Colorado Trip Post #5

It was day seven and we were looking to explore the Alpine Loop a little more and see just how far we could make it in the Passat. We wanted to get an early start to avoid some of the traffic and it worked well, we barely encountered a vehicle on the first half of our drive. There wasn't much wildlife; just pure, rugged, giant mountains as far as one can see… which sometimes is not that far because a good portion of the lower end of that road is in the valley. The valley is just as beautiful though because you look up and see towering rock faces on one side and tree covered mountainsides with many-tiered waterfalls on the other. 

The dirt road is lined with brightly colored wildflowers and aspen trees with leaves dancing in the wind, making their characteristic rattling sound. I do love that drive, it is what I see in my mind when I think of the mountains.

We made a couple of stops so that Alan could fly-fish for a few minutes and the boys could run around near Henson Creek. 

Aaron and I went exploring up the dirt road across from where we stopped.

We found a cabin that wasn't visible from the main road called "Pike Snowden's Cabin." 

There's usually a race to see who can get to the water first, Daddy to fish or the boys to throw rocks.

We sat ate our lunch while we watched Alan fish and just about the time we finished it started to rain. We could see heavy rain in the distance and lightning was cracking all around us, but it just lightly rained on us the whole way back to town, which was nice for keeping the dust to a minimum.

Mine ruins.

The mild part of the Alpine Loop.

After a brief nap at the cabin, we set out on foot. After we checked the Visitor's Center for new pamphlets  Alan wanted to drop by Dan’s Fly Shop, but his “Closed Saturdays” sign now read, “Closed Sundays.” Funny, if you own the business outright you can just decide to close down for the day. Must be nice. So we continued into town. I wanted to stop at a couple of shops and possibly get some ice cream, and naturally the boys reminded us every ten minutes that they had yet to go to a playground today.

I went a few shops along the park area while Alan stayed with the boys at the playground then I got us some ice cream at San Juan Soda Fountain shop, one of the best places ever. I don’t think their ice cream is particularly different than others, but it’s a vintage fountain bar environment and then of course when you go outside to consume your ice cream, the setting...surrounded by mountain peaks and clear blue sky. 

Once again we were chased off by ominous clouds. With little ones and cooler air, we thought it best not to play chicken with the mountain rain, so we headed back to the cabin and worked on throwing in the backyard.

Alan went out fishing after dinner and took this neat photo of the low clouds...