August 2001 |
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Echo Basin, Dude Ranch - Resort & RV Park - has a restaurant, bar, heated swimming pool and horseback riding, and is situated well off the main road making it a nice peaceful location. Just 25 miles from Durango and 10 miles from Mesa Verde National Park, the two places at the top of our visit list. At the time of our visit, a large family re-union, of people mainly from Texas and New Mexico, was taking place. Our immediate neighbours arrived with a small travel trailer, (about the same size as the one we left at home). We watched in awe as they built an outdoor kitchen under canvas, with a place for everything, including the kitchen sink. The wife created all types of home cooking for a multitude of people throughout their stay. One day while Wullie was outside her husband brought across a sample of the Navaho bread she was cooking - it was very tasty indeed (so tasty you could tell it was extremely fattening!). He told Wullie that he had worked (as the Postmaster) and lived on a Navajo reservation for 30 years, and his wife Mary was a Navajo. They have been retired for four enjoyable years and now live in New Mexico. A lot of their time is spent touring in their trailer, but they also travel using a wagon and mules. We were shown a picture of them touring Canyon de Chelly in their wagon. Very interesting people - wish we had spoken to them before, as meeting people like this adds a certain something to our trip.
Kay & John Parry joined us on the Saturday evening after spending a couple of days driving some of the scenic byways of Colorado, and visiting New Mexico to obtain photographs of the Cumbres & Toltec steam train. They even had the good fortune to see a black bear by the side of the road but by the time they stopped it had finished off the flowers it was eating and was heading for pastures new.
Durango to Silverton Historic Steam Train -
This narrow gauge track from Durango to Silverton was completed in July 1882 and began hauling both freight and passengers. The line was originally constructed to haul silver & gold ore from the San Juan Mountains. This nostalgic train journey has outstanding scenery throughout this 2 1/2 hour trip, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in Colorado. The view from the right hand side (when looking forward) has much better views on the outward journey. We booked our tickets in January, which turned out to be a wise move as we had (as far as we were concerned), the best seats (or standing place) on the train. For the entire trip to Silverton we had superb views as the track retained it's tenuous hold on the mountainside. We looked deep into the canyon that had been created by the force of the Aminas River, and several 13,000+ peaks loomed above us before our arrival in Silverton. 
Four trains run daily from Durango, so with two trains in before us Silverton was already very busy. When we arrived in Silverton we left the crowds at the station, and headed for the Handlebars Brewpub, (Wullie's suggestion) for lunch and a sample of their local brew. Unknown to us this was the most popular eating/drinking place in Silverton, so a 30 minute lineup for a table was in operation. Kay and Linda decided to join the queue and the men said they were going back to take more photo's of the steam engine before it departed. They somehow found their way into another bar en route and by the time they joined us we were seated and ready to order.
After a very enjoyable meal we had just enough time to call in a few shops before making our way back to the station. It rained for some of our homeward journey, but as the side we were now on was the less scenic we didn't mind (It is possible to travel up to Silverton on the train & return by coach. This could be a better option as the Durango to Silverton road is very scenic indeed).
We finished the day with a visit to the Steamworks Brewpub in Durango to sample their brews and more importantly partake of a Pizza (and more brews) before returning to the RV. We all retired early after a very hectic and exciting day. A highly recommended trip. (Photo taken from our open carriage)
Mesa Verde National Park -
This National Park is very different from any of the others we have visited. The Pueblo history is the main theme, with numerous well preserved cliff dwellings dating between 600 and 1300 AD, accompanied by a wonderful scenic drive. With so much history to be preserved the main sites can only be explored with a guided tour. By the time we arrived at the visitor centre there was already a long queue for tours, with the earliest tours of our chioce being 3.0 p.m. As it was now nearing lunch time we headed for Park Point where we found one of the few sheltered picnic tables that had just been vacated by a park ranger. Out came the table cloth, food, wine, and John's stove for his daily brew of tea.
Once refreshed we still had time so see some of the other tourist attractions before heading for our chosen cliff dwellings.
With four of us we decided to split up so we could do both Cliff Palace and Balcony House. John & Linda chose the Balcony House cliff dwelling (see photo) which is perched 700 feet above the floor of Soda Canyon and entails ascending a 32 foot ladder up to the cliff dwelling then a crawl on hands and knees through a 18" high tunnel. Kay & Wullie chose the Cliff Palace, which is the larger of the two dwellings but only has a 75 foot ascent. We all found the one hour tours very interesting and worth while. The guide on the Cliff Palace tour (John Bruce, a retired science teacher) was excellent and related much of the factual information with a sense of humour that made the facts stick in your mind. The usual afternoon thunderstorms were imminent (later than usual), so we completed the short Soda Canyon Overlook trail where we looked across the canyon to Balcony House which is nestled in the cliff, then drove the Mesa Top Sites stopping at as many historic sites as possible before the heavy rain terminated our tour. We called into Far View Lodge on the way out of the park for a "Patch" for Linda's collection. Fire fighters had located a couple of fires in the distance that had been caused by lightning and were monitoring their progress. (Photo - Balcony House).
The following day our visitors continued on their way to Utah, Arizona and finally San Francisco where they took the train across country to New York. After two days of disappointing weather we moved on to Ouray.
Mancos to Ouray via Placerville
The most direct way to Ouray is through Durango, Silverton, then over the 'Million Dollar Highway', which is a mere 90 miles. Unfortunately that way is not recommended for RV's, so we had to go via Dolores and Placerville - 145 miles. The last time we took this route was when we moved from Priest Gulch to Aspen and we encountered a lot of road works. This time it was land slides around the Telluride area, caused by days of torrential rain. Two days before our journey a news program advised that the road was closed while they cleared mud from it. This was still evident during our journey, as the water was still bringing down mud as it cascaded down the gullies and onto the road. Workers were doing all they could to keep the road open and we were pleased to get through.
Ouray - Known locally as the Switzerland of America, Ouray is a small, beautiful & popular town nestled amongst 13,000 ft.+ mountain peaks and named for a famous Ute chief.
For centuries the Tabeguache Ute Indians settled in this idyllic setting during the warm months, as hunting was good and the natural hot springs a welcome place to relax. Today these springs are still an important part of the town, and extremely popular.
In 1875 a big change came to this, and other nearby areas - gold and silver was discovered. Miners came from everywhere to stake their claims. Numerous mountain roads that lead to old mine workings remain as evidence of that period. These very rough roads cutting through canyons and over passes offer spectacular scenery and are a very big tourist attraction. There are many Jeep rental business in the area and tourists rush around in these 4x4 vehicles (We must have a go!).
The 23 mile drive on US 550 between Ouray and Silverton is aptly named 'The Million Dollar Highway', as it has million dollar scenery all the way. In places it's quite narrow with sharp bends, no barriers between the road and the canyon with the high point at Red Mountain Pass, 11,008 ft.
We have an action packed week planned for our stay here:
Bear Creek Trail - With all the historic mines around Ouray, we just had to do this trail that has been designated a 'National Recreation Trail'. This rugged trail leads to two disused mines alongside Bear Creek. The steep trail was cut from the rock by miners in the 1870's, and in places it's only wide enough for one person as it creeps around the rock face with a deep drop into the gorge, created by the continuous flow of Bear Creek. The first mine on this trail is Grizzly Mine, where disused mine workings lie along the path, and some of the scaffolding by the creek is still in place. The trail got easier as we continued to Yellow Jacket mine at 11,200 ft. Old machinery is strewn near to a hut that is now occupied by two bed frames, one with a mattress that didn't look very appealing even to a weary traveler. Today's lunch spot looked over the Mount Sneffels Wilderness, Mount Sneffels at 14,150 ft., & a few 13,000+ peaks. We started heading downward as light fluffy clouds started to appear over the peaks, but this time the rain did not arrive until the evening.
Wetterhorn Basin, Uncompahgre/Big Blue Wilderness -
The 15 mile drive on forest roads was no hardship as the views took our mind of the rough parts in the road. However as we neared the trailhead the road deteriorated to such an extent that we thought it best to park the truck and walk the final mile to the trailhead.
This 9 mile hike had everything that makes for a perfect day out. Wonderful views, a magnificent array of wild flowers, with the multitudes of various hues of paintbrush coming out top once again. As we reached the summit, at an unnamed pass, the wind was quite chilling so we looked around for a place to shelter. A marmot popped up to greet us then scurried under a very large rock. We followed the Marmot's lead (he had local knowledge) and and used his large rock to shelter from the wind while eating lunch. Although the clouds had started to roll in the 360 degree views were breathtaking. Coxcomb Peak - 13,856 ft. loomed above us, and we looked down the Cow Creek drainage across to Wetterhorn Pk. 14,015ft. and the other lesser peaks within the wilderness area. Each of the mountains lining the route of this hike in the Uncompahgre/Big Blue Wilderness is a different shape than its neighbours making for easier identification and more interesting views. With the wind getting stronger and the clouds getting darker, it was time to terminate the lunch break and make our slow decent back to the truck. The rain stayed at bay until the last mile when it seemed sensible to break out the waterproofs.
This was another exceptional hike 95% above treeline. With the great views, different shaped mountain tops and a terrific array of wild flowers it must be added to our list of favorite hikes in Colorado.
4X4 Jeep Adventures - It was now time to pick up the Jeep - we were like a couple of kids going on a BIG adventure.
The charge should have been $330 for the three days, but we talked them into giving us pensioners a 10% reduction. They also held $500 deposit for any damage that may happen. (Once we started driving these roads, we reckon a lot of damage could occur).
With Wullie behind the wheel our first trip was to Telluride, via the 13,114 ft. Imogen Pass. This turned out to be the roughest road and wettest conditions we were to encounter over the next three days. The first few miles were supposed to be suitable for a high clearance vehicle, huh! not likely!. It was similar to the Bear Creek Trail we had hiked a couple of days earlier, just as rough and rugged, wide enough for one vehicle, with a little room to spare, and a sheer drop into the deep gorge. We climbed over large rocks, through deep ruts, across creeks 12 to 24 inches deep and wondered at what angle a 4X4 Jeep would overturn? thankfully we never found out. We wondered if the surface would deteriorate further. We were soon to find out as on occasions Linda had to get out of the Jeep on the top of an upslope just to determine the direction the track? took on the downslope. As we ascended the cloud got thicker and the visibility worsened, which was a pity not only because of the wonderful scenery which was obscured but also the abundance of wild flowers glimpsed alongside the track. As we approached the summit we were stopped by some young guys who had set out to do this drive in a high clearance Suburban. The road had taken its toll and it was leaking transmission fluid. Like the other people who had stopped to help we had no spare supplies either, but hopefully someone else would be along soon!. Luckily we did not meet another vehicle as the road zig-zagged up to the pass. With the visibility now extremely poor we were lucky to see a vehicle making its slow way upwards as we were about to start down. The etiquette is that uphill traffic has priority so we would have had to reverse, and on this narrow road with no barrier between us and the sheer drop it would have been hair raising to say the least. It was the first of two tour Jeeps that were doing the trip from Telluride to Ouray. The people were all wrapped up and trying to keep warm. Like us they had chosen the worst day possible to do this trip, but at least we were having fun? (well the adrenaline was flowing!) even if we weren't getting the views. We waited for the second jeep then started our long decent to Telluride. The road improved slightly but it was still slow going. It took us over three hours to complete the 20+ miles. We passed numerous disused mines and wondered if there was any gold or silver still to be discovered in these here parts. At least now they have the tools that would make it a lot easier. Back in the late 1800's these roads were nearly all cut by hand. Today there are people like us who are getting a lot of pleasure driving them.
When we arrived in Telluride Linda had to take Wullie to the Brewpub and buy him a pint, before she drove him back to Ouray via a smoother forest road. This is a day we will talk about for a long time, It was truly exhilarating?
McQuinn-Roberts Family - By the time our visitors arrived the sun was shinning brightly so we could all relax outside, with the exception of Wullie who was on BBQ duty. Linda convinced Marie that a 34' fifth wheel was easier to keep clean than a large house, and Wullie educated Keith on the outside chores. Katie their daughter looked on and wondered when this retirement was going to happen as she was looking forward to a cheap holiday during college vacation time. By the time they left we all felt that we had known each other for years.
Creede via Engineer Pass - The next morning we were up with the lark and on a high for our trip to Creede. This time it was Linda's turn to take the wheel on the 4x4 Alpine Loop, which is listed as one of Colorado's recommended scenic drives. Right from the start we were on a rough and winding road all the way to the 12,800 ft. Engineer Pass. This time the weather was kind to us so we were treated to some wonderful scenery with great panoramic views at the pass. We also had the good fortune to watch a Golden Eagle as it soared above the mountains, looking down for it's prey. Hopefully we managed to capture it on one of our photo's.
The downward road from the pass is an easy high clearance vehicle road, so we made fairly good time to Lake City and the remaining 48 miles to Creede were a doddle on scenic highway 149.
We arrived early afternoon and were welcomed by Chris and her sister Mary, who then introduced the rest of the family, husband Randy and Will their son. Right from the start we knew we were going to have a great couple of days.
Although we had been asked to stay for two nights, with so much happening this week we could only afford to stay for one night, so we had to make the most of the short time available. In the afternoon visited some beautiful waterfalls with Mary & Chris before being introduced to one of Mary's secret mushroom places. We first heard of this lucrative pastime while in Oregon. Someone asked us if we had come to make easy money picking mushrooms. If we knew what to look for, then maybe we would participate. But today was a first for us, and we were picking them to eat and not sell. As Mary tried to educate us we realised that we had seen most types already while out hiking, but even after this short lesson neither of us were sure if we would know the difference between an edible mushroom or poisonous mushroom if we were by ourselves, so it is best left to experts like Mary. With two full bags of Chanterelle mushrooms in our possession we headed for home where some would be used for dinner. Over dinner we all put the world to rights before retiring after a very enjoyable day.
Next morning we were blessed with another sunny day so we headed north of Creede to Watson Park, where we had a leisurely hike to a waterfall. Mary wanted to continue up to the pass, but time was against us as we had decided to take the 4x4 Cinnamon Pass road back to Silverton, and already clouds were starting to appear. We ate our sandwiches and took photo's before making our way back to Creede.
After a light lunch, we packed up the Jeep, expressed our thanks for two very memorable days in wonderful company, before heading out towards the Rio Grande reservoir, then onto the very narrow 4x4 road to the 12,588 ft. Stoney Pass. Although parts of this road were narrow and extremely rough, it was the best, or should we say the least frightening road out of the three we've had the pleasure of driving. Light rain greeted us as we went over the pass, and from then on it was fairly easy going, or were we just getting blasé about the steep graded switch-back roads?
On arrival at Silverton, Linda decided once again to reward Wullie with a stop at the Handlebars Brewpub for supper, and a pint of their Pale Ale before she drove him home in the fading light.
These last three days were ones we will always remember, not only for the excitement of the Jeep trip, but for the kindness and generosity of Randy, Mary, Will & Chris. Thank you one & all!
Ouray to Leadville
We've already travelled most of the 200 miles of roads involved in this move in the past month. A stop at Montrose for supplies and fuel, then on through Curecanti Recreation area, Gunnison to Sugar Loafin RV Park on the outskirts of Leadville.
Leadville, El. 10,200 ft. - Another town that sprung up when gold and silver was discovered in the late 1800's, and now houses the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum, and the Boomtown Brewery, making it a very popular tourist location. With so many hiking opportunities in this area, we've decided to put our feet down for two weeks, and weather permitting may get up some of the beautiful mountains visible from our window, and take some of the forest roads through mountain passes. Who knows! we may even have time to visit the Brewpub (managed one visit only). Sugar Loafin RV Park is slightly lower than Leadville, 9,600 ft., but the air is very thin. We had to slow our pace right down, otherwise we were gasping for breath. The site we were given for our two week stay had an unobscured view of both Mt. Elbert the highest mountain in Colorado at 14,423 ft., and Mt. Massive the second highest at 14,419 ft. Just a mile away is the beautiful Turquoise Lake, a popular recreation area. Little wonder this is a very popular RV park, where pre-booking is essential during the summer months.
North Halfmoon Lakes - Mt. Massive Wilderness - Yet another long drive on one of the infamous forest roads, which got so rough that it seemed wise to park the truck amongst the trees and hike the last steep mile to the trailhead. This 6 mile hike climbed from 10,400 ft. to the upper lake at 12500 ft. Most of the hike was above treeline giving great views of numerous un-named 13,000+ peaks, and a variety of wild flowers throughout. Both lakes are nestled beneath the Continental Divide with Massive Peak - 14,419ft. towering above. We had to cut short our lunch when the dark clouds started appearing over the peaks, and before long sleet/hail was bouncing off our heads - just enough to make us don our waterproofs. As we headed down the sun started to shine allowing us to enjoy the scenery and flowers once again. The downside to this hike was the long drive to the trailhead on a very narrow and pitted forest road but you can't expect wilderness to be alongside the Interstate?
Notch Mountain - When we woke at 6.15 a.m. the sky was clear so we headed for the Notch Mountain hike. Up highway 24 for 30 miles, then 8 miles on a forest road. A warning at the beginning of the forest road said "possible 2 hour delays" A mile up the road diggers were laying pipes so we could go no further. While trying to turn the truck round we got the front wheels stuck in a deep ditch at the side of the road, so we had to ask one of the workers pull us out. We returned to a trailhead a short way down the road and hiked an easy 4 miles up Cross Creek. Not as good views as the hike we had planned, but it got the muscles loosened up after two days relaxing.
We were advised that this forest road may be closed for the rest of the summer while they make improvement to the road. This hike is one of the only places you can good a view of the Holy Cross Mountain, once a National Monument until the stratous was taken away, maybe because of the difficulty in seeing it. It still remains a very popular hike so there will be a lot of disappointed people just like us.
Native Lake - Mt. Massive Wilderness - This is a fairly easy hike (10,700 to 11,800 ft.) up through light forest with occasional views towards the Hagerman Pass area. Shortly after leaving the trees behind arrive at a very wide flat pass with unobscured 360 degrees views. The largest peak being Mount Massive at 14,419 ft. To reach Native Lake from the pass entails 650 ft. of descent which means 650 ft. of ascent on the return journey! Since this is a short hike, 6 miles round trip, we reckoned we could make it. We took lunch at the lakeshore in the company of a curious & noisy Gray Jay, surrounded by a variety of deep blue Gentian flowers bathed in lovely sunshine. The easy hike to the top of the pass (1.6 miles, 1100 ft. ascent) and a further 200 yards down towards Native Lake provides amazingly good views and this hike makes our top ten list.
Independence Pass - Situated on Highway 82 between Aspen and Highway 24 near Leadville, yet another Colorado Scenic Byway. First came the beautiful Twin Lakes which looked their best early in the morning when the sun shone on the Twin Peaks at the back, creating a mirror effect in the lakes. Next the 10 MPH hairpin bends leading up to the pass, where vehicles over 34 feet long are prohibited. Finally we reached Independence Pass - 12,096 ft. and the views were exceptional - miles and miles of peaks in all directions, on this very clear and sunny early morning. This road not surprisingly is closed in the winter.
We have two hikes planned in this area - Lost Man Pass and Midway Pass, but it is no hardship to travel this route again, especially during the early morning sunshine.
Lost Man Pass - Hunter Fryingpan Wilderness - This hike starts at 11,600 ft. already above tree line and ascends to 12,800 ft. at Lost Man Pass making for outstanding views throughout the entire trip. After 2 miles Independence Lake is reached, surrounded by 13,000+ peaks with the only break being the low saddle of Lost Man Pass 300 vertical feet above. The watercourse exiting this small lake goes down the Roaring Fork river, into the Colorado River, through Utah, into Lake Powell, along the Arizona/California border into Mexico to end up in the Pacific Ocean. 
The final three hundred feet to Lost Man Pass although relatively steep leads to views of the Jewel in the crown - Lost Man Lake. The pear shaped Lost Man Lake sits in a bowl, 350 vertical feet below, surrounded by a multitude of peaks. This seemed a good spot to take a mini lunch break and admire the view. Should we descend to Lost Man Lake and continue down the valley towards South Fork Pass or ascend to a neighbouring 13,000 + peak which would allow views west towards the Aspen area? We descended the steep path that zig-zagged down the side of the pass, wandered alongside the lake until we found a high rock that gave us views into the valley which had 12,000 and 13,000 ft. mountains each side. Once rested we climbed back up to the Pass and decided on the tempting detour up to a 13,320 ft. unnamed peak, the highest elevation we have ever attained, other than in a plane. We sat on this small ledge which was part of the Continental Divide, ate the rest of our lunch and tried to decipher which peaks were which. Snowmass Mountain and the Maroon Bells were notable peaks towards the west. We enjoyed our lunch with five star views shared with white butterflies and some Pika's. On our return trip some
visitors from Florida asked us how far we had got. When we pointed to our viewpoint, and told them how far we could see, there was no hesitation as to where they were going. We kept looking back to monitor their slow ascent to the summit. On the descent to Independence Lake a few families of Ptarmigans, with their "hairy" legs were feasting amongst the plants alongside the path. It was exciting to get such a clear view of these quite shy, secretive birds - our first sighting since the Canadian Rockies last summer.
There are many variations to this hike in the Hunter Fryingpan Wilderness, including an 8.5 mile hike between two trailheads 4.5 miles apart (two vehicles required). Whichever variation is decided upon we thoroughly recommend the trip to Lost Man Pass and the side trip to the adjacent peak to the northeast. Since the total ascent to the adjacent peak is only 1720 ft. this is a relatively easy hike with superlative rewards and is definitely in our top 3 in Colorado.
Midway Pass - We started out on this hike once before while staying near Aspen but this time the weather was kind to us for most of the way. Although the first mile is through trees it does have quite a few good views as it zig-zags above treeline. Once out into the open the views were what we have come to expect in this area - superb. Our first rest stop was by a pretty lake, then we made our way along a ridge admiring the views, until the path started to descend towards the pass. It was then that we decided on a detour up to a nearby 12,000+ peak where we could enjoy 360 degree views of the surrounding peaks while taking our lunch. When the sun disappeared behind a large black cloud we vacated our dining table and headed down to the safety of the trees before the thunder and lightning started. On our decent we passed two groups of hikers who would later wish they had started their hike earlier. The heavens opened just before we reached our truck, but fortunately this time we did not get too wet. Unfortunately the people we passed on the trail were not so lucky, we only hope they were off the pass before the lightning struck, and were equipped with good waterproofs.
Leadville/ Fairplay /Breckenridge/Dillon via Weston Pass - Another one of these very scenic Forest Roads of varying standard but passable with a high clearance vehicle. Another bright sunny start for today's adventure, and just right conditions for an 11 mile drive on Forest Road 425 to the 11,921 ft. Weston Pass. We had quite a few obstacles during this drive - large boulders to manoeuvre around and at one point the road was like a river, thanks to the Beavers that had built dams across the river which diverted the river flow down the road. Now we understand why this road is recommended for high clearance vehicles. When we reached the summit the clouds were already turning dark and angry, but we managed a stroll amongst the wildflowers, and by the time we completed the remaining 10 miles to US 285 and Fairplay light rain was falling.
Our intentions were to drive to Breckenridge where we would stop for lunch, then continue onto Dillon for supplies before completing the loop back to Leadville. By the time we reached Breckenridge it was raining so heavy we made our way straight to Dillon, where we bought supplies before lunching at the Dam Brewery - (well we may as well get wet inside!). By the time we had finished a good meal and a sample of the excellent local brew it had stopped raining. The drive home in sunshine was once again very scenic.
Fancy Pass/Missouri Pass - Holy Cross Wilderness - This 9 mile loop was one of the most strenuous hike we've done for a long time as it climbs 2,400 ft. in 2.75 miles. After a steep 2 mile uphill stretch through trees we came to the lovely Fancy Lake where we took our first well deserved break. Refreshed, we continued up the Fancy Pass trail which is actually a very steep and rough old mine road built by the Gold Park Milling & Mining Co., ascending 800 feet in less than a mile (Miners and their mules took their life in their hands ascending here!). Linda was never so pleased to see the summit and found it difficult to appreciate the wonderful views until she got her breath back which takes some time at this altitude. After another rest and a conversation with a friendly Marmot we made our way down to the Treasure Vault lake area, where lunch was taken. This prepared us for an ascent of 300 feet to Missouri Pass, where once again we were rewarded with great views of the Missouri Lakes below. Missouri Pass, once attained, has another major plus as well as great views - it is all downhill from there. The trail passed by the three Missouri lakes, alongside Missouri Creek which has cut a deep gorge in the rock, before arriving back at the trailhead. A very strenuous but enjoyable seven hour hike.
With so many more hikes still to do in this area, a few days before we were due to leave here we tried to increase our stay by another week, but we had forgotten about the Labor Day Holiday. The site was fully booked, so we had to get out the Good Sam and Woodalls RV Site books and look for somewhere that had vacancies. Fairplay has a small Motel with RV Park and it had vacancies. We had hoped to get somewhere near to Breckenridge but the one and only site nearby was over $100 more expensive. We'll settle for the more reasonable site. It also has a few interesting hikes nearby. Breckenridge is less than 25 miles away, and it has a Microbrewery, which will probably merit a visit.
Leadville to Fairplay
We chose the easiest way - 70 miles via Buena Vista. Although further than the northerly route we had less mountain passes to go over. The journey took less than two hours giving us the rest of the day to watch the dark clouds roll in before the afternoon thunder & lightning struck yet again.
NEXT MONTH: We have another visitor arriving on 12th September - Lynn our niece from Glasgow, Scotland. We'll take her on some of Colorado's Scenic Byways, visit Rocky Mountain National Park before heading for Utah, Arizona, Las Vegas and finally California - all in two weeks.The end of the month will see us welcome, Margaret & Jim Graham, our annual visitors from Lochgelly in the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland.
Miles travelled this month: 1,967
Accumulative miles: 57,838
Interesting Hyperlinks:
Durango Historic Train
Mesa Verde National Park
Next Month