| I love Rocky Mountain National Park so much so that I change my route to take it in again. The park is starting to rival Bryce as my favorite National Park. I believe the difference on this trip is the time of day which decreases the traffic greatly. In the morning the other drivers are less stressed out and we leap frog each other through the park as one of us stops for pictures. Up at the tree line, the pines have a tough go and show greenery on only one side of their trunk. |
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The elk are back at Milhorn Pass. Just down the road I'm in the mood for a short hike and wander by an idyllic lake setting. All I can hear is quiet. This wouldn't happen later on in the afternoon. Mornings are great. |
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| Time passes quickly and I'm out of the park
sitting on the porch of the Grand Lake Lodge. I wonder if they realize I
don't have a room here. One look and anyone would know that I don't have
the money that the current patrons exude. This lodge has the feel of the
hotel on Mackinaw Island. I would even hazard a guess as to say some of
the patrons are the same. They certainly have the same style and look as
though they sit for afternoon tea. |
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| It's tough getting out of the rocking chair and leaving the view of the lake and city below. A sign I pass sums it up in saying "Colorado's Porch." Back on Hwy 40 I'll pass over Berthoud Pass, which I constantly misspell. A sign 38 miles away warns of construction which is a sign of impending doom. Either way, this road through the ski areas and pristine pine forest is well worth a delay. I also know that this direction has an almost continuous passing lane since we are climbing up to the pass. At Berthoud Pass, elevation 11, 307 ft., I arrive just 30 seconds before they release the traffic in my direction. A few miles later and I'm on I-70 west. |
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| I-70 in this area is one of the great road
engineering feats of all the interstate highways. Along the Colorado
River there is only so much room. In order to fit in a 4 lane interstate
highway with shoulders and train tracks, the freeway is on two levels.
One level will cantilever over the other level in certain areas. This is
all done while changing elevation and direction. Sometimes one lane will
have to tunnel through the mountain since space is at a premium. This is
a beautiful piece of engineering. The area around Breckenridge has some of the best mountain scenery, while Vail is more spread out with the flora changing to high desert. Time on the freeway goes quickly and I'm heading south toward Paonia. Once again the road parallels a river with gorgeous high jagged mountains. Glaciers have spared the peaks in Colorado which still have that "young" mountain look. |
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| The closer I get to Paonia on Hwy 133, the more coal mining operations are
present. This has expanded since my last visit and reminds me of Appalachia
West. On my last visit there were many pro-union signs in the small towns. These
are down to one and I wonder who won. Paonia has not changed and that's a good thing. The townsfolk are very personable and are glad to be our hosts. One thousand motorcyclists are here, but the noise level doesn't indicate that. It's a lot quieter than Sturgis or Daytona. I run into several old friends, have the oil changed in my bike, eat way too many cherries and make new friends. This new group is heading to Alaska and the Haul Road. One of them has ridden in Africa and Panama. He had just learned to ride and went out on these major trips. They are an interesting group. Perhaps the best thing about being here is the altitude. It's about 4,000 feet lower than the last few days and I can breathe again. Most folks are saying it's too hot, but most folks aren't from Florida. The temperature is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but the humidity is low. Nights are wonderful. |
