Hello! I am home in SC now, been catching up on chores and such. Hope all of you are doing well I am visiting your blogs, and enjoying catching up on your posts!
When I left Garfield Co. Colorado I headed north to start my journey home. Back along I-70 East through the Glenwood Canyon, following the Colorado River. It's always beautiful along this stretch. Actually there are no bad views along my route.
I turned North up highway 131 the color intensified as I drove...and I found some interesting rock formations too. There's lots of little towns to crawl through like Toponas, Yampa, Phippsburg, some of these towns are only a few inhabitants short of being ghost towns. These landscapes stood out to me various color, formations, and layers of eye popping beauty.
I didn't get the name of this formation, but it surely is outstanding..
This is finger rock near Yampa...
This is a very unusual formation, it looks like a rock inside a rock...
This mountain is completely white! I'm trying to think of what it could be, chalk, limestone, or something else.
It was about 140 miles to the top of this highway and the intersection with highway 40 I went East away from Steamboat Springs a popular ski area it is a typical over crowded tourist town, this is close enough for me...
And I know the route I took does not make sense, but why should it...lol
I could have gone East at Hwy 134 but at first I thought I'd go up to Walden via Hwy 14, and take 125 South to Arapaho Wildlife Refuge...but then I decided not to do that and stay on 40 at the top of Rabbit Ears Pass...9,524 ft. in the Routt National Forest.
and camped in the Meadows Campground.
Plenty of open spaces so I chose this one, perfect because it backed up to this large open space and the dogs could run around some without bugging anyone..
yes it is almost feeding time...lol
and you know who was all cozy in the van in his new sweater...and BOY it was SO cold that night I'd guess in the mid 30's! I was buried so deep in my covers I almost got lost! After I walked the dogs I did a little birding before breakfast...saw the pink sided dark eyed Junco.
and the always in motion Mountain Chickadee...
AND here is the kicker....my eye sight is suffering lately...and my memory is slipping a little too I am 64 in a just a few days and trust me it happens. I had been searching every tree with cones that I came across on this entire stay in CO...hoping for the Red Crossbills. SO on this super cold morning I was out with my binoculars scanning the tops of all these cone filled trees...and I saw what I thought was more Junco's with the morning sun making them look reddish....that happens right. I snapped several shots of these "juncos" and then went about my routine of making breakfast feeding the dogs then eventually breaking camp...
Camp sunrise
AMAZING, because I didn't know it till I looked at the photos on my laptop!!
So even though I had seen them I didn't know it and continued to look and look everywhere I went and was so disappointed that I never found any....LoL..so what a great early birthday surprise when I realized I had seen them!! The Bill!!
I left Routt National Forest and continued on hwy 40 South to Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, and then Hwy 34 toward Granby and Grand Lake, and the Rocky Mountain National Park. I had visited back in the 1989 so it was time to go again.
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PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
I have been out looking for Crossbills and have never managed to spot one to clearly identify it but have often heard them. Interesting route and I hope the jobs waiting you weren't too bad.
ReplyDeleteWell this is the 3rd time I've really tried to find them and finally I did, totally when I was not paying attention! The tree was tall in my own defense....lol. I hope you find some soon...this time of yr is good to find the unfindable!!
DeleteOH what a beautiful route you chose. This country truly is gorgeous. The doges look like to lions sitting in wait love it. Glad you found your birds on this trip and hope you have a wonderful birthday. And since your camping I'm guessing your mom stayed in CO.?
ReplyDeleteOh and I do love those old buildings, cabin and barns I just love seeing them and wondering how can they be fixed up and the stories they can tell.
DeleteThe girls really are good camp dogs except the barking,,,that is the big drawback with them. Casey rarely barks..
DeleteYes Mom is staying with sis out there for as long as she can manage her on her own. It's getting harder due to sudden mental down turn.
Lovely to spot the Crossbills even if in retrospect!! I never seen one though we do have them here. Such a beautiful journey home for you :)
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, I was so HAPPY but a little miffed at myself for not getting a good look at them in real time so happy I kept snapping photos of them....they hung around a good long time for me. If the dogs weren't along I'd have taken more time but it is not easy for them they are used to having free run at home so 8 days in the van traveling was about max for them.
DeleteI've done it myself with birds when checking photos afterwards! Ah yes I should think they were ready for home too!
DeleteWow! What a gift you got when downloading these shots! Congrats on the crossbill -- it's very obvious in that one picture.
ReplyDeleteNo bad scenery on your route for sure!! We've said before that some of the un-named rock formations we see in CO and the Southwest would probably qualify as national scenic areas in any other part of the country.... we've never traveled that exact route you did, but have had similar experiences
Hi Sallie, I agree! It's amazing how much one can see just roadside on a drive via any road in any county! CO is amazing that's why when people ask "what state did you find the most amazing" it's hard to pick any other than CO as Number 1.
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