Colorado north to south through the mountains

After getting up and enjoying the sun rising over the ski slopes at Steamboat Springs we went on a drive to Falls Creek falls. Such a beautiful falls. 160’ high with 40’ of free fall.

And then we were off to south Colorado. The drive was mainly through high valleys (8000’+) between non-rugged mountains. The tree line here is very strange – it has both a bottom and a top. So you have scrub running across and up the sides of the valley then mixed evergreens and aspen and then barren rock. The colors are great. We crossed 3 major rivers: the Colorado, the Arkansas and the Rio Grande, and 4 major economic zones: ranching north of I-70, separating skiers from their money along I-70, mining and then ranching again south of I-70.

After crossing I-70 the mountains became more rugged and we crossed the continental divide again (west to east) at Tennessee Pass. On our way up to Tennessee Pass we went by a large mine that appeared to be deserted followed almost immediately by an abandoned town hanging on the edge of nowhere. We went over the Eagle River bridge which, except for the surrounding mountains, the road and railroad running under it, could have been anywhere along the Oregon coast. It was built in 1933. Then down (if you can call 9200’ down) into the Eagle River Valley where we found Camp Hale. Camp Hale was built over the summer of 1942 to house and train the 10th Mountain Division in skiing, snowshoeing and sleeping out in the snow without cover. For those interested in such things, the 10th Mountain started as the 87th Mountain Infantry at Ft. Lewis and trained on Mt. Rainier.

Our next stop was Leadville. I am not sure what to say about Leadville. The architecture was very interesting. It is like a place frozen in time. Main street and most of the houses in town date from the late 1800’s and have been refurbished to look really good. But all the tourist kitsch along the main street and, to my Western Washington tuned eye, barrenness of both the surroundings and lots around the houses (a lawnmower salesman would go broke overnight) left me with a totally empty feeling. Perhaps you should come see for yourself.

As we came down (again, a relative term) out of the mountains we came across what I can only describe as trailer trash city. The landscape was studded with trailers which, except for the obvious signs of life, you would swear had been abandoned for at least a decade. They were surrounded by . . . . .what to call it . . . .TRASH. Broken things large and small. I have never seen anything like it and I have seen some truly bad stuff. Dave thought it looked like where they had the big fight with the aliens in Independence Day, I thought the movie didn’t even hold a candle to this place.

We didn’t have any new live animals to add to our list but there were lots and lots of antelope in the late afternoon in the cattle pastures.

Park mammal count: 11 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, red squirrel, prairie dog, rabbit, buffalo, elk, red squirrel aka chickaree, pika, golden-mantled ground squirrel, least chipmunk
Trip mammal count: 17 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit, mule deer, red squirrel aka chickaree, prairie dog, buffalo, ground squirrel, Abert’s squirrel, elk, pika, golden-mantled ground squirrel, least chipmunk, deer mouse
Dollars saved on this trip with Park Pass: $87.00

Rocky Mountain National Park and beyond

Views from Old Fall River Road


Grand Lake and our $30 condo



We decided to come across the Rockies on a different road, though still in the Park. We took the Old Fall River Road from the east side of the park to where it connects with the Trail Ridge Road at Fall River Pass. The Old Fall River Road is the original road across the Park and was built in the early 20’s. After digging it out and cleaning up the avalanches they decided they needed a different path so they built the Trail Ridge Road which follows the trail the Utes used to get across the mountains. Need I comment on the lunacy of building a road full of switchbacks up the side of vertical mountains when right next door is a path that has been used for hundreds if not thousands of years? All that aside the Old Fall River Road was a delight. Although not paved it is not very rutty and the surface is packed rather than gravel. It is a one way road with a 15 mph speed limit and no one on it is trying to make time. Other than the switchbacks used to gain elevation it follows the Fall River which tumbles and falls from the pass to the valley floor where it becomes a marsh before returning to its identity as a river. It was a very low wildlife day. We did get to add deer mouse to our mammal list – not because we saw one but because we were able to identify one that we saw the day before – and we got to see a nice beaver dam – not as good as seeing the beaver but beggars can’t be choosers.

We followed Trail Ridge Road down the west side of the mountains and picked up the headwaters of the Colorado River. After a wonderful ice cream stop at Grand Lake we followed the Colorado west to the junction with Hwy 40. At that point we decided that since we weren’t in a giant rush, the weather is fabulous and distances aren’t as great as we thought, we would see what Steamboat Springs is all about. As skiers we have heard about it forever and wanted to see for ourselves. Of course there is no skiing going on right now but . . . . . We found the library in Kremmling (with some help from the Chamber of Commerce) and used their wifi to check and see if Worldmark had a condo open for last night. They did (for about $30) and off we went to Steamboat Springs. It is beautiful. Not high rugged mountains like the park but since we are in the middle of northern Colorado everything is high. The aspen are turning and mixed in with the pines and alpine fir it is beautiful. Another place to return to.

Four trivia items for today:
1) Did you know that most libraries have wifi so if you are traveling with your computer you can find the library and log in.
2) How does water from the Colorado River flow into the Atlantic Ocean, especially with the continental divide in the way? They built a tunnel from Grand Lake (at the southest westest corner of Rocky Mountain Park) to Estes Park (near the north east corner of the Park) to feed the reservoirs near Denver.
3) Those wire boxes of rocks they use to shore up roads are called “Gabion”s.
4) The stunted shrub like trees up in the alpine areas are called “Krummholz”.

Park mammal count: 11 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, red squirrel, prairie dog, rabbit, buffalo, elk, red squirrel aka chickaree, pika, golden-mantled ground squirrel, least chipmunk
Trip mammal count: 17 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit, mule deer, red squirrel aka chickaree, prairie dog, buffalo, ground squirrel, Abert’s squirrel, elk, pika, golden-mantled ground squirrel, least chipmunk, deer mouse
Dollars saved on this trip with Park Pass: $82.00

Rocky Mountain National Park

Bear Lake


Trail Ridge Road


Animals in the Park


What a beautiful park! Have I said that before? The mountains are spectacular, the colors outstanding and we are seeing lots of wildlife. On our way into the park a black Abert’s squirrel (the kind with ear tufts) was in the road in front of us. And he was BLACK. Bear was feeling a little under the weather today so we did shorter, flatter hikes than we might have otherwise. We drove on the Trail Ridge Road which goes across the park from east to west along the top of the ridgeline. The road is over 12,000 feet high for the middle section. I guess that takes the punch out of me saying I hiked to the top of a 12,400 foot ridge. (That is higher than Mt. Adams) We saw three separate groups of elk.


Park mammal count: 11 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, red squirrel, prairie dog, rabbit, buffalo, elk, red squirrel aka chickaree, pika, golden-mantled ground squirrel, least chipmunk
Trip mammal count: 16 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit, mule deer, red squirrel aka chickaree, prairie dog, buffalo, ground squirrel, Abert’s squirrel, elk, pika, golden-mantled ground squirrel, least chipmunk
Dollars saved on this trip with Park Pass: $82.00

Travels across Nebraska

We made a semi-bomb run north to south across Nebraska on our way to Colorado. Much to our surprise we ran into several interesting sights.

In southern South Dakota we found ourselves driving through the edge of Wind Cave National Park. While the cave is underground the surface is a wildlife preserve where we saw buffalo roaming about. They were not worried about the cars going through on the highway but just “buffaloed” their way across the road. The rolling prairie in the park was beautiful. The grasses are starting to change colors so there were bands of red, gold and green. And then when you throw in the aspen turning gold. . . . .

Our next “stumble across” was Fort Robinson State Park in Nebraska. It is the largest state park in Nebraska and the scenery has beautiful sandstone bluffs. Fort Robinson was a cavalry fort and was home to the Buffalo Soldiers (black cavalry soldiers). Crazy Horse died here. The official story is that he was killed while trying to escape but the Sioux claim he was killed in his cell. It was in use as an Army base until after WW II. During WW II there was a German prisoner of war camp there. The parade grounds were beautiful and the buildings are now available to rent for retreats and the like. (Another reason to stop here is because my maiden name is Robinson.)

Then we stumbled over Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. No, the fossils there are not contained in agates. That was what we thought also. The fossil beds are located on Agate Creek. This is the site of one of the most important fossil beds in the US and is still being worked on. Also contained in the Visitors Center is a collection of Sioux artifacts. James H. Cook, who owned the ranch on which the fossils were found, was a great friend of Chief Red Cloud and received many gifts from him.

Our last stumble was over Scott’s Bluff on the North Platte River. It was a major landmark and resting place on the Oregon, California, Mormon and Pony Express Trails.


Park mammal count: 8 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, red squirrel, prairie dog, rabbit, buffalo
Trip mammal count: 11 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit, mule deer, red squirrel, prairie dog, buffalo, ground squirrel

Dollars saved on this trip with Park Pass: $62.00

Mount Rushmore

What a glorious sight! They have done a wonderful job of setting the monument up to help you focus on the carvings from the moment you enter. What is to say – 4 of my favorite presidents memorialized in the top of a mountain. You can see pictures of it from now until forever but it isn’t the same as being there.

Mt. Rushmore is in the Black Hills, which I must say are green, not black. They are rolling hills covered in pine forests right until you get close to Mt. Rushmore and then they become granite pillars. In the 20’s they imported some mountain goats to hang out in the rocks. There is at least one who has decided that hanging out in the parking lot provides for better, easier foraging.

Park mammal count: 7 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, red squirrel, prairie dog, rabbit
Trip mammal count: 10 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit, mule deer, red squirrel, prairie dog

Dollars saved on this trip with Park Pass: $52.00

Devil's Tower

We got ready for this sight by watching “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” the night before. We were worried about not being able to see it well on my 14” computer monitor until we remembered our much loved Sony Trinaton TV with the 13” screen. We used to watch it from across the room. Hard to believe since we now have a 42”.

What a cool thing! Just standing up out of the middle of nowhere. We took the 1 ½ mile walk around the base and enjoyed watching all the climbers. They were everywhere. We added to our mammal count a red squirrel who was flitting all over the place. He was so light on his feet – even more so than the squirrels at home. The Tower is made of columnar rock (we thought maybe basalt but they called it something different) that was formed by magma making a bolt for freedom through other rock which is why it stands by itself unlike the columnar basalt in Eastern Washington where it makes walls.

We had lunch in a prairie dog village at the base of the Tower. The little tykes were everywhere and totally fearless. The signs all say not to feed them but based on the way they came running whenever a car stopped I think some visitors must belong to the 20% of the population that is illiterate. They were so cute and fat. Woe to the prairie dog that encroached upon a neighbor’s begging area.

Park mammal count: 7 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, red squirrel, prairie dog, rabbit
Trip mammal count: 10 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit, mule deer, red squirrel, prairie dog

Dollars saved on this trip with Park Pass: $52.00

Little Big Horn Battlefield - Custer's Last Stand

This afternoon we visited the Little Big Horn Battlefield where Lt.Col. George Custer’s soldiers were wiped out by Indians who were not interested in living on a reservation. It is a beautiful place for so many to die. There are markers where each of the soldiers fell and they are currently putting up markers where each of the Indians who died fell.

I’m glad we came although I can’t really explain why. There don’t appear to be many really good or really bad players in the story. The Indians may have won the day but they definitely lost the war. Custer’s actions don’t seem to make a lot of sense but since he died there no one will ever know what he was thinking. And the soldiers who died were, like all soldiers, following the orders of those in command.


Park mammal count: 4 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat
Trip mammal count: 8 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit, mule deer

Dollars saved on this trip with Park Pass: $42.00

Pompey's Pillar

What is Pompey’s Pillar you might ask – I did. It is a bluff on the Yellowstone River a little east of Billings, MT. Capt. Wm. Clark, of Lewis & Clark fame, explored the Yellowstone River on his way back to St. Louis. Capt. Meriwether Lewis was busy looking for a more northern pass across the Rockies and running into Blackfeet Indians. Anyway, Clark saw this pillar of stone alongside the river and decided to climb it and see what he could see. He could see a long way in every direction. While he was climbing he decided that since the Indians had already defaced the rock with drawings, paintings and such that he should put his name on it also. It is the only permanent marker of Lewis & Clark’s trip. Oh yes, and why did Clark call it Pompey’s Pillar? He named it for Sacagawea’s son whose nickname was Pompe.

Park mammal count: 4 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat
Trip mammal count: 7 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, rabbit

Dollars saved with Park Pass: $32.00 ($25 @ Glacier, $7 @ Pompey’s Pillar)

Housekeeping

A couple of random things I want to cover.

Do you love the slide shows in my blog? I can put in so many more pictures! Thanks to Chalupa for giving me a step by step tutorial on how to create them. And to Bear for troubleshooting the inaugural posting.

As a celebration for our trip I got Bear the new CD by Jerry Lee Lewis Mean Old Man. It is fabulous. He is doing duets (and trios) with lots of fun folks. If you like rock and/or country, give it a try.

This is our inaugural trip with the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass. What a deal! It makes getting old almost worth it. For a one time fee of $10.00 it grants you admission to all sites run by the National Park Service and to many other federal sites like those run by BLM for the rest of your life! And if that isn’t enough, it is a trailhead parking pass for the National Forests. We are keeping track of our savings on this trip. So far we are up to $42.00 - $25 for Glacier Park, $7 for Pompey’s Pillar and $10 for Little Big Horn Battlefield. If you know anyone 62 or older who doesn’t yet have a pass let them know what a great deal it is.

Glacier Park - the east/eventful side

The Going To The Sun Road was closed part way up the west side because of some construction they are trying to squeeze in before the snow hits hard (They had better hurry up because some fell on Tuesday) so we drove around the Park to come in from the east side. It is a beautiful drive even if not actually through the park. The aspen stands were fantastic, especially when surrounded by the dark evergreens. When we got to the Visitor Center at St. Mary (the east end of the Going To The Sun Road)the sun was shining. We found out that the road was closed right before Logan Pass because of snow but that they expected it to be cleared by 1:00. So we lunched at Sun Point and enjoyed the fabulous views up and down St. Mary Lake. We took a short hike to another beautiful falls and then up the road to the pass.
The mountains were all out and it was even warm in the sun. We hiked along the Highline Trail which is cut into the wall above the Road on the west side of the pass. Did I say “above”? I meant “overhanging”! Part of the trail is a narrow catwalk literally cut into the rock wall. Fun!
Our next and final stop in the Park was at Many Glaciers. Seems like a cutesy name until you see it – there ARE many glaciers visible from the deck at the lodge. The lodge had just closed but the mountains and lake were still there for us to see. On the hillside we saw more big horn sheep and some mountain goats.
Park mammal count: 4 – deer, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat
Trip mammal count: 5 - deer, moose, chipmunk, big horn sheep, mountain goat

Glacier Park - the west/wet side

Lake MacDonald Lodge

Hike to Avalanche Lake

Waterfalls on the MacDonald River

We arrived at the Lake MacDonald Lodge in the rain. I was disappointed because I wanted Bear to see the mountains for his first trip to this glorious park. Instead we had to satisfy ourselves with the wonderful colors of the trees and waterfalls everywhere. Up as high as we could see (which did occasionally include the top of a mountain) all the way down to Lake MacDonald. We went for a hike in the not-yet-rain to Avalanche Falls. The access is by way of the Trail of the Cedars, a level boardwalk less than a mile long and a definite must see for everyone who comes this way. At the falls we left the boardwalk and hiked another two miles up to Avalanche Lake. Along the way we passed wonderful places to look down on the gorge for Avalanche Falls before turning into the forest and the rain. I confess to wondering if the whole thing was worth it – uphill and in the rain. It was! Avalanche Lake is one of those alpine lakes surrounded by mountains and this one had at least 4 visible waterfalls .
On the way back to the Lodge (wet, cold, hungry and tired) the rain had stopped so we pulled over at each overlook on the way. They all turned out to be waterfalls on the MacDonald River. They were fabulous and I had a nice chat with some folks from Western North Carolina – where my Dad was raised. One of the best parts of the National Parks is meeting all the people who have come here from around the world. We had dinner in the bar at the Lodge and met some interesting folks from near Manchester, England. He is a retired physics teacher and they came here to see Glacier and Yellowstone and were having a wonderful time.

Park mammal count: 2 – deer, chipmunk
Trip mammal count: 3 confirmed - deer, moose, chipmunk
Bear thinks that whatever the owl was eating doesn’t count.

Running from the rain

We left Seattle in the middle of a rain storm. “Well, duh” many of you might say. But this wasn’t just the typical misting Seattle rain. There was a lot more going on, and then off, and then back on again – all in the space of 2 miles (we’re on the road, remember). Which leads me to one of my favorite rants – tires that remove the water from beneath them and throw it up onto the windshield of the car next to them so that driver can’t see the road or the traffic in front of him. What are those tire engineers thinking? Or a better question – Are those tire engineers thinking? Sure the first car is safer – more rubber in contact with the road – but everyone behind or beside him is driving in fog and can’t see a bloody thing regardless of how much rubber they have on the road. OK, OK rant over.
The fall colors are just starting. The mountains are at the stage where the brush is turning glorious shades of yellow, red and everything in between yet all the evergreens are vibrant green. (It helped that the air was clean – see paragraph 1) It was a beautiful drive over the mountains. Even Eastern Washington was beautiful. When I was young and we lived in Spokane I thought the trip from Seattle to Spokane was, perhaps, the most boring trip in the world – dull, dull, dull with nothing to see. Fortunately as I have grown older my vision has changed and on this trip I was enthralled with the differing landscapes across my state. Mountains, scab lands (now with wind turbines), farms, rolling wheat ranches, pine forests. My internal vision has improved even as my external near vision gets worse.
We spent the night in Bonners Ferry Idaho in a B&B in a 1912 schoolhouse. At dusk we drove through the Koontnai WildLife Refuge. We saw two deer, a moose, a bunch or two of ducks and a large owl who had caught something in the road right in front of us and wasn’t about to give it up just to get out of our way.
Trip mammal count: 2 confirmed - deer, moose
1 possible – whatever the owl was eating