2023 CANYONLANDS ADVENTURE - A ROYAL GORGE AND A BLACK CANYON

 

DAY #6 – FRIDAY – JULY 7, 2023

 CANON CITY, CO. – MONTROSE, CO.

180 – MILES / 2,057 – TOTAL MILES

On Day #6 of my Great Canyonlands Adventure, we will make our way across the continental divide and transition from the front range of the Rockies to the West Side. We pulled out of the Best Western in Canon City about 5-minutes after 8 a.m. Mountain Time.

We headed west on Highway 50, and almost immediately after leaving town we began to climb up the mountain toward our first stop of the day. The drive up, like everything in Colorado, is a scenic one. About 10-miles west of town we make a left-hand turn onto Colorado Highway 3A.

Five Miles later we arrive at the Royal Gorge Bridge which is another one of My Bucket List Destinations. We arrive about 8:40 a.m. and access to the bridge and attraction aren’t available until 9 a.m.

But there are several overlooks and scenic views available from the parking lot.  While walking around I see a deer grazing in the valley below and off in the distance there are several big horn sheep. I managed to get a picture of the Deer but just as I was focusing in on the sheep a bunch of noisy kids scared them and off, they went.

There was also an old Rio Grande Steam Locomotive and tender on display overlooking the gorge carved by the Arkansas River.  This Denver and Rio Grande locomotive was built in 1902 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Pennsylvania.

It is a standard gauge 2-8-0 and rebuilt by the Denver & Rio Grande in 1930 as a 2-8-2 and became the Denver & Rio Grande #499. In May of 1999 it was acquired by the Royal Gorge Bridge Park and has been on display here ever since.

Right at 9 a.m. Michelle, our tour guide secured and distributed our tickets, and we were free to roam around the Royal Gorge. The first time most of us did was begin our walk across the 1,260-foot bridge that spans the gorge carved by the Arkansas River some 950-feet below.

The views of the river and the gorge from the bridge are spectacular. While I was walking across the bridge, I watched the Royal Gorge Scenic Railroad make its way along the river below. 

While I am not fond of heights, I had no trouble walking across the bridge or looking over into the canyon below. It took me about 45 minutes to walk across the bridge and back because I stopped often to take in the magnificent views and to take photos.

There are a couple of other attractions here at the gorge that some in our group took advantage of. One is a zip line that sends you speeding across the gorge.  Now this wasn’t for me, but one member of our group did pay the extra fee and take the heart pounding ride across the gorge.

There is also a gondola that carries visitors across the gorge.  Again, while I am not a fan of heights, I decided to take the gondola ride across the gorge.  This was a spectacular ride that afforded me amazing views of the Bridge, the gorge, and the river below. It was a grand ride, and I am so glad I did it. But there is no way that I would do the zip line.

We spent a little more than two hours at the Royal Gorge, and it was a fantastic stop. A little before 11 a.m. we made our way back to U. S. Route 50 and continued our journey west toward the Continental Divide.

A little over an hour later we arrived at Salida where we decided to stop a McDonalds for Lunch. The one thing about traveling by tour bus is you can’t just pull into the parking lot and park. You can’t just park on the side of the road either. You must find a place large enough to safely discharge the passengers.

Here in Salida there was a parking lot in front of a NAPA Auto Parks Store big enough to accommodate our bus. Our Driver John pulled into the lot with the intent of letting us off and then moving on to park elsewhere.

Just as we stared t to get off the bus a man from inside the NAPA store came out and started to rant and rave that John had to Move the bus. John tried to explain that he was just staying long enough to discharge his passengers. But the Irate guy wouldn’t listen, insisting that John Move the Bus immediately.

We did finish getting off the bus and made our way into McDonalds. John moves the bus to a side street almost directly behind the McDonald.

One more thing about traveling by bus. When you drop 40 plus people unexpectantly in on a restaurant you can expect slow service and confusion. But I must say that this McDonald’s was well staffed and handled our rush in fine fashion. The food was served quickly, and our orders were correct. This was a well-managed and well-prepared McDonalds.

As efficient and nice as McDonald’s was, the encounter with the Irate NAPA Employee left a bad taste in our mouth and was a stain on the town of Salida.

The town of Salida sits at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains. As we left the McDonald’s and continued west, we could see our next destination directly in front of us. Almost immediately we began to climb the eastern slope of the Rockies.

In a little more than 30 minutes, we climbed from 7,000 feet in Salida to 11,300 feet at Monarch Pass. This was our next stop of the day.

Monarch Pass sits at an elevation of 11,312 feet on the Continental Divide and as we got off the bus there was a definite chill in the air. We had gone from 82-degrees a few minutes earlier in Salida to 54-degrees here at Monarch Pass.  The wind was also blowing, 20-30 mph.

As I walk around snapping pictures of the still snow-covered peek, the wind about blows me away.  There is a good-sized building here at the Pass that houses a gift shop, and snack bar. 

Monarch Pass is on the Continental Divide Trail which is a 3,000-mile hiking trail that stretches from
the Mexican Border in New Mexico to the Canadian Border in Montana. It is one of the trails in the United States Triple Crown. The others being the Pacific Crest Trail that runs from the Mexican Border in California to the Canadian Border in Washington State. And the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

The gifts shop here, has a large selection of Hiking equipment, and supplies that day, weekend and thru hikes can purchase. While I was in the Gift Shop two northbound thru hikes came in and I was able to talk with them for just a bit. The Started their Hike back in early April and were hoping to finish sometime toward the end of September or Early October. They did say they were behind because they had to take a 10-day break a week or so ago because of an injury.

This was their first attempt at thru hiking and eventually they want to complete the Triple Crown. I treated them to some “trail magic” a couple of drinks and some protein bars and wished them well on the rest of their adventure.

 Before getting back on the bus, I bought a couple of t-shirts and grabbed a cup of coffee. Our next stop was about 100 miles away, so I also grabbed a few afternoon snacks.

Leaving Monarch Pass we began our descent down the western slope of the Rockies. It was slow going but the scenery was beautiful. Arriving in the Valley on the western slope of the Rockies we ran alongside the Gunnison River which has been dammed up to form a beautiful lake.

Two and a half hours after leaving Monarch Pass, we arrive at Black Canyon National Park, which is our next stop of the afternoon.  We arrive at the South Rim Visitors Center and begin our 45-minute visit to this amazing National Park.

The National Park contains the deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon. At its deepest point the Gunnison River is more than 2,700-feet below the rim of the canyon. Black Canyon gets its name because the deepest parts of the gorge receive only about 30 minutes of direct sunlight each day.

Because I have very limited time here, I take the short half mile hike down to the South Rim Trail to Gunnison Point. Here you get to see and appreciate the true delph of the canyon and its rugged beauty.

I

I must say the hike down was a heck of a lot easier than the climb back up. Making my way back to the top was a bit of a chore for a fat man with bad knees. But I eventually made it and had time enough to stop at the Visitor’s center to get my National Park Passport Stamp and a couple of souvenirs.

By the time I finished up in the Gift Shop it was time to get back on the bus and head to out final destination. It was about a 25-mile drive to Montrose and the Hampton Inn where we would be spending the night.

Since there were no restaurants close to the Hampton Inn, Michelle (our tour guide) had called ahead and made arrangements for supper. So before getting to our hotel we stopped at Jimmer’s BBQ, Burgers, and Beer in Montrose.

Jimmer’s was ready for us when we arrived, and our large group was immediately seated in an area they used for large groups that was away from the main dining area.  By the time our servers had taken out drink order they had set up an all you can eat BBQ buffet, consisting of pulled pork and ribs, baked beans, slaw, and a salad bar. They also treated us to banana pudding and peach cobbler for dessert.

This was by far the best food and service that we enjoyed on this trip. It was outstanding.

After we had eaten our fill and were getting ready to leave, the owner stopped by to thank us for coming and wished us safe travels. If I ever get back to Montrose, Jimmer’s will be my go-to place for a fine meal.

It was just a short two-mile drive to the Hampton Inn. Upon arrival Michelle quickly obtained and distributed our room keys. The meal at Jimmer’s and the quick check in at the Hampton Inn was the perfect ending to a great day. Tomorrow is what I am calling my True Grit Million Dollar Day. This adventure just keeps getting better and better.