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Published: August 15th 2012
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We departed Moab with a sense of a relief. The Utah dessert and the suffocating heat engulfing the Southwest were in our rear view mirror. The red dessert turned green and soon we were at the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains. As we arrived in Grand Junction, usually crystal clear skies were filled with a thick, dark smoke from the westernmost of three forest fires in the state. The Rockies grew nearer and at last, after driving through a smokey haze, we were amongst the grand mountains. Rolling down our car windows, we had emerged in cooler temperatures and brisker air, a refreshing gift from the Alpine gods for which we were so grateful.
Colorado, like most of the other areas in the western United States we had been through, was under extremely dry conditions, but as we arrived in Winter Park, we brought with us the first rain in more than three months, much to the delight and relief of those residing in the area. While insufficient to impact the raging fires in Colorado Springs and Boulder, every bit of moisture helped to prevent one stray spark or irresponsibly disposed of cigarette from creating another fire.
In
Winter Park, we stayed with some Hawaii friends. Debbie and John were quite frequent neighbors of ours back at Emmalani Court, the condo complex where Adina and I lived for the past two years. While Deb and John did not live in Kauai full time, it seemed like they were always down at the pool, basking in the sun with smiles on their faces (unless it was a Sunday when the Ravens were playing - Deb is a die hard fan). When Deb and John were not on Kauai, they were in Winter Park, CO. Apparently, they love fresh air, unpolluted surroundings and dramatic landscapes... who could blame them. When we told them about our hopes to drive cross country, they invited us to visit them at their Winter Park home, and certainly we could not pass that up. Arriving at their home during the aforementioned rain, we were still enthralled by the beauty surrounding their home. Just a short drive from all the amenities one might desire, their home sat on a hill with only a handful of neighbors who seemed more distant than they truly were. Their back porch looked out into the surrounding national forest and untouched
mountains that twinged with pink and orange hues as the sun grew low to the west. What a spot to spend a few days on this cross country adventure.
Immediately, Deb and John, and their granddaughter Madi, who was in for a longer summer visit, made us feel so welcome, offering their beautiful home at our disposal. The following morning, after a home cooked breakfast and a delightful cup of coffee amongst a hoard of hummingbirds that reliably show up on their porch for their first meal of the day, John took Adina and I out for a day up Rollins Pass, a high mountain pass between Boulder and Winter Park. John served as our private tour guide and local historian for our exploration of the Rollins Pass region. We learned that the pass became notorious for the Moffat Road, a rail endeavor from the early 1900's connecting opposite sides of the continental divide, from Boulder and Denver on the Atlantic Basin side to what is now Winter Park on the Pacific Basin side. The rail was so costly to build, requiring numerous tunnels and trestles in order to create a manageable grade for the train, and subsequently so
costly to maintain, due to the amount of winter snow in the area, that the operation quickly went out of business. Today, some the trestles still stand amongst pristine areas of the Arapaho National Forest. John took us beyond all the trestles and far above the tree line to some beautiful pockets of Colorado where snow melt lakes, snow speckled peaks, abundant wildflowers of every color and blue skies all came together in a breathtaking high country scene. With aspirations of a small hike to a nearby lake, we got out of the car under a sky of scattered clouds and sun, but by the time we had put on our shoes and walked just a few yards, a crackling thunder broke the serenity of the moment. We all whipped around to see a small cluster of dark clouds just creeping over the closest mountain behind us. John took this opportunity to inform us that afternoon thunderstorms are generally the normal weather pattern in these mountains (although, as previously mentioned, until the prior day it hadn't rained nearly at all in three and half months). We didn't need John to tell us that hanging out above the tree line in
the open was not an ideal place to be during a thunderstorm, so we prudently chose to skip this one. After driving a bit further down the Rollins Pass road and few other stops to photo the immense beauty all around us, we began the several hour drive back to Winter Park.
Once again, the hospitality was immense at John and Deb's. A home cooked meal of sauteed salmon and salad. Red wine and ice cream in another Rocky Mountain sunset, bundled in blankets to keep us warm in the brisk air of the onsetting night. While the rest of the country sweltered and broke heat records, we could not have been anywhere more comfortable.
The next morning, Debbie, John and Madi took us up to Rocky Mountain National Park, forty five minutes north of their home. Just within the park entrance, a female moose greeted us on the side of the road in a beautiful meadow. It stood on display consuming its breakfast and pausing only to take a drink in the nearby stream. Ahhh... my first moose outside the walls of a Swedish zoo. What a way to be greeted to this beautiful place. Moving on,
we drove to the top of Trail Ridge Road where we parked the car at the Alpine Visitor Center. The valley beneath us was the starting point of the Colorado River. From here we set off on a four mile trail on Milner Pass, taking us from one side of the continental divide to the other. The trail was a breathtaking path originating above the tree line through a rocky slope of shrubs and wildflowers, with views of towering peaks half surrounding us. As we descended, first stunted spruce and furs began to sprout around the footpath. The more we descended, the taller the pines became, and not a moment to soon, as moments after we found ourselves amongst the trees, some looming dark clouds made their presence known to all with a long rolling thunder. Crouched in a pocket of fur trees, we picnicked, and, as best we could, avoided the thick rain drops bursting around us. Only the edge of the storm caught us as the darkness passed through the area, so our delay was brief and soon we were back on our way. The views became sparse as the forest became denser. Stony switchbacks dotted with Paintbrush
The continental divide
The Continental Divide is the dividing line across the Americas separating basins that drain to the Pacific and basins that drain to the Atlantic. and Columbine guided us through the last leg of the hike, emerging at the lower end of the Milner Pass trail where we had a second car waiting to drive us back up the mountain. On our way back out of the park, we were lucky to spot a harem of cows (female elk) resting on a grassy steep section of the mountain, enjoying the same views as us. Like the breathtaking welcoming we had by the grazing moose, observing the elks in such an amazing spot was a fitting cap to our time in this park.
The following morning, after another afternoon and evening of such gracious treatment by our hosts, we continued on our adventure and on our longest haul yet.
Deb and John - Once again, thank you both so much for all your incredible hospitality. Mahalo!
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John E
non-member comment
Nice Job Eric
Eric - you do such a beautiful job writing up our joint adventures. We will make sure Madi gets to read this too. thanks so much for your kinds words. It was truly a joy for us to host your visit. Regards John and Deb