Driving Up the Canyon

One place we almost always have to visit when we are in Colorado is a small government campground above Gunnison on the Taylor Canyon Road.  Mother's and David's first trip to Colorado was spent in that campground, sharing the large pop-up camper that George was living in that summer as he played campground host.  It's a primitive campground with no hookups, so I was never tempted to camp there myself (I have to have bathroom and shower facilities available).  But you couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting to spend a few days.

Cold Spring Campground is named for a natural spring that bubbles out of the rocks at the entrance.  It is well named; you can barely count to 10 while holding your hand in the ice-cold water before your fingers turn numb.  I felt I had to do it; I always wear Mother's favorite ring, which I believe she bought on her first or second trip to Colorado, and I felt like plunging my hand into the cold water was a way of making her a part of this trip.

The sign to Cold Spring Campground on Taylor Canyon Road 

The natural spring at the entrance.

It was all I could do to keep my hand in the water
long enough to snap this picture.  Brrrrr.

David and Karen at the spring. 

David poses by the campground sign.

The campground is positioned against a sharp rise, but across the Taylor Canyon Road you can make a gentle hike down to the Taylor River.  David has long lain claim to a  particular rock in the tumbling river that he likes to sit on and which normally can be reached with a stretch of the leg across the edge of the river.  But the recent rains had his rock under water, so he wasn't able to sit on it this time.

David standing where he normally would have been able to step across to
his rock.  The abundant rains this year have put the rock under the rushing water.

The Taylor River rushing toward Almont a few miles below, where it will
join with the Gunnison and East Rivers.

For most of the way from Almont, where we were camped, to a point just past the Cold Spring Campground, cattle are roaming free range on the government lands under grazing leases to private owners.  You will run into cattle ambling down the road, sometimes a small herd blocking both directions of traffic as they take their time deciding on which side of the road they want to be.  This mama cow and her calf were chugging their way down the side of the road.  We passed them on the way up the canyon and they passed us while we were visiting the campground.  I wonder every time we see the cattle roaming around how it is that they manage to survive with all the vehicles that are traveling up and down the road from Almont to Taylor Park and back.  But the speed limit is low and the sharp curves in the road keep the vehicles from going so fast that there is no time to react.

We spent an hour or so paying homage to memories tied up in the little campground and then moved on toward Taylor Park and another favorite scenic drive that has become a tradition.

Next up - Cumberland Pass.

LSW

Mountaineering, Part 2

A few hours with the breathtaking beauty of Lake Irwin left us ravenously hungry, so we decided it was time to tour the town of Crested Butte, with the first order finding a place to lunch.  Crested Butte has changed a little bit from the time I knew it so well, not so much in appearance as in content.  It used to be a sleepy little town with jewelry and art stores, tourist trap stores and a few restaurants.  Now it is less about the shopping and more about the eating and drinking.  The day we visited, it was buzzing with activity.  We were getting closer to the July 4th holiday and the tourist crowd was noticeably thickening.

For a tiny little town, there is an inordinate proportion of places to sample wines and beers and a wide variety of places to eat.  Alas, my favorite bakery where we used to acquire yummy sandwiches is long since gone, but we found a lovely little place with an outside patio where we could eat and people watch.

After lunch, we roamed around town and did a bit of shopping.  I found another choice miniature (the minis I brought back will probably get their own post when I wrap things up) and had a nice conversation with a gentleman who owned a better than average T-shirt and other apparel shop.  I had another lovely encounter with a lady in an art store where we ended up talking about a Beethoven print she had acquired in Paris.  It was a lovely couple of hours spent in a town that once was a favorite spot of mine.

Crested Butte, looking toward its namesake mountain

Crested Butte Main Street
It was a picture perfect day.

Although I hate to admit it, we found a Bluebonnet cousin that made our jaws drop.  It's really unfair that such a huge representation of the lupine family is found growing in Colorado and not in Texas.  They were abundant in the yards in this area, in all colors from white to pink to maroon to a very close approximation to our own Bluebonnet.  David placed his hand in the picture to prove to the folks back home just how big the things were.

Texas-sized lupines in Colorado

After we had reacquainted ourselves thoroughly with the charms of Crested Butte, we headed out into the back country on our second favorite scenic drive out toward the small historic town of Gothic.  Gothic would be a ghost town now if it had not been taken over by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and turned into a research center.  It really isn't a town any longer, but a restricted government area that you can drive through but not explore to any extent due to the biological studies that are in progress.

But if you keep on driving through, you begin climbing up into an area that is full of government campgrounds and some of the prettiest, most photogenic mountain scenery you could ask for.  The road gets a bit rough in places, but it is well worth the bumpy ride.

These are the mountains between Crested Butte and Aspen.

This is looking back at Crested Butte Mountain from the same point
as the previous photo.  You are surrounded by beautiful mountains on
every side.

David soaking up some clean mountain air.

Me, trying to blend into the lush green valley.

This was the point where we turned around to head back.  Just to the left
of this picture is a campground where David & Karen have tent-camped.
They were off exploring and reminiscing, while I was just drinking in
the mountains and enjoying a bit of meditative alone time, well
except for the non-stop traffic that was coming in from farther out.
It was difficult to get this photo with the clouds of dust being kicked
up by 4-wheel drive vehicles flying down the road.

On the way back toward Crested Butte, we made a point to stop and take a photo of the meandering stream that runs through the valley.  It has grown up a lot in the twenty years since I last stood at this spot and it was harder to get a photo, but the recent rains had the little stream full and the winding path of it is still such a lovely view.

Just above Gothic

There was a period of several years after I stopped visiting Colorado when I had a recurring dream of driving into Crested Butte and on out into the mountain valley beyond.  This part of Colorado is the stuff that dreams are made of and I hope the folks who are lucky enough to live there fully appreciate what they have.

As a parting side story, there was a time long, long ago when I actually seriously thought about moving to the Gunnison area and a vivid dream of running a yarn store with living quarters above the shop.  I subscribed to the Crested Butte paper for awhile and actually applied for a job.  I can't remember now what the job entailed, but I'm sure it was some kind of office position.  I knew it was an extreme long-shot that I would ever hear back from them, but in fact they did call and we had an interview over the telephone.  It turned out that the salary was barely enough to scrape by and not really a good enough reason to pull up roots and move, even with the pull of the mountains as added incentive.  So, being the pragmatist I am, I gave up the dream and settled for building that yarn store/apartment above in dollhouse form.  Every now and then I think wistfully of what might-have-been and go rearrange the dollhouse a little.

I was floored to find an actual source for yarn in Crested Butte, because I had looked for yarn stores in the areas where we were going to be and nothing had turned up on the Internet searches.  I'm fairly sure the lady running the shop doesn't depend on yarn sales for her living, but it was nice to be able to bring home some authentic locally dyed yarn as a souvenir of this trip.  It was just a wee bit like living out the dream, if only for a brief moment.

LSW

Mountaineering

The first time I visited Crested Butte, I knew nothing about the area.  We spent all our time in the small tourist town with shopping the boutiques and jewelry stores.  I knew there was something special about the place (and I don't just mean the mountain that juts up to a sharp crest just outside of town), but there wasn't time to explore and I had not yet embarked on my ruthless research of Colorado at that point.  I wasn't convinced I was ever going to visit the place again, so I hadn't invested the time before that first visit.

But by the time we made the journey again, I was ready.  I had purchased a pile of books on Colorado scenic routes and backroad points of interest and I knew there was more to Crested Butte than the little historic district and the ski resort of Mount Crested Butte that is just up the road a few miles.   The scenic qualities of the settled areas were just the tip of the iceberg to what was a little further up the road into the less civilized areas.

In addition to the books I acquired, I also stumbled across some movies that further whetted my appetite for the area.  In the mid to late 1970s a series of three movies was produced in the style of (but not affiliated with) the Disney family movie genre.  The last two of the series involved some very familiar scenery and since I read credits religiously, I quickly discovered they were filmed at Irwin Lodge in Crested Butte.  That opened up a new line of research that led me to finding out about Lake Irwin and nothing would do but that we try to locate the lake and the Lodge on our next trip.

David happened to be with us on that trip and it was a good thing since the road out to the Lodge at the time was not the best and I might have chickened out, but he's always ready to push a little farther than I am and we did make it all the way there.  I remember the last stretch of road between the lake and the lodge had just been graded the day before, so the timing was perfect for our visit.  The Lodge was still in full operation at that time although pretty much empty since it was the very start of the summer season.  We were able to tour the rooms, including the nice luxurious suite maintained for VIPs.  They served a nice lunch to us and we enjoyed it in the atmosphere of gigantic log beams and large fireplaces placed strategically in the lower floor common area.  The view from the decks toward the lake was spectacular and just down the slope a small distance sat the cabin used in the movies.  Our visit to the Lodge was one of the highlights of that vacation and I would dream for several years about the possibility of spending Christmas at the Lodge when the only way to get there was by snowcat from Crested Butte, 12 miles away.

Alas, that was a dream that never came to be.  I kept in touch with the Lodge for several years and would get periodic promotional material in the mail, but it was a bit out of my budget to try and pursue that dream.  A few years later the Lodge went out of business.  It sold and the new owners gutted the interior and had plans to refurbish and reopen, but that fell through and the building sat perched on the ridge above Lake Irwin, empty, for years.  Rumors spring up every so often that someone else has taken on the project of bringing it back to life (as recently as this past December), but last week when we made our most recent visit it is still sitting behind the "private property" signs and inaccessible.

Still, we made the drive out to Lake Irwin, parts of which are surprising now paved.  We even initially missed our turn to the lake because the road improvements threw us off.  But we soon realized our mistake and back-tracked to the rough gravel road that leads to Lake Irwin.  It was as beautiful as I remembered.

Lake Irwin
(You can make out the Lodge's green roof in the upper mid left.)

Looking up to the left from the previous view.

A lovely small waterfall is just a short hike from the lake.

Nothing would do but that we drive on up towards the Lodge to see how close we could get before we started running into the "Private Property" signs.  Unfortunately that was a couple of bends in the road before the Lodge or the movie cabin would have come into view.  But I had David stop a short way down the road and I hiked over the hill to try and see if the cabin was still there.  I was glad to see it still nestled in its little valley below the Lodge and got a few photos, then turned around to see what I remembered as a gorgeous view and my memory had served me well.

Irwin Lodge at upper right, the movie cabin at lower left.

The gorgeous view opposite the Lodge.

I was so engrossed in my mission to capture new photos that I mis-stepped on my way back toward the car and took a small tumble onto the grassy meadow.  I am still working on getting the resultant grass stains out of the white jeans I wore that day.  I'm glad I made that little hike, even so.  I remember our first visit to the Lodge so fondly and I remember how the Wilderness Family movies were my go-to solution for cheering up on gloomy days many years ago.

If you are interested in information about the movies, I'll give the IMDB links to each of them below.  I warn you they are syrupy-sweet, very elementary writing and some incredibly wooden acting here and there.  But they have some gorgeous scenery to take your minds off all that.  

Next post - Crested Butte and Gothic.

The Adventures of the Wilderness Family - the first in the series and filmed mostly in Utah

The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family - the second movie, filmed at Lake Irwin and set mostly in the winter, with lots and lots of snow

Mountain Family Robinson - the third movie, also filmed at Lake Irwin, and full of summer flowers.

Across the Great Divide - not a part of the series, but produced, directed by the same people and with two of the same actors involved, filmed in Utah and Alberta, Canada.  Set in about the 1880s.

LSW

Camping 2015 Style

 Back when we used to make the summer run to Colorado every year, we generally stayed at campgrounds.  Mother and I purchased a pop-up tent trailer to pull behind first her red Bronco II and later my blue Bronco II.   Our first trip I had some issues with getting the trailer properly situated in the assigned slot, but I quickly became an expert in maneuvering the trailer into the tightest of spots and we spent many happy years camping alongside babbling streams and nestled into wooded alcoves at KOAs and Good Sam Parks all over Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.  

On one of the last trips that Mother, David and I took together, we decided that we would spend the Gunnison portion of our trip camped at the Three Rivers Resort in Almont.  It was a slightly more primitive camping experience than our usual Gunnison KOA location, but the resort situated at the confluence of three rivers (Gunnison, Taylor and East Rivers) was irresistible.  It was a spot favored by fishermen and my primary memories of the place were the sound of the rushing waters, the smell of fish and the really peculiar configuration of the building housing the restrooms/showers.  We loved the scenery, but the amenities left a lot to be desired.

Things have changed a lot in the intervening twenty years.  The resort has grown into a cluster of very nice cabins with only a few spaces for RVs at the back end of the property.  The store now has the basic necessities as well as a large selection of gifts and the inevitable fishing gear.  They have added a restaurant, cell service is strong and there's free WiFi (flaky and finicky WiFi, but that it exists at all out in the remote area is remarkable).  We spent three nights in a two bedroom cabin that not only had its own bathroom(!), but also a full kitchen, a screened sleeping porch and a deck overlooking the Taylor River and equipped with a very clean and functional hot tub.

It did not take us long to decide that we would love to magically transfer that cabin to a lot in the Hill Country where we could spend every weekend.  In fact the cabins are for sale to those folks who like to spend the summer months in the mountains.  If the internet reception was a little more reliable, it would be tempting to set up shop there and work remotely from June through September.  The nights were cool, the scenery was unbeatable, the wildlife was fascinating, Gunnison is just 10 minutes down the highway and has everything you could possibly need, and Crested Butte is just 10 minutes up the highway and has everything you don't need but can't resist.

For some reason I was so wrapped up in the enjoyment of modern camping that I failed to get photos of the cabin until the morning we left.  I was racing around at 5:30 a.m. snapping photos, so these are a bit dark, but hopefully you can see a bit of the charm of the place.

Cabin No. 18, Three Rivers Resort, Almont, Colorado

The cabin sits on the edge of Taylor River

The two sets of windows correspond with the two bedrooms, each equipped with a queen-sized bed, a vanity with sink, two closets (one on either side of the bed), tons of built in drawers for storage, a shelf above the bed with additional open storage and reading lights underneath.  The layout provided the maximum use of space.

My bedroom

The private vanity provided in each room

The bathroom was small and compact, but provided a full shower with plenty of hot water.

Bathroom

The living room area had a huge, comfortable sofa, a plush recliner, a dining table big enough for four adults, a ceiling fan, lots of electric heaters along the floor edge, and a gas fireplace.

The living room area.  There was even TV service.

David peering out of the kitchen.
Everything was provided from microwave to stove to
toaster, to coffee maker, to fridge, to dishes and
cooking supplies.

A screened in porch included a futon, the deck had a gas grill, a picnic table with rocking chairs and last, but not least, the hot tub.  David and I both took advantage of the hot tub, soaking away the aches and pains from all the hiking we were doing.  It was so nice to be able to sink into the heated waters and watch the river rushing by and listen to the tiny yellow birds (I think they were warblers) perched in the trees and singing their little hearts out.

The screened in porch

Hot tub

We preferred to dine al fresco on the deck.

We stayed at several lovely places along the way, but I think Three Rivers Resort ranked first for all of us.  It was not only comfortable, but the atmosphere was unbeatable.  I would not hesitate one minute to return there for a whole vacation and in fact I'm already wondering about the possibility of making the trip with Mojo for an extended stay.  It is perfectly situated for shopping and scenic tours, the people are friendly and helpful and it has everything you could need for a long, restful stay.

Gunnison was always our favorite area of Colorado and it remains so.  I love Ouray and Durango and all points in between, but it is always Gunnison where I feel most at home and relaxes me the most.

I had intended to cover Crested Butte next, but I decided that Three Rivers Resort deserved its own post.  We had a marvelous stay and I'll be remembering Three Rivers with great pleasure for a long time to come.

LSW

Standing on the Brink

I had to take a brief hiatus in blogging thanks to a wonky internet connection the last 3 days of the trip, so I hope I remember things well enough to report the remainder of our outings.

After leaving Ouray, we headed to the Gunnison area and on the way we stopped to explore the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  Back when I first visited this lovely place, it was a National Monument, but it has since been promoted to a full-fledged National Park.

Mother insisted I visit Black Canyon on my first visit to Colorado and I've never failed to stop by for at least a few of the highlights on every trip.  It's funny, I've seen the Grand Canyon in person and I've not really had any desire to return for a second visit, but I try not to miss Black Canyon.

First overlook inside Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

The Gunnison River cuts through the canyon way, way down there.

There are about a dozen overlooks through the park and there are two rim drives if you crave more than that.  Each overlook spotlights a particular feature or view, each requires a hike of a few hundred feet down a rocky path to the canyon edge, and each rewards your efforts in making the trek with a spectacular view.

David and a little bit of Karen at the Cross Fissures Overlook

We got lucky and caught an entertaining Ranger presentation at Cedar Point Lookout and learned about some of the native plants.  

David (right) and Karen (down front) listen to the Ranger talk about giant sagebrush.

The day was very warm, but somewhere along the way we made the decision to walk down to every overlook.  (We decided to skip the Warner Point hike, which is the last one and not quite so scenic, as we knew from having made that hike before.)  As the day got warmer and we got tireder, it took quite a bit of determination to keep to our goal, but we did get it done.  We were panting from the altitude and guzzling water, but we made it.

The View from Cedar Point

One of the favorite stops, which could not possibly be missed, was Dragon Point Lookout, which was always a favorite of Mother's.  My favorite twisted juniper is still standing sentinel.

A slight recreating of a photo from the first trip to Black Canyon.

And we had to see the Painted Wall again.

Standing in front of the Painted Wall.

David did his usual death defying poses.

David perched on a rock with a sheer drop on the other side.
(It wasn't quite as reckless as it looks.)

I was beginning to really flag by the time we reached the last two outlooks, but I did make them.  After we finished the last hike and headed toward Gunnison and the Three Rivers Resort that was to be our home for the next 3 nights, I napped along the way and almost missed the Blue Mesa Reservoir.  We stopped briefly along the way to eat Italian food and then settled into our cabin.  That is a whole 'nother chapter.  For now I'll just say that I would love to have one just like it on a burbling river somewhere.  I would spend all my weekends there

LSW

Soaring to New Heights

I've been to Telluride many times in the past and have never been able to decide how I feel about it.  It is a gorgeous little town, but it is a town that caters to the rich and famous and I've generally felt out of place there.  Telluride sits in a box canyon, surrounded by breathtaking mountain views that include a stunning waterfall high on the mountain in front of you as you drive into town.

Telluride

Telluride is full of shops and restaurants and it hosts several festivals throughout the year, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival that ended just a few days before we arrived.   We really did not have a specific plan for how we would spend our time there; our primary goal in visiting Telluride when we do is to return to Ouray on a scenic backroad that we discovered on one of our early visits.

Our B&B host had suggested that we take the free gondola ride up to Mountain Village where the ski resort is located, so with no other plans in mind we decided to take his advice.   We had never been particularly interested in exploring the resort area, so we had no idea what to expect.  

Rising above Telluride

Up, Up and Away

Birds Eye View

It's a fifteen minute ride up and over the mountain to Mountain Village.  You get a panoramic view of  the ski trails, huge stands of aspens and snow-capped mountains as you ride in an enclosed car that is unexpectedly quiet enough that you hear the birds singing and the familiar rustling sound of the  aspen leaves in the breeze.

Mountain Village

Arriving in Mountain Village, we stopped at an information kiosk to inquire about a good place to eat and were directed to Black Iron, a restaurant connected to one of the hotels.  It turned out to be a great suggestion.  We enjoyed the unique atmosphere that included tables with gas fireplace inserts.  After lunch we strolled around a bit to see how the rich folks behave on vacation, then took the return gondola back to Telluride and spent some time exploring the shops.  David made some new friends along the way.

David visits with the shop dogs and official greeters at Dakota Home

We left Telluride having a whole new attitude about the place.  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and if we are ever in Telluride again, we will be looking forward to that ride up the mountain and the chance to get above the world for awhile.

On the way to Telluride we had stopped at a favorite observation point just west of Ridgway to take photos of the Dallas Divide.  The views here are stupendous and, as a side note, most of the land in this area is the property of designer Ralph Lauren.

Dallas Divide

Returning to Ridgway from Telluride, we like to take Last Dollar Road, which runs behind Lauren's Double RL Ranch.  It's an easy 4-wheel drive road that we discovered on an early trip to the area and it has become a tradition for us.  You do have to negotiate some rock slide areas, some creeks that cross the roadway and the occasional flock of sheep in the road, but it's well worth the effort because the scenery is outstanding.

I took this same photo about 25 years ago.  Still a favorite place.

An aspen grove.  I have a weakness for aspens.

One of the little streams we had to cross.

A study in contrasts

See those tiny little people?  That's David and Karen on a
mission to recreate a favorite photo.

A field of sunflowers and the Dallas Divide.  Can't beat it.

Today we depart Ouray and head to Gunnison.  On the way we will visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, which to my mind is just as impressive as the Grand Canyon.  

We are getting drunk on the scenery and lots more to come.  Any hangover, however, will be awesome.

LSW