More Snowy Passes

We completed our drive to Denver via two more high mountain passes yesterday.

Before we got to Denver we called some RV parks that looked to be acceptable but all were full. I had looked for some BLM camping but found nothing less than 60 miles from the city. So, we've ended up at The Jefferson County Fairgrounds which is practically empty.

The Fremont Pass, 11,000+ feet. To see so much snow and frozen lakes in June seems really weird.

The Eisenhower Tunnel at Loveland pass is the highest vehicular tunnel in the world. After driving through we couldn't believe how many miles and miles we descended before reaching Denver.

I was surprised to see that there were no propane restrictions like tunnels on the east coast. This is because tunnels on the east coast tend to go down under bodies of water, where heavier than air propane would collect at the bottom.

Denver or Bust

Yesterday morning we rolled out of Montrose, Colorado, still covered with Utah red dirt and headed for Denver. For the first time since we started out we have to be somewhere at a certain time, which feels pretty strange. Martha is catching a flight out of Denver this weekend for a week back in Connecticut.

Along the way we were surprised by the size and beauty of Blue Mesa Reservoir.

We were also surprised by the Montrose Mountain Pass; an 8 mile pull to the 11,000+ foot peak, and 10 miles down the other side, 6% grades all the way! My knuckles are still white.

A Rocky Mountain sunset from our one night stop-over in Buena Vista.

Black Canyon at Gunnison, Colorado

With some reluctance we left our wonderful campsite in Moab and headed for Colorado yesterday. Actually, The Colorado River, just 25 feet from our door in Moab, had risen about a foot and was suppose to rise even more. When we got to I-70 we could see that the river was right up to the bottom of the bridges with trees stuck underneath and one lane was closed. This isn't why we left, but who knows, all that water is heading south?

This was our longest dry camping stay at 8 days and 8 nights. I am happy to say we didn't need to run the generator even on cloudy days.
No more red rocks of Utah here; this is an entirely different kind of canyon.

The Painted Wall is the highest cliff in Colorado at 2300 feet. The drawing below gives you a sense of scale. Even far above the river we could hear the roar of the mighty class V rapids below.

The road to The Portal at the bottom is a 16% grade with countless switchbacks.

Fly fishermen, enjoying a perfect day on the Gunnison River in the clear Rocky Mountain air. Life is good!

Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands

The Colorado River at Dead Horse Point.

The canyon at Canyonlands is actually two tiered. The lower canyon rim, pictured here, is white with a 4x4 road that follows along the rims' edge.

These Cliffrose bushes are in bloom everywhere.

Similar to the new banner photo I posted today, the bright blue lakes at the bottom of the canyon are solar evaporation pools where potash is harvested to use as fertilizer.

Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park.

La Sal Mountains beyond the Mesa Arch.

Some of the Shafer Trail switchbacks leading down into the canyon. This 4x4 road is over 100 miles long and requires two days to travel. There are several campgrounds down below.

Storm clouds over Tropic, Utah