August 12, 2010

August 12, 2010

We made a strategic planning error. Yesterday we drove south past Molly Brown's Leadville and camped at the southern entrance to Aspen. We want to go to there today and photograph the nearby Maroon Belles. They are the most photogenic of Colorado’s mountains. Unfortunately we learned this entrance is treacherous, especially in a motorhome. The route circles the highest peak in the Rockies before climbing 12,000-foot Independence Pass along very narrow switchbacks. Vehicles longer than 35 feet are prohibited. We are legal but Aimee has heard horror stories from the locals. I still want to go but we decided to let the weather be the deciding factor. Of course my lucky charm of a wife prayed for rain and we woke to a downpour. Never bet against my wife.

It is a three-hour drive to the other end of Aspen so we punt and head southwest. It seems every road we take in Colorado is scenic. It is a most picturesque state. The only downfall is winter comes early. We can already sense it with the cold nights. Snow is just around the corner. Plus our RV is getting a workout. We have been over several high mountain passes in the last few days.


We cross another, 11,312-ft Monarch Pass, to reach the Gunnison River and Curecanti National Recreation Area. Downstream is Black Canyon National Park. That narrow canyon is hard to appreciate because the granite walls are shear and 2700 feet high. There is no hike down. Curecanti on the other hand is upstream and contains four dams. The first section has a couple lakes good for boating. It doesn’t interest me. The lower section is like a mini-Black Canyon. After driving along the clifftop we come upon a side canyon that we can use to drive down to the Gunnison River just below the Morrow Point Dam. From there we hike the easy Mesa Creek Trail along the 700-foot granite gorge. Just stunning!