Friday-Saturday August 23,24 Long Drive Home

 Fri-Sat August 23-24

Saturday we start at 75 degrees at 7AM and go up from there.  The usual route through Clarendon, Childress, Wichita, Fort Worth and then down 45 to home.  Some signs we're back in Texas:

"Exit Ahead, Y'All"

Buckin' Bean Coffee Shop

Ed's Steakout

Mesquite Firewood For Sale

"Hit the Hay in Clarendon"

Top Notch BBQ (and about 100 other BBQs)

Arrive home around 6:00 to find all is well.  Thankful for good neighbors. 

 4,546 miles.

Thursday, August 22, 2024 Colorado, Black Canyon, Curecanti Rec Area, Cochetopa Crk

 Thursday, August 22

Happy Birthday to Matt!

We leave pretty early and see a doe with two fawns not far from the campsite. 

 Beth has been trying to get a picture of a magpie - we've seen many but none sitting still for long.  We come across a whole group of them enjoying some roadkill (sorry, bunny) and take a quick shot. 

 And then we come across a few turkeys and this one poses nicely.

Heading further south.  Hwy 65, switchback after switchback as we climb into the mountains.   We enter Grand Mesa National Forest - very cool area with lots of rock formations and forests and Mesa Lakes Recreation Area.

A unique marker which I'm sure makes giving directions to their house easy!

We had put Black Canyon of the Gunnison into the GPS -  and it takes us to the wrong place!  We stop at a University Research Center and ask for directions.  The gal there puts Black Canyon of the Gunnison into her GPS and it does the same thing! (See, it wasn't me!)   Unfortunately, it has taken us quite a ways off the real directions, so when this girl says there are two rims of the canyon and we are closer to the North Rim, we opt to go to the North Rim.  She says there are beautiful views, etc. so we continue on.  We've been to the South Rim before, so.....

We eventually do get to some beautiful areas, but not what we expected.   This one was called Island Lake and had lots of gorgeous yellow flowers around it.  

We enter Curecanti National Recreation Area and stop at Hermit's Rest and then Morrow Point and hike along the river there. 

It sprinkles a little bit as we climb out of the canyon and back to the Trek.  And then....

On highway 50, traffic rather suddenly comes to a halt.  There are probably about 20 or so vehicles in front of us and no one moving.  Eventually Greg finds something on line about a bridge with structural concerns.  We wait nearly and hour and a half before there is some movement.  Middle Bridge, it turns out, is down to one lane and they are alternating allowing traffic from each direction.  At least we were able to walk around and make some sandwiches for lunch while we waited! And we have signal and maybe a sign...

25 miles and we reach Gunnison, where we stop for gas.  Greg is ready to head for home, so we begin looking at places to stop for tonight and Beth finds a BLM campsite at Cochetopa Creek Recreation Site in about 20 miles. We pass some pastureland and climb across North Pass before descending into a canyon where we find the BLM site.

 The campground has two sites beside a rushing stream, one of which is occupied.  We take the other, but the folks who were there leave shortly afterwards, so we move to the preferred site which has a nice covered picnic table on a concrete slab.  No one else shows.  Beth goes for a walk, taking bird pictures and such, we have dinner and call it a night.   Greg says we drove 237 miles today and most of it was up, down, around and switchbacks!  We wonder what it would be "as the crow flies".

Nice and cool this evening. 

Wed, August 21 Into Colorado, Rifle Falls area

 Wednesday,  August 21

Today we make our way into Colorful Colorado again, on Rte 135.   We pass a sign that says:

     Elk on your left, Elk on your right

     Elk in your lap will ruin your night.

     Watch out for Elk.

But we don't see any.

This rock formation was called Fortification Rock and a sign says the Indians used it for a staging area during skirmishes.

Sent Bryan this picture.  Sysco is everywhere.  They turned off where a sign advertised a ski resort ?

When we get into the mountains, there is much evidence of the bark beetle epidemic - lots of deadfall. And many places where aspen are taking over where the pines were.

Rifle Falls are quite robust and there is a fair number of people.  There is a $10 entry to the State Park and their camping prices are crazy (to us), plus the attendant says you have to reserve 3-6 months ahead!

We walk to the Falls and then climb the trail that goes through some interesting rocks and caves to a view from above. 

pretty cattails below the falls

After the Falls we continue up a gravel road, thinking we'd run into National Forest and maybe boondock.  Turns out the city of Rifle Falls has created Rifle Mountain Park with primitive campsites all along this road.  Some amazing rock formations and apparently it is quite popular for rock climbing.   We had no idea.  

 After several miles we decide to go ahead and camp here and luckily find a beautiful site right by the river.  Clouds have been rolling in and we hear thunder.  Some rain arrives not long after we stop, but doesn't last long.

 

Someone left this painted rock at our campsite.

We have salmon cakes for dinner with fresh peaches - a tasty combination! And Beth is the Colorado Cribbage Champion!