Colorado and Utah - 9/10-18/2017

[arieshiker]

What started out as a simple visit to my dad's grave in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, morphed into a major loop trip down to Great Sand Dunes, Lowry Pueblo Ruins, Mesa Verde, up to Colorado National Monument (outside Grand Junction, Co.) then up to Dinosaur National Monument then back to reality. My dad, like so many others, was part of the "Greatest Generation," surviving WWII as a Marine in the Pacific Theater. He passed in 1990, but being interred in Denver made visiting the grave for me more than problematical but nevertheless at times pressing. I finally gave into the pressure and made the journey. Since I grew up in Colorado, but never got to explore any of the western edge, beyond the random I-70 trip past Grand Junction on the way west, I decided this would have to be the time, cause it won't be that long til I get my own stone in some national cemetery. No morbidity, just fact. Anyway, I made the loop to the above mentioned places - and I'd never heard of Colorado National Monument (CNM) before. I didn't get any photos from CNM's rim drive, which is 20+ miles of gorgeous views into several deep, deep canyons with monoliths and such. The sun was just in such a bad place that all I ended up with was glare and faded out views. If you're ever in that area, I highly recommend the visit. I was hoping to get to Telluride, but the Booze & Blues Festival was happening and traffic was insane heading into the area, so I kept on going to Ouray, where I over-nighted and drove over Red Mountain Pass and down into Silverton, an experience all its own. Red Mtn Pass is @11,100', which puts it near the summit of Mount Hood, and there are several passes in Colorado over 12,000'. Not much actual hiking due to the elevation not being overly friendly to me after so many years away. To think I used to run track up there sixty years ago! Today I probably couldn't even walk the oval. Still, what a treat for the eyes to see so many of the 14,000ers from an earlier time. Glad I went but just as glad to be back to what has been home for a long time now.

[drm]

Good that you got to see your Dad, and so much else at the same time.

I lived in Boulder for 13 years and visited the Colorado National Monument many times. I can see why people coming from afar would instead head to the big name national parks nearby in Utah, but CNM is the closest piece of the Colorado Plateau to the Colorado Front Range, and isn't nearly as crowded, so it got it's share of visits from me way back then.

And I don't miss the high altitude. I can get great alpine scenery here with twice the oxygen. Well maybe not twice, but you get the idea. And at 11,000 feet, that freeze dried food kind of has to be cooked a bit to really hydrate properly - at least it did back then.