Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway

We took the scenic route to Moab from Cedaredge; instead of route 70 we took route 50 and meandered along route 141 to 90 and on up to Moab, Utah. The route 141 is a section of a better known scenic route known as the Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway which is a 133-mile-long open loop drive traverses western Colorado’s lonely plateau country, threading through Unaweep Canyon and following deep canyons along the Dolores and San Miguel rivers.

Along the way we found the newly developed Gateway Canyons just outside of the town of Gateway. Here you will find everything you could possibly need in a seemingly desolated area: General Store, motel, restaurant, spa, automobile museum, horseback riding, kayaking, biking and a lot more.
Here is a photo I took from the property looking out on a beautiful red rock formation.
Later on, we discovered many beautiful canyons and red rocks and of course the Dolores River, here is Chuck standing atop the edge of one of the canyons
Here is the canyon, it was just beautiful.

Glenwood Springs Rafting

We rafted the Colorado River through the Roaring Fork tributary and over the newly build kayak park on the Colorado. We had viewed the river many times from the bike path and the road as we traversed the area over the last two visits. We thought it might be nice to see it from the water. it was a good trip with enough white water to keep us wet and happy. Our guide, Betty, of Glenwood Canyon Rafting was superb and very experienced. Alas, I could take no pictures since I don't have a waterproof camera, but I am sure Chuck will have plenty at his site.

After the rafting, we bid adieu to Glenwood Springs and headed for Cedaredge, Colorado, to visit with Wilma and Mark before heading out to Canyonlands and Arches national Parks.

Along the way we went to Grand Junction for a quick ride on the bike trail there; it was 93 degrees and beastly hot, but we managed a 10 mile trip before calling it quits. I spotted 3 blue heron along the path, aptly named Blue Heron Trail.



We met Wilma and Mark and had a quick burger at the Grille before going to a great performance by Lucille Kelly on both the Dulcimer and the Autoharp.



She has so much talent; playing classical, country, Irish Jigs and Reels. She also sang a saw to the tune Home on the Range, which had me in stitches. If this lady is ever performing in your area, I strongly suggest attending. She is fabulous!

Tatry Polish Food and Hot Springs Pool Glenwood Sprinngs

We went to the Glenwood Springs famous Hot Springs Pool today. There is a mineral thermal pool which is maintained at 104 degrees for therapeutic purposes, which we started our day with. Only for ten minutes or so though; more than that would have the effect of lowering my blood pressure too much. We moved on down the property to the deep end of the mineral pool. This one is kept at 90 degrees or so...all year long. It must be so cool to be here in the winter with deep snow all around and a nice warm pool to play in.


We also played on the water slides, just sat in the sun and swam a bit in the deep end.

Here is a picture I got from yesterday bike ride along the Colorado River. It's a group rafting through the white water along the path. We will do our own version tomorrow.

For dinner today we went to a new Polish restaurant called Tatry/Uncle Pizza and is located next to the Caravan Inn. They had lots of pizza and sandwich items on the menu to keep the American appetites satisfied. They also had quite a number of Polish dishes including Pork Cordon Bleu (snitel) This is a tenderized pork cutlet wrapped around ham, cheese and mushrooms which is deep fried, Chuck had this for dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and it was very tasty.
I had the Golumbke, which was also very tasty.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park...WOW

We bit the bullet today and got an all day pass to take the tram up to the top of Iron Mountain. We were reading some 'propaganda' about the place and thought we would give it a try. What caught our attention was a 70 minute cave tour and then there is an Alpine Coaster that we thought we would try.

At the entry gate the young lady who sold the tickets said, since you have the all day pass be sure to ride the Alpine Coaster at least THREE
times. I was actually planning on four myself, but I took it as a good omen. I have a little trouble with heights and was really 'out of my comfort zone' as we took the tram up the hill, above the treetops. But somehow, this time it didn't bother me at all.
Here is Chuck as we got to the top of the mountain and before we actually did anything there


We did the cave tour which was pretty good, cool inside of course, but they took us outside on a rock balcony overlooking the canyon which was pretty exciting,


then we went in again and saw relatively recent cave rooms that were well worth the walk back up from the cave floor to the exit.

After that we went and tried the Alpine Coaster. Again I was a little intimidated, because I sometimes have trouble with going around curves and up and down really fast. While I was sitting in the car, waiting to go, the young lady explained that to go you simply push the handle forward; to slow pull it back...it is very responsive. Well, indeed it was. After the first trip..I begged Chuck to do it again and this time to share the car..I just thought it would be so much fun doing it together. And Hey...check these shots I got while holding the camera in the right hand and holding on for dear life with the left!! Wheeeeee...what fun!!

So, of course, we did the ride one more time in separate cars because now we really have the hang of this thing and can go like crazy. Well, I did anyway.

We finally were able to leave the coaster and went for some truly good dogs and brats at the Lookout Grille, and of course, by he time I finished eating I said you know, we should do that one more time before we leave. So of course we did, because at this point we were both so addicted I was worried that we may not be able to leave the park.








But we did after the fourth ride, we went down to the canyon to ride the bike trail again for 14 miles and now we are getting ready to go to a little Bavarian Restaurant, owned by a Hungarian. I'm on the lookout for some goulash.
Stay tuned.

Dedicated to...The Bike Doctor

So I blew out my gears yesterday on the Cherry Creek Trail and knowing that today we would be heading for the Glenwood Springs Bike Trail, I needed to find a bike fix-it shop..and quick.

Before going to bed last night I checked out the names of cities that we would be passing and found that Frisco may be a good place to see if I could repair yesterdays damage. I wrote down 3 places that repair and sell bikes. We got there at 10:30 in the morning so I figured it would be a slam dunk, getting the gears fixed and we would be on our way in a heartbeat. We found the first store/shop easily and asked if they could fix it. Yes they can, said the counter man. Our repairman is in Vail today and will be back this afternoon. Leave the bike here and if he doesn't get to it today he will take care of it first thing in the morning.

Thanks, but no thanks. We are on a trip and cannot wait a day for a simple repair. Heading back to the van I called the second shop (which was just across the street from the first) Yes, said the guy, we can fix that. Bring it over and we should have it done by the close of business today.

What part of 'we are on a mission' didn't you get?

I called the third guy reluctantly only because he was located a bit further into town and getting there required quite a number of turns (which of course I DID NOT write down last night)

Yes, I can fix that, here's the directions to my place...better yet, I will meet you at the first turn and you can follow me. We got to the turn point about 1 minute before he did and followed him to his place.

He fixed the gears while we waited, also greased the chain to stop the squeak that he detected. Charged me a nominal $24 for parts and labor and was happy to do it.

Yes, Bike Doctor, you get my cheers today!

Gary Lunsky
PO Box 1754
32 Lookup Lane, Bills Ranch
Frisco, Colorado 80443
970 389-7391

As if this isn't enough...he advertised that he can fix you bike at his place or yours.

Cherry Creek Spillway Trail and Cherry Creek Trail

We got to Aurora, Colorado by 3:30 today just in time for a nice little thunderstorm. Actually, it gave me a chance to get caught up on my email. Then we ventured out to find the bike trails in the area and give them a go.

We found the spillway trail and it merged into the Cherry Creek Trail, the only problem was that the Cherry Creek Trail looped around a large lake/reservoir. It had many offshoot trails and we wound up way off course. We trekked through a no leash dog romping area and treaded a flood trail for a while and ultimately found our way to our starting point around the lake. I had a bit more of a challenge than usual since one of my three gearshifts went 'ka-plooie'. That meant I had to work a lot harder to get up the remaining hills. I made it, but first thing tomorrow I will find a good bike shop and get this fixed.

Here are some shots I got while on the trail...




I especially like the sign that said their are lots of rattlesnakes in the area...STAY ON THE TRAIL!!

Day 16...Crested Butte

Today we took a long drive to Crested Butte, which is a touristy town in Colorado. Along the way we went through Paonia, Kebler Pass, and Hotchkiss. On the return we followed the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We saw the Blue Mesa Dam, Lost Lake and many wonderful canyons.


I was on a mission to capture by digital image some of the varied wildlife here in Colorado, but sad to say I have been unable to do so. Here is a picture of the most exciting stuff I have seen so far...


Two bulls having at it before attacking one of the cows that I saw further on down the road. Where are the Bear...Fox...Big Horn Sheep...and other really wild things?


We found Lost Lake, actually it was never lost...Just a name given to this beautiful lake, you can camp in the vicinity if you are so inclined, it is incredibly peaceful

Well, I have looked and looked for wildlife and here it is...

Day 15...Cedaredge and environs

We got up early and had a blueberry french toast casserole, Umm...ummmm....good! Wilma can sure cook!



Then we went sight-seeing in the city of Delta, Colorado on Tuesday. the city was so nice because they have potted flowers in every conceivable place!


Chuck found one potted arrangement with an interesting metal sculpture in it.



Each arrangement was different and more beautiful than the previous one!




We had a great lunch at the Cafe Roubideau I found Pasta E'Fagioli in the backwoods of Colorado...AMAZING! Everyone else was pretty happy with their selections as well!

On the way back we went through what they call the 'Dobies, a never-ending series of huge adobe material mounds...you get the feeling that you are on the surface of the moon after a while. Very interesting scenery and views.

Day 14...On to Cedaredge

Today we bid goodbye to Glenwood Springs, but not before walking the downtown one more time and doing a quick tour of the Colorado Hotel...the oldest and most gracious one in town. We had breakfast at the Village Inn (surprise! I've never been to one before!) It was great, but alas, too early to try one of their famous pies.



We also stopped to do a short half mile hike up to the Pioneer Cemetery which is where Doc Holliday is buried. We were not sure though..at the bottom they indicated that his grave was in the cemetery, but once up there, they said it was 'some where' in the area... oh well, I guess at this point it doesn't matter, he is dust in the universe.




We stopped at Grand Junction along the way and did a 13 mile ride on the River Front Bike trail which also melded into the Heron Trail. It meandered along the Colorado River and through some low lying areas. The temps were a little warm for me 94 degrees ( I know...I know, it is still cooler than Arkansas )




Then up the Mesa to Cedaredge to visit friends.

Here is Mark, insisting that the old cameras and film is the way to go; Wilma is just laughing at the concept ( I think)

Day 13...Hanging Lake and Glenwood Canyon

This morning we left to hike up the Hanging Lake Trail. Basically the trail ascends 1,000 feet over a 1.2 mile distance. This is the equivalent of about 100 stories in a tall building in any large city. While the hike to Hanging Lake is strenuous, it is also quite beautiful and well worth the effort. As the trail climbs along Dead Horse Creek, it passes a wonderful riparian plant community. In addition to such shady deciduous trees as box elders and cottonwoods, an interesting variety of undergrowth can be found at trail side. Perhaps most alluring are the many ferns that form along the stream bed. Their presence, along with moss-clad boulders, attest to the humid conditions of this ecological niche. Benches along most of the route provide nice rest spots from which to enjoy the canyon. Upon reaching 1.5-acre Hanging Lake, hikers are immediately rewarded with is secretive, Eden-like ambiance. Walled in by limestone cliffs and leafy cottonwoods, Hanging Lake resulted from the collection of water in a geologic fault. Because the lake's fragile shore has been built up from carbonate deposits, visitors are required to stay on the boardwalk that rings the south shore. Dropping into the north end of the lake is Bridal Veil Falls, a small but beautiful cascade of water. Of special interest are the schools of trout that teem in the lake's clear waters. Because of the fragile nature of this lake, both swimming and fishing are prohibited. Follow a short side trail just west of the lake to visit nearby Spouting Rock, a waterfall that has cut a passage through solid limestone.
I found myself resting many times on the way up, no matter how good and strong I seem to be getting, this one was taking me to task. I did make it though and thoroughly enjoyed the views at the top.

This is a shot of Chuck and the many small stream waterfalls that we saw on the way up to Hanging Lake



Hanging Lake in all its glory.


Behind the falls at Hanging Lake

There is also another interesting Falls called Spouting Rock just above Hanging Lake, This of course means climbing up another several hundred feet... After getting to Hanging Lake, what's another short climb?

Chuck at the spray at Spouting Rock



A shot of Hanging Lake from up above at Spouting Rock


Chuck at the Spouting Rock sign...just another few hundred feet up.


Here is a shot on the descent of Hanging Lake Trail, just to give an idea of how steep it really is.


Finally...lunch! Here is my nice cold beer! It's times like this I am glad Chuck doesn't care to drink.


Lunch...Shrimp and Ribs and some bodecious mashed potatoes! I ate it all up!


Chili's is serious about people parking too long in the "pick up only" section!


We did another 17 miles on the Glenwood Canyon Bike Trail after lunch, then on the way back we found this horse sticking his head out of the trailer that he was in.