Amazing Scenery

One thing to add to yesterday. As we approached the exit for Georgetown, there were six big horn sheep along the I-70 shoulder. No fence between them and the traffic, only about 10 yards maybe. I wish I could have gotten a picture!

Today started very cold with temperatures in the teens. We dressed in layers. That wasn’t the concern. The roads were. Previous afternoon temperatures were in the 50s so the snow melt ran across roadways, freezing overnight. As we started out, emergency vehicles flew by us. We drove slowly but still caught up to them. A car  had flipped going around a blind curve, which was icy. Hope the people in the car are ok. 

We have seen snow-capped mountains. But to see a long range of mountains covered in heavy snow was amazing. As we drove, we got closer to those peaks. Signs indicated they were 11-14,000 feet high. 

We didn’t get to cross the continental divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is over 14,000 feet. We DID get through Monarch Pass near Gunnison though! Betsy has been doing an awesome job of climbing all these mountains!

We took mainly two-lane curvy mountain roads today. One of our favorite stops is Telluride. We never allow enough time to do much more than a quick drive around the main area of town, and stop for lunch or coffee, maybe a little shopping. It is such a pretty Main Street. Someday we will need to stay longer and truly enjoy it. 

The scenery to/from Telluride is among the best mountain landscapes for sure. What struck me this time was the river along the road. At the higher elevations, it was flowing over rapids, glittering in the sun as if excited to be free to move again after the winter. The banks and occasional ice islands were blanketed with a thick coat of fresh white snow, like fur hugging the running water. The snow was bright, sparkling white in the sun. Magical and mesmerizing. 

The route to/from Telluride was on the same road. What I noticed on the later afternoon return trip was the dry mountain walls now had several streams of water from melting snow. Some of the streams were almost mini waterfalls, splashing near the side of the road and running across to the opposite side. Yup, those could be interesting spots overnight. 

This trip through Colorado has exceeded our expectations. Weather could not have been any better for April.