Lucky or Unlucky?

I published my blog yesterday as we were driving from Estes Park to Canon City.  Shortly after I posted it, we had a very scary experience.

We were still on I-25 and as we crested a hill, we saw traffic completely stopped in the left lane and everyone hitting their brakes.  We were in the center lane and there was traffic in the right lane.  Kevin was able to slow down considerably, but as we got closer, we saw the problem.  The left lane had a ladder laying across it with a car stopped in front of the ladder and another car had crashed into the front car.  The center lane had a step-stool laying in it.  Kevin tried to straddle it, but caught it with the back right tire of the truck.  We heard the noise as we hit it, but had nowhere to go as there were cars on both sides of us.

Everything seemed to be all right, so we continued on.  We were both pretty shook.  When we pulled off to get gas, we saw there was a hole in the camper right above one of the front jacks.  Luckily, the jacks are working.  As Kevin inspected the hole, he found the rubber foot from the step-stool stuck inside.

I really hope everyone around us was able to avoid an accident.  It happened so quickly, it’s really a blur.  So, it was unlucky that it happened at all.  But, I feel incredibly lucky that it wasn’t worse.  We really could have been in a serious accident.  I’m thankful that Kevin is such an excellent driver.  He did the best he could!

I’ve contacted our insurance company, and we’ll see what they say.  We’re not in an area where we can get it fixed, and we’re hoping to wait until we are in a place for a longer period of time.  Kevin has covered it with tape to keep water and creatures out of the hole.  Of course, if the insurance company wants us to get it taken care of sooner, we’ll just have to readjust our plans.

As I said yesterday, I hate interstates.  There seem to be more and more crazy drivers out there.  Whoever lost those ladders was nowhere to be seen and was responsible for a great deal of chaos.  Our 5-1/2 hour, 250 mile trip yesterday was quite stressful.  Defensive driving has become incredibly important.

Deciding which roads to travel is a real conundrum.  On the one hand, interstates are usually fairly flat and have gas stations readily available.  State and county roads can be just fine, but in a mountainous area like this, it can be risky to travel on them. 

We’re staying at the Royal View Campground about 10 miles west of Canon City, Colorado.  This place is very well maintained with nice level sites.  We have full hook-ups with 50 amp service.  The cost with tax is $32.40 a night after the Good Sam discount.  There is free wi-fi, but it’s very slow.  Here’s the view outside of our back window.

It’s been difficult finding inexpensive camping in these tourist areas.  That’s the price you pay for being a tourist :) 

We’re looking forward to an enjoyable day today at the Royal Gorge.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

A Scenic Drive

We were invited to visit cousin Mark and his family on Wednesday.  They live in Arvada, Colorado which is about 60 miles from Estes Park. 

I have a book that I bought several years ago that describes 120 most scenic drives in the US.  One of these was from Estes Park to the Denver area, so we decided to take that drive.  The route is called the Peak to Peak Scenic Drive.  It takes you from Long’s Peak in RMNP to Pike’s Peak.  It was a beautiful drive with mountains, canyons and glowing aspens.  It took us 2.5 hours, but it was worth it.

We made a stop at Camping World and Wal-Mart and then we headed to Red Rock Park and Amphitheater.  It’s an area with huge red rock formations.  In the early 1900s several groups of citizens and politicians had an idea to build an amphitheater between some of these large red rocks because of the excellent acoustic sound.  During the depression, the CCC built this amphitheater without any machines.  They hauled thousands of yards of cement and rock up the hill. 

Time and time again I am amazed what the CCC accomplished in the 1930s.  Roosevelt had the right idea when he spent “stimulus money” on forming that group.  No money for Wall Street banks and large corporations.  He put young men to work.  We are still reaping the rewards.

The visitor’s center is perched high on top of the amphitheater.  We climbed 393 steps to the top.  I was sure huffing and puffing.  There was a chart at the visitor center that explained how at that altitude there was 80% less oxygen than at sea level.  Also, because the air is so much drier, it also makes it harder to breathe.  I feel better.  I think of myself as being in pretty decent shape, but I have been running out of breath so easily here.

I forgot my camera and I wasn’t going back down to get it :)  I did have my cell phone and took a few pictures with it.  Unfortunately, I’m having trouble syncing my phone to my laptop so I can’t download the pictures.  I did take a few from the bottom.  This was an incredible place to see.  I’d love to attend a concert here someday.  Acts such as The Beatles, Willie Nelson, The Grateful Dead, Mariah Carey, U2 and many others have performed there.

The u-shaped area at the base of the huge rock on the right is the visitor center and amphitheater. The fence in the foreground is at road level.  That’s where the climb begins.

We spent the evening with Mark and Dolly and helped their son, Daniel, celebrate his 21st birthday.  It has been really wonderful spending time with them.  Kevin has fond memories of going to Mark’s families house in St. Louis for Easter each year.  Another bonus of this lifestyle is an opportunity to meet up with distant family and friends.  Thanks Mark and Dolly for your incredible hospitality and to Daniel for letting us share in his special birthday.

We are now driving to Canon City, Colorado to the next 4 days to explore the Royal Gorge area.  We’re traveling on I-25 because Kevin feels it is the safest way to get there.  Many of the state and local highways are in the mountains, and we didn’t want to take any chances.  Driving on the interstate makes me nervous.  I hate that people can switch lanes in front of us.  We again had an idiot today that zipped right in front of us.  Kevin had to hit the brakes hard.

I think all vehicles should come equipped with a paintball gun in the front grill.  When a moron zips in front of you and is driving like an idiot, you should be able to zap him with a paintball.  That way everyone would know who the most dangerous drivers are!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Close Encounters of the Elk Kind

The plan for Tuesday was to spend the day in Estes Park.  We started at the Stanley hotel. 

It was while Stephen King and his wife were guests at the Stanley Hotel that he conceived the idea for his novel "The Shining." The hotel was fictionalized as the Overlook Hotel in the novel and subsequent film and television versions of the novel. The room that King stayed in was room 217 which is claimed to be haunted.

Interestingly, the theatrical film directed by Stanley Kubrick was not filmed at the Stanley Hotel. Kubrick didn’t think there was enough snow in Estes Park to make the hotel look secluded enough.  The 1990s television version of "The Shining" included exterior scenes at the Stanley. 

Famous guests have been President Theodore Roosevelt, John Philip Sousa, and the emperor of Japan. While filming "Dumb and Dumber," actor Jim Carey stayed in the infamous room 217. The Titanic survivor known as the Unsinkable Molly Brown was also a guest. The hotel was built by the inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile.

Our next stop was back at the store where I bought my hiking shoes.  Many people on the hiking trails have hiking poles.  I decided to buy one and give it a try.

We then went to Estes Lake in the heart of the city.  There is a 3.75 mile hiking/biking trail that goes around the lake.  We walked all the way around.  There is a golf course that runs along part of the trail.  Many elk were hanging out on the course.

We were about three quarters of the way around the lake when we saw a group of people ahead of us looking at something.  Then we saw the group of elk walking along the trail.  There were 13 female cows and one very large bull.  I took a few pictures and some video.  The elk were walking towards us. 

This path has a highway on one side and the lake on the other.  We were next to a large electric tower.  They kept coming so I got up on the side of the path behind the electric tower.  I took a bit more video as they came by. 

Now the bull was coming a little behind them.  Instead of going on the path like the cows did, he came up on the side of the trail where we were.  We were on one side of the tower and he was right on the other side of it.  Kevin was in front of me and could have easily touched him.  He stopped right next to us and kind of looked at us and then continued on.  He was definitely letting us know who was in charge.  I was pretty scared.  I actually contemplated jumping into the lake. 

You’re always told to not get too close to wild animals, but this time we were there first and they got too close to us.  I was wishing we could have been closer to the elk we saw yesterday at RMNP.  I guess I need to be careful what I wish for, because that elk encounter was too close for comfort!!!

If I knew how to insert video, I would show you the video clip I took right after he went past.  You can see the tower we were next to.  As we were getting back to the beginning of the trail, we heard some bull elk bugling.  I got some video of one of them bugling.  We spent a while sitting on a bench and it sounded like the elk were having a bugling contest.  It was an amazing experience!!

 

This Colorado Red Tailed Hawk was sitting on top of a pine tree next to the trail.  We sure had a wildlife kind of day :)

 

 

 

 

 

We finished our walk and spent about an hour wandering around the shops downtown.  My big purchase was 3 postcards.  Kevin found a t-shirt and a coffee mug.

Cousin Mark sent me the pictures he took on Sunday.

Here we are at Alberta Falls in RMNP.

 

 

 

And here we are at Emerald Lake in RMNP.

 

 

 

And here are Mark, Dolly, and Daniel at Emerald Lake.

 

 

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Rocky Mountain National Park-Day 3

We did some more hiking today.  We chose a trail that took us past 3 lakes.  It was a 3.6 mile round trip with an elevation change of 605 feet.  It was another great workout.  The lakes were all beautiful.

This was Nymph Lake.

 

This one is Dream Lake.

And this one is Emerald Lake.  This was another hike with a great payoff.  Honestly, the pictures only give you a glimpse of the spectacular beauty we have seen.  I highly recommend Rocky Mountain National Park as a must-see destination.

 

 

The aspen colors are spectacular.  I took a lot of pictures.  I’ll share a few with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also saw wildlife today.

This guy is a Stellar Jay.  It has an electric blue body with a black head. 

 

 

 

And, here are a few elk pictures.  There are a few herds in some meadows.  You can always tell where they are.  Just look for a bunch of cars pulled over at the side of the road :)

 

So ends another fantastic day.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Rocky Mountain National Park-Day 1

 

The morning started with a beautiful sunrise.

 

 

 

We headed over to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) around 9 am.  Today was National Park Day so entry to all parks was free.  There were quite a few people, but we didn’t have any major traffic problems.  The plan was to drive the 50 miles from one side of the park to the other on Trail Ridge Road.  First we stopped at the Moraine Park Visitor Center to watch the movie and to stamp my National Parks Passport.

We drove to the Sheep Lakes area to see if we could spot any elk.  We saw a ton of cars pulled over so we knew we were in luck :)

 

 

As we drove further into the park, the mountain views grew more and more beautiful.  Out of nowhere a wave of emotion swept over me.  The splendor of the scenery really got to me.  I started thinking about how lucky we are to be living this life; and before I knew it, tears were running down my face.  Kevin just goes with the flow.  He knows I get a little wacky sometimes :)

I saw this bird at one of the lookout areas.  He was sitting on this sign right next to all kinds of people, and it didn’t seem to phase him one bit.  I believe he is a Clark’s Nutcracker.

 

On the western side of the park is Grand Lake.  The mountains on this side of the park are called the Never Summer Mountains.  You can see some of the aspen.  The park didn’t have as many aspen as I imagined, but they are in full color and gorgeous!

On our way back to the east side of the park, we stopped and hiked a few short trails.  We plan on doing some more hiking this week.  Today was a get acquainted with the park day.  One of the hikes was along this small stream.  It’s actually the Colorado River.  The headwaters start in the mountains in the park.  Can you believe this is the same river that roars through the Grand Canyon.

Our final hike for today was at an area called Rock Cut.  This was a mile hike climbing 260 feet.  The trailhead started at 12,110 feet elevation.  It felt like we were on top of the world.

I took lots of pictures, but pretty soon they all start to look the same so I won’t show you anymore today :)

Back in town we stopped at Estes Park Mountain Shop where I bought a pair of Merrell hiking shoes.  I’ve heard from several other fulltimers that these are great shoes for hiking.  They were on sale for $64.99.  I know they regularly run around $100 so I broke down and bought a pair.  My tennis shoes really weren’t cutting it today.

I’m tired tonight, but it’s a good tired :)

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Rocky Mountain National Park-Day 2

Yesterday Kevin’s cousin Mark, his wife, Dolly and their 20 year old son, Daniel came for a visit.  They live in a suburb of Denver and were kind enough to drive 1-1/2 hours to come see us. 

Mark and his boys are avid hikers and outdoorsmen.  We decided to take a hike in the Bear Lake area of RMNP.  Mark told us he’d choose a trail that wouldn’t be too strenuous.  We took the trail to The Loch.  This trail is 6.2 miles roundtrip with an increase in elevation of 990 feet.  If you figure one story of an office building is 10 feet, that would be the equivalent of walking up 99 stories.  The Loch at the end of the trail was worth it.  What an amazing view.  It’s a crystal clear lake surrounded by mountains with Andrews Glacier visible on the side of one of the mountains.  It was so nice to rest for a while and enjoy the spiritual essence of the place.  There isn’t a cathedral in the world that could compare for a Sunday visit.   We could have continued on the trail to a lake at the base of the glacier.  It would have been only an extra 2 miles with another 700 foot increase in elevation.  Instead we decided to go back.  We appreciated the fact that Mark chose a trail where we could push ourselves a little, but we’re not crazy :)

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera.  Luckily, Mark and Dolly brought theirs and will be emailing me a few pictures they took for us.  I’ll post them as soon as I get them.  I’m really glad we did the hike.  It was a bit strenuous, but the exercise felt great and the payoff was an awesome reward.  Both Kevin and I believe our knees are actually feeling better after a few days of hiking.

I’m loving my new Merrell hiking shoes.  The trail yesterday was quite rocky, and I’m sure the bottoms of my feet would have been quite miserable in tennis shoes.  I highly recommend the Merrell’s for anyone planning on doing any hiking.

The weather has been phenomenal.  Highs have been in the 80s and nighttime lows in the 40s.  We have noticed a definite difference in the weather due to the altitude.  The sun feels more intense and seems brighter.  Once the sun goes down, the temperatures drop like a rock.  It’s been sunny every day, and we just couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather. And the star viewing at night is incredible!!  An added bonus is no mosquitoes and no flies :)

Something that is very noticeable in RMNP are the amount of dead pine trees.  The park is suffering from a pine beetle epidemic.  I would guess 50% of the pine trees in certain areas are dead.  It’s due to the average temperatures being higher than average for the past 10 years and prolonged periods of low precipitation.  It’s considered a natural phenomenon, but it’s sad to see so many dead trees.  I’m guessing there will come a time when a fire will destroy much of the dead wood.  You can see all of the brown dead trees in the picture.

We’re off to do some more hiking today, and I won’t be forgetting my camera!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Estes Park, Colorado

Last night we stayed at McGreer Camper Park in Big Springs, Nebraska.  It’s a Passport America park about a mile off of I-80.  The cost was $12.50 for a full hook-up site with 30 amp service.  That’s it.  The office is on the right and we’re parked just to the left of it.

It appeared to be the outer boundaries of a farm field with some sites put in.  Very rustic :)  There was a small office building, but we never saw a soul.  You put your money in an envelope and slid it through a mail slot.  The building was open and they had some coin operated washer and dryers.  The bathrooms had free showers and were clean.  It was an OK place to spend a night, but other than that, it had no “it” factor at all.  We were the only ones there for a while.  Towards evening, two more RVs pulled in.

We left about 9:00 this morning.  The landscape quickly turned from fields of crops to range land; lots of cattle.  I kept searching the horizon for mountains.  It seemed like they just appeared out of nowhere.  One second there was nothing, and the next second you could see mountains.  Very cool!  We’ve been to the Rockies before, but it’s been a while.  I love mountain views.

It was a steady uphill climb all day.  Once we got past Loveland, Colorado, there was a 22 mile stretch of switchbacks right in the mountains.  Kevin did a great job driving.  Here’s where my knuckles started turning a bit white :)  This was the first time our truck pulled our new camper in mountains.  It’s heavier than our last camper was, so we weren’t sure how the truck would do.  It performed like a champ :)

We’re staying at Mary’s Lake Campground in Estes Park about two miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.  It’s a county park so we have to pay $7 a day for an entrance pass plus $30 a day for the camping.  It was still less expensive than any other private campgrounds so close to the national park.   Everything is very brown here.  They have had a very dry spell and the fire danger it high. 

Here’s the view at the front of the camper.

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s the view looking towards the back.

 

 

 

 

The mountain views are beautiful.  The campground has full hook-ups with 50 amp electric.  The pull-through sites are pretty level and have a concrete pad.  There is free Wi-Fi which is good because our air card has no bars.  We can barely get a signal on the cell phones.  The satellite dish is set up with a great signal.  I called DirecTV to change our location, and believe it or not, it went very smoothly.  We now have Denver local channels so we can record our favorite shows while we explore.

The ground here is rock covered with some scrawny pines.  I’m really surprised how desert-like the landscape is.  I was envisioning more green space.  There is a Mary’s Lake, but it’s across the road from the campground so no lake views.  All in all, it’s not a bad campground, but doesn’t have a real “it” factor for me.  On this leg of the trip, it’s all about location.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!