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- Colorado - Summer 2006 - |
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I (Neil) have been wanting to visit Colorado for years. We had originally planned the trip for 2003, but opted for New York because of Hannah's imminent arrival. So I sat back for a few more years before looking at the area again. We took this trip during June and were pleasantly surprised by how quiet the state was.
Colorado itself isn't the mountainous state that we are led to believe it is. East of Denver is high desert and exceedingly dry. There is a 300 mile strip of land that is a blend of Colorado and Nebraska that is a sort of no man's land... I renamed the area "Colobraska". Regardless of my comments here, Colorado is a uniquely beautiful state with varied topography and I did enjoy my time there. The major highlights of this trip were:
On the way home we also dropped by to see an old friend of my mine. Although he goes by Michael now and not Emi as I remember him. Emi, like me, has a wife and family now. Hannah and Chelsie got a long like they had also been friends for years. It was heart warming to see a pair of half breeds get along so well together. Emi has a great job... he gets to design many of the Coors advertisements that you see on bill boards and commercials. In fact, he showed us one design he did in which he got to choose the scantily clad female. Not bad for a lad from Silloth! When I left there, I realized that he is the only person I have kept in touch with from high school. ñ
The picture on the left shows a view from one of the smaller dunes found within the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Apparently, it's the only place in North America where both sand dunes and mountains can be observed in the same panorama. Hannah, Ellie, and I walked on the dunes for about two hours during mid-morning. By 11am the sand was so hot that you could barely stand on it... this was especially the case on the slopes that were hit by the rising sun. ñ
Ouray - Ouray, pronounced "U-ray", was by far the nicest area that we toured during our visit to Colorado. We spent three days at the KOA in Ouray and even had the pleasure of grass under our tent. Prior to arriving in Ouray we spent the afternoon in Telluride which is essentially a millionaire's playground. Telluride is home to the highest waterfall in Colorado, Bridal Veil Falls is 385ft high and is reached via a gravel road that may not be suitable for vehicles without high clearance. We hiked up to the falls after parking just beyond the mines, and it really didn't take us long to reach the beautiful falls.
Ouray also hosts the aquatic attraction of Ouray Hot Springs, and it is worth spending some time there to relax in its warm waters. Seven dollars will grant you entry for the entire day. Ouray also hosts plenty of hiking trails, and we will have to return to the area and explore some of the areas we didn't visit.
Our stay in Buena Vista was not exactly a fun one. The KOA advertised that the site was shaded by Pinion Pines. Pinion Pines are a desert tree... you have been warned. Our tents tie downs ripped in the heat and I realized that I need to spend a little more money on our next tent. I actually needed to pound the stakes into the ground! Hannah learned how to say "damn it" successfully as a result of my attempts to fix the tent!
Another spot we found to keep cool was the 12,126ft Cottonwood Pass. It was cold up there and very windy. A road takes you all the way to the top and provides a nice detour for a few hours. As with Ouray, Buena Vista also attracts off road driving enthusiasts. We were "disturbed" from our pre-bedtime reading to the sound of people cheering on a bloke who decided that he needed to cross a barricade of boulders in his extremely modified Jeep Wrangler. When I arrived he was hung up on some couch sized boulders... I guess his clearance wasn't quite good enough. He was freed from his predicament and tried it again. Alas, he became stuck again and was eventually freed with the use of a tractor! ñ
At this point in our Colorado trip we had been at an elevation of 5,200ft or more for two weeks. We had adjusted to the thin air and were happily hiking without panting like lovesick dogs. I had planned our trip to allow us to successfully adjust our bodies to the altitude. I'd also been watching the weather in the afternoon each day as huge thunderheads would build on the mountain tops, but never actually amounted to anything in the valley floor. Lightening strikes are one of the deadliest natural phenomena in this area of the country. This is especially the case if you are above the tree line. The last hike as a family on this road trip set off from the Bear Lake trailhead after getting on one of the National Park's "free" bus service from one of the lower parking lots. Bear Lake is a popular spot for all tourists regardless of whether you are a seasoned hiker or a fat bloke wanting to see mountainous vistas and glacier fed lakes. We headed off up the trail toward Dream Lake with a quantity of other folks who were also enjoying a nice walk in the mountains. But by the spur heading to Lake Haiyaha the crowds had all but dissipated. The rest of the hike was relatively quiet until we dropped down onto the traverse Glacier Creek and things become a bit busy. People who have hiked up to Alberta Falls continue on up the trail toward Glacier Falls even though the path is steep and loose in places. When we reached Alberta Falls, we were definitely not alone. People from all walks of life had gathered, and it was impossible to experience the beauty of the area. So, after a brief rest, we walked on back down to the Glacier Gorge junction pick up point. The bus took us back down to the car and we spent the rest of the day in Estes Park. On the last day of our stay in Colorado, I walked to the summit of Hallett Peak (N40 18.183' W105 41.155) from the trailhead at Bear Lake. It is a ten mile round trip with an elevation gain of 3000ft. It is an easy walk up the switchbacks and is not technically difficult. If you plan on getting on the trail early you will be surprised at how quiet the hike is. It took me two and one half hours to reach the summit of Hallett, and I was the first person on the summit. The last section of the climb is on a loose rock, but is short lived before popping out directly onto the summit. The views were mine for about 15 minutes before other early starters joined me. The picture below shows me on the summit. This summit, at 12,713ft, was a high point in my walking. I was back down at the trailhead by 1pm. The next big one will need to be a 13-14 thousand foot peak. Montana here we come! ñ
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Links: Kampgrounds of America (Colorado), Denver Downtown Aquarium, Denver Zoo, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, & Ouray. |
We traveled 3,839 miles during the two and a half
weeks that we were gone. The bulk of the traveling was at the
beginning and end of the trip. Driving across Iowa and Nebraska
was miserable. Although, Iowa looked pretty nice on the return as
it was clearly greener than its neighbor to the west. It continues
to amaze me that small town America always has something to boast
about. One town boasted the longest barf while another boasted the
noisiest sneeze (okay, so those examples are a stretch). However,
the residents of each town are proud of their town's history, and it was
clear to us that pride is what keeps these towns going.
Alamosa
Cortez
A
nice hike at Mesa Verde National Park involves following a trail on the
mesa above the Spruce Tree House site. This can be followed for
over a mile before it turns and descends the canyon wall to a path that
skirts the edge of the canyon. Soon after dropping down into the
canyon you arrive at petroglyphs that are over 700 years old (pretty old
for America!). The trail eventually pops out, after approximately
3 miles, near the Spruce Tree House site. This site is self guided
which was good when you are traveling with a two year old. Hannah
struggled with the guided tours because she didn't want to listen to the
historical stuff. You can even descend and ascend out of a kiva
and therefore experience rebirth into the world. 
Buena Vista
However,
on the second day things did begin to pick up when we took a hike in the
Collegiate range of mountains to the west of the town. We walked
the Wagon Trail Loop and found respite from the day's heat. The
flanks of the mountains are cooler and are blessed with a breeze.
You can actually walk beyond the Wagon Trail Loop up a connecting trail
that takes you to a beautiful waterfall (maybe this was the vista!).
Estes Park