Saturday, June 25, 2022
Colorado National Monument, Top of the Rockies Byway
The Clarion Inn was sold out this weekend due to “Country Jam,” but they were prepared for the crowd at the hot breakfast buffet. They even had a 5-gallon vat of sausage gravy. Wow! I wanted to take a picture, but then I'd be the weird one. Right?
The Colorado National Monument is an area of dramatic desert high on the Colorado Plateau. The 23-mile Rim Rock Drive, between Fruita and Grand Junction, climbs above the Colorado River's Grand Valley, then winds along the plateau rim, offering vast views of the monument's colorful canyons and red rock spires.
Bighorn sheep
Our escort into the Colorado National Monument
Fruita Canyon View
At this point in our trip, we were pretty worn out, so decided to limit ourselves to just one hike today. From the Saddlehorn Visitor Center, we hiked the combined Canyon Rim Trail and Window Rock Trail, a mostly level walk along the edge of a cliff above Wedding Canyon.
From the Canyon Rim Trail
Grand Valley
Tom at Window Rock Viewpoint
The Colorado National Monument is beautiful, but it would have seemed more dramatic if we'd hit this monument at the beginning of our trip instead of toward the end, when we'd already seen so much.
Red Canyon
Leaving the monument, we caught I-70 east for a couple of hours. This was a scenic section of interstate, following the Colorado River and Eagle Rivers and passing through narrow Glenwood Canyon.
Eagle River
Overlook along I-70
Eventually, we exited the interstate onto Scenic US 24, aka Top of the Rockies Byway, toward historic Leadville. The high byway is almost entirely over 9,000 feet, with exceptionally pretty views.
Gilman ghost town and Eagle Mine, condemned by the EPA
The Red Cliff Overlook looks down upon The Green Bridge, a 471-long steel arch bridge 200 feet above the Eagle River. After passing over the bridge, we stopped and walked out onto its deck.
The Green Bridge from Red Cliff Overlook
View from the bridge
We crossed over the Continental Divide at 10,424-foot Tennessee Pass. The pass wasn't much higher than Leadville, which lies at a ridiculous, oxygen-deprived 10,152 feet.
Nice name!
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado
Softer than a lullaby
From Leadville, we caught Highway 19 back to I-70 and proceeded on to Idaho Springs to spend the night. The interstate drivers were maniacs. I think the elevation has gone to their heads.
Idaho Springs (population 1,700) closes down early, leaving few options to eat after 8:00 p.m. even on a Saturday night. Luckily, Pickaxe Pizza, being as much a tavern as a restaurant, stays open extra late, until 10:00. Delicious!
Lodging: Columbine Inn, Idaho Springs, Colorado. The room was kind of pricy, but it was the best we could do. The bed was huge and comfy, and the room had a nice kitchenette. The 10:00 a.m. checkout time was the only thing we didn't care for. We actually could have slept late tomorrow!
One of my favorite flowers
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