Colorado!

[green40]

We just spent 2 weeks exploring Colorado and have fallen in love with it!
We were supposed to leave on Sunday the 5th, got to the airport and found out our flight was 2 hrs. late and we wouldn't be able to leave ontil Monday.
Alittle annoyed at that point , but really couldn't do anything about it.
We ended up flying First class from NYC to Denver,(the only way to go!)
2 days in Denver, air a little thin! Went downtown and checked out some gardens, museums and walked around near rhe Capital.
Left Denver and headed south for Colorado Springs. Took a side trip to Devils Head peak for some hiking. Great views! Pikes peak was pretty close. Could really tell the air was thin! Devils Head is just over 9000 ft.

 

[green40]

We bypassed Co Springs and went up into the Mtns. to Mueller State Park and set up a base camp. The Park was very nice, we were in a Tent area, no campers in that section, had to carry your gear in. The sites were spaced out so you had the feeling of being remote.
The next day we went back to Co. Springs and toured "Garden of the Gods". It's a city park, couple hundred acres of rock formations, very pretty!
Next stop was Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings, old Indian ruins.
Then came a tour of Cave of the Winds. We took a 2 hour tour, went back into the dark areas of the cave and we used lanterns for light! It was pretty amazing!

 

[green40]

The journey continued southwest, a tour of Chimney Rock, site of Indian ruins.
Alot of driving, passed by the South Platte river (flyfishers have heard of it, Trophy Trout waters). We arrived in Durango Sunday afternoon. They had a big Arts and Crafts festival going on, live music, great food and som really cool artists set up on Main st.
Durango was our favorite town, it has a population of about 20,000 big enough but not to big.
Monday was spent on the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge Railroad. 9 hours roundtrip up thru the Animas river gorge to Silverton.

 

[macneill]

Nice. I often dream of moving out there someday.

 

[green40]

Silverton and the return trip.

 

[2badfjs]

moved out here in '81 after high school........i'll never leave

 

[green40]

Tuesday we rented a Jeep in Silverton (9000' elev.) and went up to the Alpine loop trail over Engineers pass (12,000') down to Lake City and returned over Cinnamon Pass back to Silverton. The trail is 65 miles, takes all day. You do use 4wd but alot of our class 6 are more difficult. The fun part is you are on a dirt road hugging the side of the mtn. and it's only about a car and a half wide!
A little unnerving for the passengers!

 

[green40]

More of the Alpine loop. Alot of old mines and buildings. Wild flowers everywhere.

 

[green40]

Next stop was Ouray, small little town,Known as and Ice climbing meca in the winter. We saw a couple of big buck deer wandering the streets downtown! Sat on the deck of the hotel we stayed at had beer and stared at the mtns around town.

 

[green40]

Finished up our loop by heading north again up to Rocky Mtn National park north west of Denver. The road thru the park has a section that is 11 miles long above treeline. (11000')
I had brought along my Flyrod and wanted to get some fishing in. Between land being Posted (state sign is "Private Property, KEEP OUT!) and high muddy water I only managed 2 Trout, pretty dissapointed.
If you ever get a chance go to Colorado, you won't regret it!

 

[Sporin]

sounds awesome!

Everyone tells me Colorado is the perfect weather, 4 real seasons but MUCH driver then new england, very low humidity, almost no mosquitoes, and sun 300+ days a year.

 

[green40]

sounds awesome!

Everyone tells me Colorado is the perfect weather, 4 real seasons but MUCH driver then new england, very low humidity, almost no mosquitoes, and sun 300+ days a year.

Yea, the weather was great, most days the temp was in the 70's. The higher you were the colder it got. We'd get up in the mornings and crawl out of our sleeping bags and it would be mid 40's. Very few bugs, tons of Humming birds.
We had to laugh because all the brocheurs talk about the 300 days of sunshine. What they don't say is they also have 300 afternoons of thunderstorms!

 

[green40]

Ah, the most important part of the trip!
Saw about a dozen 40's, this one in Durango was built up the most.
All the rest were pretty much stock but very little rust.
Alot of 60's running around, saw 8 or 9 every day.
Any 80's we saw were built, met 3 up on Engineers pass leading
a group of Toys, Bronco's and Jeeps.
Alot of tricked out expedition set up Rovers, most were Defender 90' and 110's.
Nice Jeeps everywhere and a lot of Bronco's.
Bette noticed that kids don't wheel out there, most everyone we saw in a rig was 40 +.

 

[nuclearlemon]

almost no mosquitoes,.

wrong.

we have a major issue out here with west nile virus. there have been over 70 human deaths the last few years because of this mosquito born illness. livestock also are suffering. i know some friends in the fort that have lost two champion cutting horses to west nile.

i used to love colorado and said i'd never leave, but everyone's moving here and i now hate denver. i'd love to move, but too many derelict vehicles and a new mortgage that penalizes me if i pay off before 2010 means i'm stuck in suburban hell for a few years.

 

[Sporin]

interesting, I thought I had read that there were "no bugs" either way, sounds like a beautiful sport but a quick google search on cost of living and real estate prices shows me it's not the place for me.

 

[green40]

I din't really care for Denver, but I'm not a city type of guy either!

 

[JJS]

Nice. I often dream of moving out there someday.

x2...I don't know how I could ever leave the stunning beauty and great living of the Communistwealth, though.

Cool pictures, green40.

 

[40Flipper]

Lived there for 6 years and miss it everyday. Bugs are there but not nearly as bad as MA. WAAAAAAYYYYY less mosquitoes. It's so dry there aren't a lot of swamps or standing water. They don't have ticks due to the elevation.

I've been wheeling around a few places you have in these pics and it makes me miss it more.

 

[nuclearlemon]

don't have ticks due to the elevation.
.

also wrong. we have the rocky mountain wood tick. major cause of colorado tick fever, which affects about 15% of campers. if you get a reoccuring fever, that may be the cause.

 

[green40]

also wrong. we have the rocky mountain wood tick. major cause of colorado tick fever, which affects about 15% of campers. if you get a reoccuring fever, that may be the cause.

Dude, your really bringing us down man!
Or is this just a plot to keep us all from moving out there?!