Boy I was hungry! I heard thunder in the distance and figured it was the perfect time to get out and have the sandwich I packed before the rain caught me.
I found the perfect perch to sit and admire the view while I ate...I walked out to the end of this path and found the right spot!
I watched a hawk soar across the valley while I munched...pretty awesome!!
Back on the drive...there was a cow jam! They literally were milling around right in the road...I inched
through them...I found this brand especially disturbing...
only a deranged mind could do such a thing to a beautiful animal...*sad*
at the end of this 12 mile gravel road is the old observatory visitors center...it is no longer open, sadly but it is still a beautiful spot at the end of the mesa...and beyond is an actual weather observatory...but it off limits.
I saw this road leading down off the Mesa...hmmm and
Upon closer inspection I saw a waterfall!!
can you see it??
I decided that I wanted to see that waterfall!! The main road drove right beside the brink of the water...
stunning views...
complete with a resident Clark's Nutcracker...
and some cute little beggars....
I left and headed for the Switchback road seen above...I had intended to go only as far as the waterfall...sorry bout the quality of this photo...my camera is not doing well... had a system error message!
here is the first switchback...
I had to make 3 of the switchbacks to actually see the waterfall...but there was no place to turn around and the weather was swiftly changing!
SO I just kept going....down... using 1st gear practically all the way...
the road is gravel and it's not really bad lower down the upper section was very narrow..
then it widened and the aspens came in on both sides..
slowly but surely the storm keep building...
the rain was falling in the distance and back toward the way I had entered the Mesa..on the Scenic Byway so kinda was happy I did NOT go back that way...it took me about an hour to get down.
I finally got back to blacktop road, and now it was a race to outrun the storm...
In some spots it was SNOW instead of rain!
I had such a great day up on the Mesa, I want to go back to do the upper area beyond the Land's End turn off, there is SO Much more to see up there.
PEACE
Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.
What an adventure you had and oh so beautiful. So far the pictures are turning out great hope the camera holds out for you.
ReplyDeleteOh NO its raining again. I have been losing Internet over all this rain.
I have to reply to my own comment as long as I have Internet working.
DeleteI agree with you on the branding of the poor cow, that is way nasty. The fall's are so beautiful. And the old VC is a beautiful building. You keep coming up with these great buildings I can see me staying for awhile
Yesterday I didn't make it to the computer...Thanks Jo for your comment, I hope your internet holds in there I'd sure miss you!
DeleteGreat scenery shots. That brand on the cow looks very big, I wonder if it is a brand or where the cow had got caught in something like barbed wire. Not that I know anything about cows.
ReplyDeleteHope the camera holds out.
nope it was man made cause each cow a similar disgusting mark...it looks like it was done with a knife to me. I dislike cowboys, ranchers, and farmers for their maltreatment of animals!
DeleteThat was gutsy to take that road by yourself (I'm such a wimp)....but what great payback! Those views ... and as always you found a nice bird (and got a good picture) and a waterfall! And wildflowers..I think Colorado has the best of those. Better hurry and get back up there tho, if it's already threatening snow!
ReplyDeleteWell If my sister wasn't available to rescue me....Oh heck I'd probably done it anyways! Haha. Yes I must get back up my other sis is coming this weekend...she will probably want to go up so I hope we can go together.
Delete