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Lobo Overlook, Colorado
If you drive over Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado, you’ll see a small dirt road heading north, close to the ski area. Take that maybe 3 miles, but don’t be afraid of heights, it is a small and narrow road with big drop offs. But once you get to the top you will be rewarded with terrific views, in all directions. And it was such a great day, too!
Here are some of the pictures we took at the top overlook. Although I have processed these images some, the deep dark sky is mainly due to the elevation: around 11,600 ft.
Glacier Bay, Alaska
Our cruise ship took us to Glacier Bay and visited all the main glaciers in the Park. As always, this was a beautiful trip and we lucked out with the weather. A few pictures, no comment needed.
Alaska gold rush
In the late 1890’s, gold fever hit Alaska. Hundreds of thousands of people showed up to look for their fortune. Most didn’t make it, many died. Or were subject to robbery and/or murder.
We toured where the the gold rush started in Dawson City, as well as the enormously difficult passes in Skagway and the Chilkoot Pass. Plus we had a chance to pan for gold in Gold Dredge Number 8 in Fairbanks. These dredges transformed the landscape as they dug up the tundra looking for the elusive gold.
Today’s gold…. the Alaska pipeline
An old pit mine
Dredge line number 8
Romola panning for gold
Another view of the dredge line
Dawson city, where the gold rush originated
How to keep the miners happy
Some of the original structures still stand, sorry of
Permafrost was not conducive as a foundation
Denali, Alaska
Our Alaska adventure started with an overnight in Anchorage, where we joined our “Travel with Alan” group. The next day we took the scenic dome train to Talkeetna, and on to Denali. While on the train we were lucky enough to catch sight of the Denali mountain itself, only 30% of Denali visitors actually get to see the mountain.
The next day we had an excursion deep into the park itself. Our hide, a retired salmon fisher, and an Iditarod participant, Gabe an excellent overview of life in the wild. We got to see caribou and a blond grizzly, along with a variety of smaller critters. No moose, though.
Where we were
One of the many rivers
Denali foothills
Denali, the mountain
Blond grizzly
Male caribou
Female caribou
John and Romola
Naomi and Larry
Bishop’s Castle
When he was just a boy, Jim Bishop (with parental help) bought a piece of land in the San Isabel Forest. In 1969 he started building a vacation cottage, using rocks from the surrounding area. When his neighbors said that it looked like a castle, he thought that was a great idea and embarked on a one man construction project.
He did not have engineering drawings, but built a model on which the castle is based. And, it has become quite a roadside attraction. In a way, it reminded me of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, but on a much smaller scale. It’s hard to imagine that one man can build such a structure.
The entire building is open for visitors. And if you don’t have vertigo, you can go all the way to the top of one tower and cross over to the other via an iron walkway. Amazing!
A roadside view
This looks like the model for the castle
Elaborate stone and iron work
You can climb all the way to the top, if you want (we didn’t)
That “bridge” is rather shaky, from what we were told
Some of the inside stonework
Inside the great hall. Lots of filigreed ironwork!
There is even a wedding chapel
Capulin Volcano, NM
Every year, when we move from/to Colorado, we drive by Capulin Volcano, and every year we say “We should visit that thing!”. Well, this year we did, and we’re glad we did.
Capulin is a cinder cone volcano, about 10,000 years old. In a cinder cone, most of the lava escapes through cracks at the base of the volcano, not out of the top. However, there is a lot of gasses and molten lava spewing into the air, giving some unique features to the surrounding area.
The drive up is not for those with fear of heights, as there is no railing and a very deep drop off. Once at the top, there is a mile long trail along the top. A bit difficult as it is very steep but worth the effort. Views are amazing!
At the Rodeo
This week we are in Westcliffe, Colorado. It is located in the valley below the Sangre de Cristo mountains, so it has great open plains and grazing land. Westcliffe, and it’s sister city Silver Cliff, prospered in the 1800’s due to silver mines. Now it is more of a small town, typical of Western cities.
As luck would have it, this weekend was the 70th Annual Rodeo Days. Seemed like a good thing to see, and it was. One thing for sure, you have to respect the athleticism (and pain tolerance) of the cowboys!
Hike to Phoenix Park Waterfall
Although the Phoenix Park Waterfall is beautiful, it is not viewed often because it is so remote. You either have to hike or use an ATV, and even an ATV can’t make it all the way. The road is very rough with steep sections and 14 water crossings. So we decided to hike in. Hey, it’s only at 11,000 ft. altitude….
Admittedly, a rough hike but in beautiful surroundings. And the falls were great, although probably a lot better earlier in the year with more water runoff. So we hiked for some 6 miles with 1,300 ft.of vertical climbing. Romola even managed to complete some of her least favorite hiking activities: crossing a creek on a log bridge. This is what hiking is all about: scenery, peacefulness, and no crowds.
Silver Thread Scenic Byway, Colorado
Colorado Highway 149 is known as the Silver Thread Scenic Byway because it originally connected many of the silver mines in south central Colorado. We drove it from our campsite near Creede to Lake City, about 52 miles and over two high passes.
We found three waterfalls along the road: an unnamed one at Porcupine Gulch, the South Clear Creek waterfall, and the North Clear Creek waterfall. The latter is the most photographed waterfall in Colorado.
Heading further west, we crested Spring Creek Pass with an elevation of 10,800 feet, plus it is also the Continental Divide. A little farther yet is SlumGullion Pass, with a summit at 11,530ft. It’s beautiful here, although an outbreak of mountain pine beetles has killed many of the lodgepole trees.
Just before Lake City is Lake San Cristobal, whose beauty has an unusual twist. Only 800 years old, this lake was formed when the Slumgullion Earth Flow naturally dammed the valley. Moving at the speed of molasses, the earth flow is the result of unstable soils that shift up to 20 feet a year. We saw full-grown pine trees at off-angles — evidence that this lumbering slide is still at work.
Finally we reached Lake City, one of the largest collections of preserved buildings from the 1870s. Stroll through the heart of town and you’ll quickly get a sense for Lake City’s authenticity.
On the way back we saw a moose with calf right alongside the road. Also, some marmots and a deer to help remind us we are in the wild.
The Fourth with the Rollers
Six years ago, we joined the Pikes Peak Rollers, an FMCA chapter out of Colorado Springs. This year, we joined their Fourth of July Rally held in Buena Vista, Colorado. It was a good time, with lots of social interaction, events, food and local activities.
New to us this year was the annual horse race. Using 6 “jockeys”, the “horses” advanced on the roll of foam rubber dice. Since real money was used with real bookies, it was lively, spirited, and I lost all my bets.
The Buena Vista Fourth Parade was rather small, it is after all a small town But it was refreshing to see the local entries and the patriotism showed by participants and attendees alike. And the kids gots lots of candy…
The Fireworks were spectacular. Not only because of the fireworks themselves, but set against the majestic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and evening sky it became an event unto itself. Too bad I forgot my “real” camera, these cell phone pictures will have to do….
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