Fall 2010 in Colorado
From Colorado Springs we came over the Continental Divide (elevation is over 11,000 feet) to the area of Gunnison. Fall in this part of the Rockies has provided a gorgeous display!

We are staying at the Western Horizons Blue Mesa Recreational Ranch. The park has many facilities for families...kids fishing pond, swimming pools and hot tubs, horseback riding, etc.

An 18-hole miniature golf course caught our attention. Ken actually had a hole in one. We played "Cowboy Golf"...no keeping track of scores.



This week we've ventured out in all four directions. To the west was a 50 mile trip to the Black Canyon National Park, the newest National Park in the USA. If you haven't been here, we recommend adding it to your list of "must visit"!

Truly the photos do not do justice to the sites. Though the other National Parks we've visited are exquisite, this park is awesome!!!!! The visitor center and view points are along the very top of the canyon. The magnificent rock structures, the narrowness of the canyon, and extreme depth one looks straight down are some of the features that take your breath away!


There are 11 different viewpoints as we drive northwest along the canyon. Each has its own unique phenomenal view. Near Pulpit Rock, the canyon is less than 1/4 mile across.

The steep walls of the canyon range in depth from 2700' to 1750'. Can you imagine looking straight down that far? It makes the knees wobbly! Do you see Ken out on the rocks getting ready to peer over the side?


Truly there is a reason why that river at the bottom of the canyon looks like a trickle...it is soooooo far down there!



Another day we headed North from Gunnison to Crested Butte, CO. Again the beauty of the mountains and the quaint tourist town are memorable. If you check the map, Aspen is only a few air miles to the north. However, unless you are a bird, going over this mountain is not so easy!

We quickly learned that Crested Butte is a major winter ski resort. High value mountain retreats as well as condos and hotels were interesting to view. Do you see all the ski runs on the mountains to the east?


Every where you look the geological formations were truly fantastic. We'd love to have a geologist along on our tour.


Our trip to the east of Gunnison took us to several ghost towns and other areas such as Ohio City where there is lots of history. Going up the mountain to Gothic we passed evidence of yesterday's life including multiple gold mining areas.

As recreational gold prospectors, we DID try panning for gold. Well, the truth be known, we did find gold...truly beautiful, beautiful golden trees :):):).

Our adventure to the south took us 50 miles to Lake City, CO. The town is also a tourist area with many historical buildings. They include this beautiful little Presbyterian Church. The sign said it was "formed in 1876 and is the oldest protestant church on the western slope".

Just south of town we visited Lake San Cristobal. Supposedly there are moose all around but they hid from us. Probably early morning or evening would have been a preferred time for viewing them.
The area is obviously one in which many people have summer or winter homes. The Gunnison River flows through a canyon near Lake City, again with many interesting rock formations. Would you sleep OK with this tunnel directly underneath your house?

We understand that the Gunnison Colorado area may get to 40 degrees below zero and has an average of 50" of snow with the highest being up to 97" quite a while back. From October through May, the nights average below freezing. Hmmm...think we'll be heading down the road fairly soon :).