Aspen Mountain and Dinosaur National Monument

Well, this morning was warmer than the other mornings, but I think that's just because it didn't get as cold, not because of getting the sun earlier...there was a cloud over the sun as soon as it came up!

We had one more thing to do in Aspen, ride the gondola to the top of Ajax Mountain! Since the gondola didn't open until 10 we went to Paradise Bakery (yes, 4th visit for anyone keeping track!) for muffins first! Not having any cell signal at the campground meant that we all were huddled over our phones the whole time checking email and such! A little before 10 we headed over to get tickets and get in line.

The ride up was neat! We got to see all the mountains around Aspen and the town! But the best part was at the top when we could see the mountains we'd been hiking near! At the end of Castle Creek Road we could see a mountain that looked a bit like Mt. St. Helens (it makes me wonder because the Ranger at Florissant Fossil Beds said that the volcano that created the lahar was similar to Mt. St. Helens...was this it? I'm not sure it was the proper distance or direction away!) and we could see that clearly. We could also see the top of the Maroon Bells! We spent a little while walking around and taking pictures before heading down.

 

Once back at the campground, the chore marathon began. I needed water and it was available at the campground, I also needed to dump, but that was not available. I wasn't sure if the dump station at the campground I was going yo had fresh water or not (sometimes they don't!) so I decided to fill up where I knew there was water. This was the slowest flow spicket I've ever used, took at least 20 minutes! I'd actually given up and was turning it off when it started coming out the overflow! Next was driving to the Aspen-Basalt Campground in Basalt - luckily it was easier to get into than google maps implied and luckily I was paying attention to the road and not just following directions. The next stop was Starbucks in Basalt. I've been really lucky to recieve many Starbucks gift cards as gifts from parents and I've been cashing them in for coffee all summer! My final stop was Walmart in Glenwood Springs - I'm having some technical difficulties with transferring pictures from my new camera and decided it would be good to just store my pictures on the memory card so I wanted another. Turns out my old memory card is only 1GB. No wonder the card is full! My new one is 32GB so I should have plenty of space!

Finally I was on my way to Dinosaur National Monument, way up the the far northwest corner of Colorado, although really we went to Utah - most of the monument is in Colorado but the parts that are most accessible for visitors is in Utah.

After we left Aspen the rest of the drive was in the desert! It was nice in its own way, but desert isn't my favorite landscape!

We got to Dinosaur a little before 6 and I ended up getting there first since Mom and Dad stopped for a long lunch at Rib City in Rifle. There were sites left and I found one big enough for Mom and Dad and one for me. There's no shade in the campground and it was crazy hot. Soon after we arrived however, the clouds started getting thicker and it cooled off a bit and got more pleasant. I got dinner and then took a walk around the campground. It was hot, but not too uncomfortable. As soon as the sun started setting it got more and more comfortable! And, we have good cell signal here! I can't believe it because we are out in the middle of nowhere but it's true!

PS: I'm not posting many pictures because it's slow! When I get to a higher speed wifi (or more likely home) I'll post albums or something!

 

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Cathedral Lake

This morning Dad and I took Roxy (so Mom could have the Jeep to go into Aspen if she wanted to!) and drove out Castle Creek Road to hike to Cathedral Lake. We were considering going on to Electric Pass but decided we'd decide when we got to the trail junction.

We drove 12 miles out Castle Creek Road and then we had to turn onto a dirt road for .6 of a mile to get to the trailhead parking. I've driven on dirt roads before, but this one was rough. Big rocks (not huge, just bigger than I wanted to drive my RV over), dips and holes. Roxy didn't seem to have any trouble with it, but I didn't enjoy it too much. We kinda got the last spot at the trailhead, but then we moved so we wee backed in, poised to pull right out when we got back so we wouldn't get parked in and there was room for two more cars to park.

The trail to the lake was only 2.5 miles, but it gained 2000 ft of elevation. Going from almost 10,000 ft to almost 12,000! So it was up the whole way! The views just got better and better, as the trail got steeper and steeper! I don't think I've ever walked a trail this steep that wasn't a rock scramble! There was one point where I was walking across a scree field in the saddle and I looked up could see the switchbacks cut into the mountain ahead of me. It went straight up!

 

We made it to the lake a little after noon, after a bit of stress because of the multiple trails in the area and neither Dad nor I following each other, we found each other and had lunch. I took my shoes off and waded in the lake but it was really cold! It felt free at first but it was crazy cold!

After lunch we decided to head down rather than try for Electric Pass. To get to the pass was another 2.2 miles and another 1600 feet of elevation gain. We decided that the had been fabulous and the lake was enough!

The hike down was tough because it was so steep and just continually down. But, we made it back to the van, despite the assault from the biting flies! Then it was back over the rough dirt road, longest .6 of a mile I've ever driven.

When we got back to Aspen we went to the post office to pick up Mom and Dad's mail then we discovered Clark's Market - I'd parked in their parking out because it was big enough for me - it was a much nicer store than the City Market in town, and they had gelato! Dad and I checked out the whole store and picked up a few things we saw that looked interesting, then it was back to the campground.

When we left this morning I took everything, didn't leave a chair or anything because my name and reservation dates were on the post. Well, apparently they get a lot of folks who leave a day early without telling anyone, so since my site was vacant the campground host assumed I was gone and gave my site to someone else. Luckily they allow "overflow camping" in the day use parking lot so I was able to move over there, but only because I was in a self contained hard sided RV - tent campers can't go over there because there's no food storage for the bears.

This might actually be a good thing... First of all, the day use parking lot I think will get the sun a lot earlier than my camp site and therefore it should get warm earlier tomorrow morning. 2nd, the parking lot is level. 3rd, the people in the campsite next to me gags at least 3 noisy kids, the parking lot will be quieter! And, the folks who are on my site are tent camping, they might not have been able to get a spot if they hadn't taken mine and I'm fine in the parking lot!

 

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Rio Grande Trail

Three years ago when we stayed in Glenwood Springs, Dad and I discovered the Rio Grande Rail Trail - it went from Glenwood Springs to Aspen and it was a very nice trail, at least the 7 or so miles of it we rode near Glenwood Springs. Since we were in Aspen and Mom could pick us up in Glenwood Springs, we decided we'd ride the whole thing. It was 42 miles from Aspen to Glenwood Springs and we rode from the campground into Aspen, Map My Ride said it was 49 miles. I think it was more like 47, but either way it was a long ride!

We were riding downhill and I was expecting it would be like the Great Alleghany Passage where we were heading downhill but you couldn't really tell, it was basically flat. I remember how long that 50 mile day felt and I was thinking today would be the same. But it wasn't! The descent was steady and noticeable, according to Dad's GPS we averaged 12 mph, there were lots of times I was just coasting and that was nice! I think it also helped that most of the trail was paved. There was a section of maybe 5 miles between Aspen and Basalt that wasn't paved, but it was smooth crushed stone. Usually when I do a 30 mile ride it stops being fun around mile 24-25, but today that didn't happen. The ride was less fun after mile 35, but I never got to a point of just wanting it to end!

When we started in Aspen it was cold! Our campground is up in the valley and the mountains are very tall, it takes a long time in the mornings for the sun to come up over the mountain. My campsite probably doesn't get the sun until after 9. It goes down into the 40s at night. It was a cold ride, mostly in the shade, down the East Aspen Trail. Once we got to the trail head in Aspen however we were warm and took off our fleece!

The 1st half of the trail was my favorite. When we were in Aspen the trail was wooded and we had great views of Roaring Fork river with its many cascades. Soon we dropped enough elevation that we were in the desert! The morning was still cool and it was nice.

 

There are very few services along the route. We found one porta-potty near Aspen and another at Basalt High School, and there were some at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs. Luckily the 1st picnic table we came to was also in time for lunch and in the shade!

After lunch the ride got hot! We'd dropped even more elevation, the temperature was climbing, and there was no shade. Then the wind kicked up! We were riding downhill, but with the wind in our face it made it almost seem like we were riding on the flat.

Just outside of Carbondale there was a detour because of mountain lion activity. You don't want to mess with that! The detour was well marked and easy to follow, even if there were a few moments of, "I hope we are still going to right way!"

It was just about 2:00 when we got to Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs. Mom had found the park and was waiting for us. After cooling off in the shade, we headed to Kalidescoops for, you guessed it, ice cream!

After we ran a few errands, Walmart (where I ended up buying a pair of leggings because I wasn't walking around in my super padded bike shorts! I hiked to Crater Lake in them and that was enough! I love them for biking, but not for walking!), the farmers market in Cannondale, City Market and then back to Aspen.

Once in Aspen we parked at the visitor center and walked down to Rio Grande Park to visit the John Denver Sanctuary. John lived in Aspen and the sanctuary is very nice! There's an area where the words to some f his songs are etched in big rocks. There's another area with some meandering paths surrounded by water and little cascades and wild flowers! A few rocks in that area have quotes on them, but not all are John Denver quotes or lyrics. It was a neat spot!

 

We returned to the campground for dinner and generator time. After dinner I came back "home" to prep for tomorrow, blog, and read! I like having the evening to get these things done.

 

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Leadville & Laundry

Today's plan was to drive over Independence Pass since Mom and Dad didn't get to drive over on the way from Gunnison. And, since everything in Aspen is so expensive*, we decided to bring the laundry with us in hopes of finding a more reasonable laundromat.

*And, no, I'm not starting like Aspen the more I'm there.

Our first stop was in downtown Aspen at the Paradise Bakery for muffins! Heather had suggested the cinnamon rolls there and yesterday Mom got one and then Dad and I were there later for ice cream! This was also an opportunity for Internet - our campground is 5 miles outside of Aspen and we have no cell signal there!

We drove up and over Independence Pass and stopped a few times for pictures. I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention because I'd already seen it all. I sat in the backseat and transferred pictures from my camera to my phone!

On the other side we stopped for lunch at a picnic area on Twin Lakes. Here you had a great view of the mountains you climbed over when you drove over the pass! I'd wanted to stop on Sunday but I missed the turn.

Once on the other side we went up to Leadville because we knew it was a neat town and they had a laundromat! Here the cost of laundry was much more reasonable - $2.50 to wash and $1.25 to dry (for me, Mom's was more), in Aspen it was $4.75 to wash and $3.00 for an hour to dry.

After the laundry finished we walked around Leadville. It's a cute town, a bit more run down than some of the other towns we've been to but they had several stores we enjoyed browsing!

We returned to Aspen over Independence Pass. It was evening now and the light was different! In both trips over today I did see plenty of things I'd missed when I was driving. Even still, my favorite trip over the pass was the 1st, when I was driving and experiencing it for the first time! It as a thrill to drive my RV over such a big pass and through so many little driving challenges!

 

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Maroon Bells

At dinner the other night Brian had suggested we bike out Maroon Creek road - it's where the main hiking area for the Maroon Bells is and the road is closed to private vehicles during the day, shuttle buses only, so there wouldn't be much traffic and it's a very scenic ride. So this morning we had Mom drop us off at Aspen Elementary school which was right at the start of the road and we rode off!

It was 10 miles and 1600 feet of elevation gain to get to the visitor center at the end of the road! But, I didn't have to get off and walk! It was a lot of of uphill riding and when we finally got there I was ready to be done!

Maroon Lake is amazing! It's a big lake with the huge mountains all around! We sat on the bank and ate lunch, then we headed up to Crater Lake! The hike to Crater Lake was almost 4 miles round trip with another 500 feet of elevation gain! And there were tons of people! But it was a nice hike - with views, and Aspen forest, and wild flowers!

 

After we got back to Maroon Lake it was time for the fun part, the downhill bike ride! We zoomed back to Aspen in half the time it took us to ride up! Once back in town we followed a few different bike paths to get to Paradise Bakery for ice cream! It was a good calorie replacement!

After our ice cream we still needed to ride another 5 miles back to the campground. My legs were done riding uphill and I was pretty much done with riding. I don't think I brought enough food, I was hungry from the middle of the hike out to Crater Lake all the way to the end, I think if I'd had more food I wouldn't have been as worn out by the end. The last 5 miles were hard. The bike path we were on was nice, mostly flat or downhill, but all the up hills I got off and walked!

I was back in the campground when I saw Mom coming down the road - we were late getting back and she was going to look for us. Since she'd found me (and Dad was ahead so she'd already seen him) she turned around and on her way back in she picked me up!

I got a shower and we ate dinner and then we drove Maroon Creek road again (private vehicles are allowed after 5) so Mom could see it!

 

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Independence Pass

Today we were moving over to Aspen and I got to drive over two big mountain passes, Monarch and Independence. I'd drive over Monarch Pass in 2013 and Independence Pass was new to me.

Monarch Pass is on US50 which I always find fun because US50 runs right through DC and goes past my school. Monarch Pass also has a gondola on top that you can ride up and get the view from the very top of the mountain! I didn't go up three years ago because I missed the turn and there were storms in the area. So, today I got the chance to go up! As far as "roadside attractions/tourist traps" go this was a good one! Lots of great views and you could walk around as much as you'd like before heading down. It was crazy windy up there, but not as windy as Pike's Peak

After I came down from Monarch Pass I drove on to Buena Vista and got fuel, then it was on to Colorado 82 which would take me over Independence Pass. Vehicles over 35 feet are prohibited because of the tight turns so it was more of a scenic drive than many of the other passes. It was also a lot more dramatic! The mountains were huge and the views were spectacular! There were several 10 mph hairpin turns, which is why large vehicles aren't allowed. And they are serious about that rule - there's $1500 fine, in addition to whatever it costs to get the large vehicle out of wherever it gets stuck.

At the pass there was a large parking area and a paved path to walk out to a view. It was crazy windy there too! The pass is above treeline so it was all open with views in all directions! I walked out the paved path to the viewpoint and discovered a trail that went out further. I walked out maybe a mile to a little saddle in the mountains - the trail continued higher, but I hadn't brought anything with me so decided to turn around. It was a very easy trail to walk and the views were awesome. On the way back I saw a snow patch that I hadn't seen on the way up. My snowshoes were back in the van and it was too far to walk back and get them! And the snow patch wasn't very big. I walked through it a bit, but I was wearing sandals so it was really cold!

 

Once back at the van I got a snack and enjoyed the view! I was parked next to a small pond and I considered going for a swim, but it was too cold, even with the sun shining! I'd spent about an hour at the summit before heading down!

The downhill side was just as dramatic but there weren't any crazy hairpin turns! In a few places though the road got really narrow, hardly any space to pass, with big rocks on the sides! For the most part though I was able to coast down in 1st and 2nd gear and just enjoy the view!

Our campground for the next 5 days, Difficult (that's the name, just Difficult! LOL!) was right on the road almost to Aspen. I turned in and found my site and since Mom and Dad weren't here yet I explored the campground a bit and hiked a little ways up the trail.

We went into Aspen for dinner and I'm not a huge fan of the town. I didn't really like Colorado Springs at first either and after I was there awhile I liked it more so maybe the same will be true here. The town just seems very elegant and hoity toity. We had dinner at the Pyramid Bistro which is a health food resteraunt that has a lot of vegetarian dishes and it's on the top floor of a cute independent bookstore. The food was terrific, but the atmosphere was so elegant and that made me not enjoy it as much. The whole town seems that way, it wants to be fun, but it's too busy being elegant.

 

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Crested Butte

I think Crested Butte is my new favorite town in Colorado! It's a fun town, with lots to do! We should have planned more than one day here.

Dad and I decided to my van to give Mom more time to get ready. It was about a 30 minute drive up there and we parked at the visitor center and went in and got maps and talked to the guy about hikes and bike rides.

We found a quick walk right outside of town, the Woods Walk. It was 1.5 miles and would give us a good taste of the area and let us see windflowers. Crested Butte is the wildflower Capitol of Colorado and the Wildflower Festival starts on Tuesday so it was the season for wildflower. The main flower we saw were Columbine, but we saw a lot of them! We also got great views of the mountains all around us!

When we returned to town, Mom had arrived and it was time for lunch. We went to Pitas in Paradise! I had falafel and it was so good! Then we went to check out Third Bowl Ice Cream. Their flavors were more creative and it wasn't my favorite ice cream.

Next we decided to drive out the Slate River Road to the Oh Be Joyful recreation area where there was a trail that looked interesting. We got to the recreation area and we couldn't find the trail. We suspect it was on the other side of the river and we would have had to take our shoes off to get across the river or drive and Dad thought it was a bit too swift and deep for the jeep. So, we headed up Slate River Road toward Paradise Pass

We ended up driving almost all the way to the pass, but in order to make a loop we had to take the road down before we got to the pass. The whole loop was really neat! Lots of big mountains and windflowers.

 

When we got back to Crested Butte we had about two hours before we were meeting Brian and Heather for dinner, so we decided we'd ride our bikes on the paved rec path. But, 1st I got to learn how to fix a flat tire on my bike. Ugh. Luckily Dad had taken a class and knew how to do it and it was the front tire so it was easier. It took a few tries because the patch didn't hold and the pump wouldn't work. Finally, after having gotten a trial run of the steps by trying to patch the inner tube, I used my new inner tube and fixed it up.

The rec path was really nice! It was paved and had great views. It was also very hilly! There was a long steep hill then at the top there was a sign that said "bikes 7% grade". I wasn't sure I wanted to ride down it because I was going to have to ride back up it, but we were almost to the end of the trail so I rode down it. On the way back the 7% spot wasn't so bad and said how I thought the hill coming up was harder and soon we passed a sign warning bikers that it was an 8% grade! Ha! I was right the hill coming up was steeper that 7%! It was also long.

After our bike ride we got ready and headed over to Secret Stash to meet Brian and Heather. I loved getting together with them two years ago and really enjoyed seeing them this evening as well! They (and their yellow lab!) had hiked over from Aspen! It's an 11 mile hike over the pass! They'd then gotten a shuttle into Crested Butte and had a hotel room for the night and would hike back over tomorrow morning! How cool is that?

 

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