In preparation for leaving, we took one last trip into Colorado Springs to get a stash of meat from the Costco. Check out the magnificent view of Pikes Peak ... from the Costco parking lot no less!
And, I got one last photo of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from our campground. They still have a little snow left on them from a recent storm. I will always think fondly of these majestic mountains. And Gary will miss feeding the horses (owners lived next to the campground) carrots and apples.
We went to dinner with the owner, Carter, and then got on the road Thursday morning around 11:00 a.m. Our first stop on the way to Eastern Utah to visit a few of their national parks (Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef) was Montrose, CO. We stayed at the KOA here before last month when we visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Ouray.
Here we are once again crossing the Continental Divide our second crossing at Monarch Pass. And, of course, another great butt shot of Sadie! It's hard to get a dog to turn around for a photo and Sadie is fixated on Gary right there so it just ain't gonna happen.
The other three photos below were taken at the side of the road at a roadside "photo opportunity" presented by the county. These photos feature the Blue Mesa Reservoir and the amazing rock formations on the hillside behind the reservoir.
The Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water entirely within the state. It is 20 miles long and has 96 miles of shoreline. It is the largest trout lake and Kokanee fishery in the United States. The Gunnison River provides both the inflow and outflow to the reservoir.
It is a beautiful, spectacular 20-mile drive alongside the beautiful blue water and you cross over two bridges that span the reservoir. We saw a number of fishermen in boats and on the shoreline as we drove by. Blue Mesa Reservoir is part of the Curecanti National Recreation Area which spans 67.34 square miles. There are numerous access locations along the reservoir which include places to launch boats, windsurf, fish, and camp. Colorado certainly caters to the outdoorsy folks -- hunters, fishermen, boaters, skiiers, mountain bikers, off-roaders, hikers ... and the list goes on!
Most of the fall foliage has faded but there's still just a sprinkling of gold showing on the shoreline.
It's a bittersweet parting. We loved Colorado. It is so beautiful. The skies are so blue. There's no "junk" in the air--just pure and clean. So much to do. So much to see. So colorful. We will certainly miss Colorado and the friends we made there ... but you never know ... we may go back some day!
Psalms 65:12-13
The pastures of the wilderness drip, and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing. The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain; they shout for joy, yes, they sing.
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