Colorado Tour Guide

Tobey and I don’t always travel together. Last week two of my dearest friends came from Iowa to Colorado for their vacation and I got to play tour guide. We had a blast!  

After picking them up at the Denver Airport at 7:30 a.m. (I didn’t know there was a 7:30 a.m.!!) we stopped for breakfast then headed west on I-70. The goal: drive up Mount Evans on the highest paved road in the United States. You turn off I-70 at Idaho Springs onto Hwy 103 (elevation 8,700 feet) and climb to 14,240 feet at the summit. WOW! It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do with women accustomed to living at 971 feet. All of us actually experienced the high-altitude distress symptom of headaches, and they did have a little nausea – but we all decided it was worth it! We hiked around Echo Lake, drove the narrow roadway to Summit Lake with a stop at the Mount Goliath Natural Area on our way to the Summit and the Crest House.

When we arrived at the parking lot it was sprinkling and the wind chill was incredible. I’ve lived in Colorado for 30 years and this was my first trip up Mount Evans. We did not climb the last trail to the summit because of the weather (and headaches), but that gives me a reason to go back!

On the drive back down we were lucky enough to come across a small group of mountain goats  - conveniently grazing in an area where there was actually room to park along the road!

 

 

We also drove through clouds, hail, a downpour, and the sky was so dark we thought it was night!  

If you are planning a trip to Mount Evans, you might check out this website: http://www.mountevans.com/MountEvansCom/Mount-Evans-About.HTML

We took one day to drive up the Poudre Canyon, sit by the river, and watch rafters bouncing along in the record high chilly water. Another day took us back up the Poudre to hike at Gateway Natural Area. What a great park – and again, I had never been there! We took Penny; made sure she was wearing her harness, and let her chase sticks and play in the water. I only had to reel her in a couple times when she got too far out into the water!  

Everyone’s favorite part of the week was the 3 days we spent at Rocky Mountain National Park. We rented a 2-room, 3-queen bedded room along Fall River just 1-1/2 miles outside of Estes Park. It was wonderful to sleep with the patio sliding door open letting the river sounds lull us to sleep and cool our room. There was a nice hot tub and BBQ grills available, too.  

No trip to RMNP is complete without a drive to Bear Lake and a hike around the lake. In the past we have hiked to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes, but decided to drive Trail Ridge Road instead. Our favorite drive to the Alpine Visitors Center along Old Fall River Road was closed due to snow – they had over 247 inches this year and they have not gotten it plowed out yet! We took the main Trail Ridge Rd up and back stopping at several overlooks and taking loads of pictures. We were lucky enough to spot a herd of elk near the road and got a picture of a 6-point buck.

 

The wildflowers were blooming everywhere and weather was grand.

 

 

 

We did hike the Calypso Cascades trail off of Hwy. 7 south of Long’s Peak. What a great 4-mile hike!

 

 

 

 

Calypso Cascades–Rocky Mountain National Park

On our last day, we drove to the Alluvial Fan area near the Fall River Visitor Center entrance to the park. It was the anniversary of the 1982 Lawn Lake dam flood that resulted in three deaths and flooding the town of Estes Park with 6 feet of water and mud! 

One of the saddest things about visiting Rocky Mountain National Park is observing the devastation created by the pine bark beetle infestation and kill. There are so many brown, dying trees in the park – more than 65% of the park has been affected so far! Efforts are being made to mitigate the situation, but it is very expensive and there are so many areas of the park that are not accessible. My recommendation is you visit the park as soon as possible and enjoy the sights!

All good things must come to an end, so Tobey and I drove the girls back to the airport on Sunday for their flight back to Des Moines. There is something special about time spent with good friends and I look forward to our next trip together!