Day 198 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways
I met Mike last night while watching the Mavs win the NBA Finals! He was rooting for the Mavericks along with everyone else at the bar. Mike is from Colorado Springs and recently graduated from college. He and his friend operate a landscaping company. When he’s not working he likes to go dirt biking.
The Royal Gorge
This morning I drove south, through Fort Carson and then west through Canon City to the Royal Gorge. I had visited the gorge about 25 years ago, so I didn’t have a burning desire to go again especially since it has become more like an amusement park with a $25 entry. Visitors may walk on the bridge, but also take a variety of different rides.
Since I had only planned to stay about 30 minutes, I found a different option…a 3 mile, 30 minute scenic train ride. The train was like a kiddy ride at the carnival…small, open air, and didn’t go faster than 10 mph. The best part about the ride is dogs were allowed, so it seemed appropriate, though it didn’t appear that Petey enjoyed himself. While it was a perfect option for me, I think first time visitors should experience the real deal.
Salida
After visiting the Royal Gorge, we continued on to Salida where we strolled around town. I tried for a cache at the old steam plant, but there were too many muggles. I guess I should just start looking around. A fellow cacher’s log claimed lots of people asked them if they lost something and a few knew they were geocaching, so they didn’t seem to worry about muggles.
HWY 50
Shortly after leaving Salida, I passed my aunt and uncle on Highway 50. They had left Estabrook earlier in the day. I didn’t think they were leaving until tomorrow! It took a handful of texts while driving to figure out we saw each other. I’ve never come or gone to Estabrook from this direction, so I was surprised to find out they were coming this way.
It didn’t cross my mind until a few hours later that I had heard I-25 was shut down in both directions between Raton and Trinidad yesterday, due to poor visibility from wildfire smoke, so I sent them a fair warning. It turned out it was shut down again today. It probably would have helped if they knew about that a little sooner. I hope it didn’t reroute them too badly, and I’m glad I made it through just three days earlier!
Agnes Vaille Falls
About 20 miles north of Salida, I turned off 50 to visit St. Elmo. On the way, we stopped for a mile roundtrip hike to Agnes Vaille Falls in San Isabel National Forest. Agnes Vaille, born in 1890 of a prominent Denver family pursued an adventurous life. During World War I, she joined the American Red Cross in France, and later came home to serve as Secretary of the Denver Chamber of Commerce.
She loved hiking and planned to explore Colorado’s fourteeners with her friend Jo Witchery. Unfortunately, during a climb up 14,255-foot Longs Peak, she slipped on some ice and slid down the face of the mountain. While she survived the fall, she froze to death before she could be rescued. Her friend Jo named these falls for her.
History of DSP&P Railroad
The hike to the falls offers a view of Mount Antero, one of the four collegiate peaks and a view of the railroad grade from the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railway (DSP&P). During the Colorado mining boom, the DSP&P and the Denver and Rio Grande Railway Company (D&RG) raced to complete a route to Gunnison.
DSP&P chose the shortest route through Chalk Creek Canyon and built the Alpine Tunnel to get through the Continental Divide. But due to weather, high altitude, and equipment delays, the DSP&P arrived at Gunnison in 1882, nearly a year after D&RG. The DSP&P line was used for nearly 30 years to haul ore, mail, and passengers but closed in 1910 due to the decline in mine production and the high cost of maintaining the tunnel.
Mount Antero
Mount Antero is named for Chief Antero of the Uintah Utes. The chief befriended Powell before his expedition down the Colorado River in 1869 and worked for peace between the Utes and the early settlers. Standing at 14,269 feet, Mount Antero is the highest gem field in North America. Blue aquamarine crystals, smoky quartz,
topaz, purple fluorite, Phenakite, and Bertrandite can all be found beneath its summit. Due to the gem-quality stones of aquamarines found at Mount Antero, the aquamarine has been chosen the Colorado state gemstone.
St. Elmo
Upon completing our hike to the waterfall, we returned to VANilla and followed the river through aspen groves as we climbed a few thousand feet to St. Elmo, once a thriving mining town – now a ghost town. The town is privately owned. Visitors may wander along the dead end dirt road past an old store and post office as well as many old residences. I believe pedestrians could walk to the Alpine Tunnel as well, but I think it was approximately four miles away, so we took a short walk around town and then headed to Estabrook.
On the way, we enjoyed the marvelous panorama of the Collegiate Peaks: Mount Princeton, Mount Yale, Mount Columbia, and Mount Harvard. Despite them standing together, the distance was too vast for me to snap a photo – I needed a wide angle lens, or I was going to have to spend a lot of time in photoshop stitching pictures
together.
We arrived at Estabrook around 4 pm, unloaded VANilla, ate dinner with a glass of wine and just chilled. It is so great to be here! Posts will be limited the next two weeks…no internet connection here. ETB
Map of My Road Trip Across the USA
Learn more about my road trip across the USA, or click the link below for the interactive map.
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Glad you made it to E safely. Enjoy your time there. I hope you have spectacular weather — we did!
xo’s M
enjoy it, we can’t wait……..
I went across the Royal Gorge Bridge about 20 years ago, and like you, could not bring myself to pay the $25 when I was in the area in 2009!