups, and extending the slide-out took about 30 minutes but was certainly less work and a lot more comfortable than setting up a tent campsite. We took the dog for a walk around the campground, grilled steaks and cooked s’mores, and oriented ourselves to the trailer. After a restful night, on Saturday morning we drove past burned forest areas to explore the Red Feather Lakes. Returning to the trailer for lunch, we waited out a bit of rain playing cards, then got in a hike before coming back for a grilled chicken dinner. More rain was in the forecast, so we rented a couple of movies and enjoyed watching them in the trailer on Saturday night.

On Sunday we packed up after breakfast and headed back to drop off the trailer. A successful first experience with RV camping under our belts, we updated our wish list in a couple of areas. 1.) I had felt that 24 feet was about as long as I wanted to go, but after getting used to it, I think we could go a bit longer; 2.) however, with the truck being 19 feet, too much longer would rule out certain campsites and probably push the limits of our towing capacity; 3.) related to the above, a queen bed and more room around the bed and in the bathroom would be nice; and 4.) a slide is a must and the layout is key–we would prefer a rear-living model vs. the rear bath that we rented.

The truck did fine, but MPG dropped to 12 from the 18 we usually get even in town, so additional gas costs must be considered. I felt that the work involved in towing and setting up was still worth the comfort, even for only a two-night weekend trip. We would like to rent a different one in the future and try “boondocking” with no hookups to see how that changes the experience. We’ll have to weigh the cost of owning versus renting, but ultimately I think we will want to have a trailer of our own one of these days. I may still go “roughing it” with the guys from time to time, but I have to say that my wife might be on to something with her preference for comfortable camping.

A Day At The Beach

A beach in Colorado? Well as close as you can get. Colorado, known for snow-capped mountains, dense forests, alpine meadows, and rushing rivers, is also home to Great Sand Dunes National Park. The sand dunes are said to be a result of erosion from the San Juan mountains that collected in a large prehistoric lake and then blew up against the Sangre de Cristo mountains after the lake dried up. The dunes are visible for miles away in the San Luis valley, but it is difficult to appreciate their 700-feet-plus height without visiting the park and putting your toes in the sand.

In the Spring, the seasonal Medano Creek flows down from the snowfields of the Sangre de Cristos in front of the dunefield. The cold water contrasts with the warm sand for a beach-like experience. We recently took a day trip to the sand dunes at just the right time to see this phenomenon. Walking barefoot on sand is definitely unlike our usual dayhikes and climbing just a few hundred feet up the smallest dunes was a lot more work. Running back down was a lot of fun though. Many others bring snowboards and sleds to slide down the dunes. Unlike many other national parks, dogs are allowed here so Luna enjoyed her first experience with sand.

I had been here as a child but despite growing up in Denver, my wife had never visited them. Colorado has so much to offer and the Great Sand Dunes are a bit off the main highways, but definitely worth a stop, especially when the creek is flowing from April to July. It’s not Miami or Malibu, but this combination of sand, water, and mountains is uniquely Colorado.

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” — Psalm 139:17-18 (ESV).

Rocky Mountain National Park: Glacier Gorge

Cue all of the proverbs about rising early in the day–they all applied and made for a fantastic family hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.  With the park’s reservation system in place due to COVID, we tried in vain to get a coveted reservation at a later hour.  Since no reservation is needed between 5 pm and 6 am, we roused our crew early to pass through the gates at about 5:50 am.  Even though it was a weekday in the midst of a pandemic, there was no parking at the Glacier Gorge lot, so we continued on to Bear Lake.  This adds a half mile to each end of the hike, easy downhill to start and back uphill at the end.  But heading east and watching the sun rise during those first few minutes made us forget all about getting up early.

Pausing only briefly at Alberta Falls, which we’ve visited before, we continued on passing only a few other hikers.  By the time we reached Mills Lake, the sun was still hidden behind the mountains and we had the lake all to ourselves, save for two doe elk and their calves still with spots.  It is appropriate that this lake was named for the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park,” Enos Mills as it encompasses much of what makes the park so special.  It was magical and would have been a worthy destination all by itself.  But since time was on our side we continued on, stopping again briefly at Jewel Lake, and then continuing up the gorge toward Black Lake.

The trail was mostly a gentle incline, through forests, over huge rocks, through marshy glens, and along the rushing Glacier Creek, with its many waterfalls.  The last half mile up to Black Lake makes you earn each step, yet the elevation gain also fills you with anticipation that a remarkable sight awaits.  Scrambling over the final pitch to the lake, you find the reward for getting up early and hiking five plus miles up Glacier Gorge.  At about 10,600 feet in elevation, Black Lake is encircled by sheer walls which contribute to a stillness that perfectly reflects the surrounding peaks.  The view looking almost straight up at Longs Peak (14,259 ft.), Pagoda Mountain (13,393 ft.), Chief’s Head Peak (13,521 ft.), and McHenry’s Peak (13,242 ft.) is reserved for the few that make the trek this far.

Black Lake is definitely a worthy destination, and yet, two of our younger family members continued on around the lake and up beside a waterfall.  I followed after, initially wanting only to see what was on the other side of the lake, but eventually catching up to them and being rewarded with a view back down on Black Lake.  We found out later that we could have continued on to the more remote Frozen Lake, but didn’t want to further split up from our family hiking party.

Returning back down the gorge, we passed increasing numbers of hikers coming up until it became a steady stream of families on the short hike to Alberta Falls.  Glad to be ending our hike before noon on an unusually warm day for that elevation, we trudged back up the final half mile to our car at Bear Lake.  We had seen more beauty in those six hours than many people see in a year and felt more solitude than could be expected on such a popular trail in peak season.  The experience will refresh us for many days to come, long after the soreness of the 12 miles round trip leaves our legs.  Just another magnificent morning in Rocky Mountain National Park.

“Go into the Parks and get their encouragement. Among the serene and steadfast scenes you will find the paths of peace and a repose that is sweeter than sleep. If you are dulled and dazed with the fever and the fret, or weary and worn,–tottering under burdens too heavy to bear,–go back to the old outdoor home. Here Nature will care for you as a mother for a child. In the mellow-lighted forest aisles, beneath the beautiful airy arches of limbs and leaves, with the lichen-tinted columns of gray and brown, with the tongueless eloquence of the bearded, veteran trees, amid the silence of centuries, you will come into your own.” — Enos Mills

“I will I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys.  I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.  I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.  I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”  — Isaiah 41:18-20

Watrous Gulch

The Watrous Gulch trail shares a trailhead with the very popular Herman Gulch/Herman Lake trail, just off I-70 a few miles from the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel.  We barely found a parking spot arriving just after 8 am on a Saturday.  But after the Watrous Gulch trail forked to the right about 1/4 mile from the trailhead, we enjoyed relative solitude though we passed a few other hikers going up and coming down.  The trail parallels I-70 a bit longer, but once it turns north into the gulch it shares many of the same delights as the Herman Gulch trail except for the lake.

We followed the trail for about two miles and then turned back east up the slopes of Mt. Parnassus.  Our daughter wanted to climb a 13er as preparation for other 14er hikes this summer.  As for the two of us and Luna, we were content to stop at about 12,400 feet, eat our lunch and enjoy the view of Mt. Sniktau (13,240 ft.), Cupid Peak (13,117 ft.), and Torrey’s Peak (14,267 ft.).  After about an hour and a half of pure mountain bliss at treeline, our daughter rejoined us and we returned back to the busy trailhead.  While there’s nothing like standing on top of a mountain or seeing a glorious mountain lake, it was also nice to take our time and enjoy a more relaxed hike.

“Oh, these vast, calm, measureless mountain days, days in whose light everything seems equally divine, opening a thousand windows to show us, God.” — John Muir

Five Miles up Three Mile Creek

“The journey, not the destination matters.” — T.S. Eliot

After postponing this hike the week before due to rain, we arrived early the next week to a gorgeous Colorado bluebird day.  This time we were blessed to have both of our daughters home for a visit. With one married now and one soon to start military service we do not take lightly another opportunity to hike together again as a family.

The Three Mile Creek trail starts out by crossing a bridge over Geneva Creek and paralleling the Guanella Pass Road for a half mile before recrossing both the creek and the highway to join the namesake creek.  From that point on the trail crosses the creek no less than sixteen times in the next three miles over two-log bridges.  The sound of rushing water is constant, with every crossing revealing another bubbling cascade.  Not enough drop to be classified as waterfalls but lovely nevertheless.  Aspen trees proliferate here which explains the popularity of this trail in the Fall.  On this June day it provided a shady, peaceful, walk in the woods.

About a mile up the creek we passed under a huge rock which reminded us of the old Fanny Crosby hymn:  “He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock.”  I always note such places along a trail and have taken shelter more than once from rain or even hail.  Although it was not physically necessary on this day, the spiritual lesson was not lost amid all the stress of 2020.

Another mile brought us to a huge beaver dam and lodge.  I’ve seen some mammoth man-made dams crossing mighty rivers but the engineering of this humble structure was no less impressive than Hoover, Bonneville, or Wheeler.  Fresh aspen stumps nearby indicated that the work is ongoing, but the beavers must have been taking a day off.

After another mile, the trail leaves the creek and ascends steeply up to a shoulder of Mount Logan (12,868 ft), eventually joining the Rosalie trail.  As such, there is not really a single final destination to this hike.  We stopped about five miles in at 11,400 ft,  where the trail takes a sharp left turn to the north.  This allowed us a nice view of some thirteen thousand foot peaks to the west and South Park to the southwest.  If we did this trail again though, I would stop where the trail leaves the creek.  Three mile creek is the main attraction here.

As we returned back down along the creek I wondered how many wonderful trails I have bypassed in favor those that lead to specific destinations.  To be sure we have hiked to some spectacular destinations:  gushing waterfalls, tranquil alpine lakes, panoramic overlooks, and 14,000 foot peaks.  My wife has often said that we don’t always have to hike to a destination; we can just go for a hike.  I have usually been the one who wants to see what is at the end of the trail or the top of the mountain; she is often content just to be in the mountains for the day.  As is so often the case I now think she is right.  The journey is what matters, especially when you walk together with those you love.

St. Mary’s Glacier

Crowds, limited parking, short hike.  These factors kept us from visiting St. Mary’s Glacier for years in favor of less popular, more remote, and longer hikes.  We didn’t intend to visit on this day, planning a longer hike up Three Mile Creek on Guanella Pass.  After three months of staying close to home we were ready to get out in the wilderness.  But we arrived early on a Saturday to a empty parking lot at the Three Mile Creek trailhead in a steady rain.  After waiting for 30 minutes or so it became clear that the rain would not let up.

The skies looked lighter to the north so we headed that direction hoping to get in a hike somewhere.  The rain continued as we continued over the pass and turned back to the east on I-70.  We began to think that our outing would only involve a rainy drive through the mountains.  As we approached the Fall River Road exit though, the rain appeared to let up.  Maybe we could get in a short hike to St. Mary’s Glacier.  Maybe due to the rain it wouldn’t be that crowded.

We were right about the first assumption, wrong on the second as we took one of the last parking spots available and paid the $5 parking fee.  The rain held off as we joined the throngs headed up the wide trail, from families with young children in flat tennis shoes and sandals to mountaineers with skis strapped to backpacks, and everything in between.  The St. Mary’s Glacier trail is not long but it is rocky and fairly steep.  Starting out at over 10,000 feet, the unpredictable weather patterns of the mountains apply and I must say many of our fellow hikers were unprepared.  This is one of the reasons we had avoided this hike, but after three months without getting out the crowds were not as bothersome as they might have been.

Arriving at the lake we understood the popularity of this destination.  With the glacier as a backdrop, St. Mary’s Lake reminded us of lakes we had seen in the Canadian Rockies–and it was equally difficult to get a picture without other people in the background.  The overcast skies in our photos probably don’t do justice to the contrast of colors between lake, mountain, snow, and sky.  Even so the lake and glacier have a mystical quality about them, as if you have stepped another realm where summer does not exist.  We continued hiking up to the glacier where my daughter and I ventured up on the snow to get a view looking back at the lake.  Skiers and snowboarders in June further contributed to the sense that summer is very brief here if it exists at all.

The skies to the west darkened sending a message to the throngs of hikers, most of whom headed back down the trail at the same time, although there were still others just starting out on the hike.  The rain resumed just as we arrived back at the car and we headed back home thankful for the brief window to do the St. Mary’s Glacier hike.  It would be a great place to take guests from out of town, but we would return on a weekday to avoid the crowds next time.

Royal Gorge Railroad

My wife and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a ride on the Royal Gorge Railroad.  With reserved seats on the Vista Dome car we arrived early at the station for a late afternoon dinner on the train.

Seating is done in traditional railroad style, so we were seated with another couple on vacation from San Antonio.  Although this could have been awkward depending on the luck of the draw, Wes and Julie turned out to be delightful dinner companions, taking this picture and even buying a bottle of wine to help us celebrate.

The Vista Dome car was comfortable with fantastic views out the curved windows and the food and service was excellent.  The train moves at a leisurely 12 miles per hour so we enjoyed our meals and conversation as the canyon walls closed in around us.

The conductor occasionally pointed out natural and historical sites, including the old water pipe that was constructed to supply water to Canon City, and a group of mountain goats high up the canyon walls.  He also explained that while we would ordinarily see river rafters, the river was closed to commercial rafting due to dangerously high water conditions, flowing at 3,500 feet per second.

As we enjoyed our dinner, in what seemed like no time but was actually over an hour from boarding the train, we caught our first glimpse of the star attraction Royal Gorge Bridge.  Like other natural and man-made monuments, the towering scale of the span 1,053 feet above the river makes you feel small and the train like an HO model instead of the massive double-decker cars we climbed into at the station.

Shortly after passing under the bridge, the canyon narrows to 30 feet across and unbelievably, the hanging bridge built in 1879 is still in use.  The conductor had earlier pointed out an abandoned house that was slowly being overtaken by the canyon walls which he said are moving in approximately an inch per year.  If the same is true of this section the bridge would eventually be reclaimed by the canyon as well, but I suspect the volume of water flowing through will keep the passage open.

After making its way through the canyon the train stops in Parkdale, CO, and reverses course to make the return trip through the canyon.  We took the opportunity to venture out to the open car which provides a completely different experience from the Vista Dome.  Here the movement of the train and the fast flowing river is much more evident.  You can even feel spray from the river in some places and you get an unobstructed view of the canyon.  On the return trip the train stops on the hanging bridge, providing an excellent opportunity for taking pictures and a short video.

Arriving back at the station approximately two hours later, we received souvenir glasses that came with our pre-purchased meal and bought the picture that was taken by the photographer when we boarded the train.  For a special occasion, the Vista Dome car with a meal was the way to go.  However, to keep costs down for a family or just an ordinary sight-seeing trip, either the coach or club cars would be equally enjoyable and everyone can go out to the open car.  Some people even seemed to spend the whole trip out there.

Neither my wife nor I had ridden a train since we were kids, but now we are thinking about other train trips we could take together.  Bidding our dinner companions goodbye, we joked about meeting again to ride the train together in another 30 years.  The Royal Gorge Railroad provided a wonderful way to celebrate 30 years of journeying together in marriage by the grace of God.

“There are three things that are too hard for me,
    really four I don’t understand:
the way an eagle flies in the sky,
    the way a snake slides over a rock,
the way a ship sails on the sea,
    and the way a man and a woman fall in love.”  — Proverbs 30:18-20, NCV

May 21, My Backyard, Colorado

Dog-Friendly Cross-Country Skiing

Love dogs?  Love cross-country skiing?  Gold Run Nordic Center in Breckenridge, Colorado allows you to combine both.  For a Christmas present, my wife bought me a 2-for-1 Groupon to go cross-country skiing at a number of nordic centers in the area.  As I was researching them I discovered that Gold Run allows dogs on one of their trails.  Off we went on a recent Saturday with our faithful companion Luna to try it out.

We thought that we might need to keep Luna on a leash and had been warned when we checked in at the lodge that moose frequent the area so we should do off-leash at our own risk.  However, as we drove up to the parking area for the Gold Run trails, we saw several dogs off-leash as their owners geared up.  So after gearing up ourselves, we headed out after them.

Luna was in heaven, criss-crossing the trail and bounding through the deep snow on either side.  She stayed within our sight though, and we never saw a moose or any other animal, except one squirrel in a tree.  The only time she was tempted to chase anything was when one skier surprised her coming fast downhill around a corner.  But she quickly obeyed our commands and stayed out of his way.  Of course, she played with the other dogs briefly when we passed them and had to be encouraged to keep moving.  But overall she did remarkably well.

The Peabody Placer trail at Gold Run started out gently enough and we made good progress in the groomed track, although Luna had to dutifully wait for us to catch up with her when we whistled.  We passed the abandoned Jessie Mill and after a mile or so, the track ended as the trail steepened and we were forced to herringbone for a long distance.  This was quite a workout but the prospect of getting to ski back down it kept us going.  It occurred to us later that Luna might have been able to help pull us up the hill had we leashed her up.  She was having so much fun that we didn’t think of it at the time.

With much effort we crested a hill and took a turnoff to the Jumbo Overlook.  The view was of the Blue River valley and although there are better vantage points in the area, it was a good place to rest for a few minutes before turning around.   We also briefly checked out the old Preston Town Site with it’s ramshackle log cabin remains.

Then came the opportunity to ski back down what we had worked so hard to ascend.  The narrow, steep part of the trail was a bit harrowing on nordic skis as we snow-plowed to keep from going too fast on the turns.  But Luna loved running along side of us as we glided down the straightaways.  It certainly was easier coming down than going up.  As we descended to the gentle part of the trail we were better able to see views of the Ten Mile Range that we had missed in our diligent climb up.

As we approached the parking area the trail became more crowded and we were glad to have started relatively early, leaving Denver at 7:30 AM.  We took Highway 285 on the way up, which was longer but avoided I-70 westbound ski traffic.  After getting in a couple of good hours of skiing in we left at 12:30 PM, with smooth sailing on eastbound I-70 all the way home.  Luna crashed contentedly in the car and although it seemed like a short outing, we were more tired than we thought.  But the drive and the uphill effort was well-worth it for the joy of introducing Luna to cross-country skiing.