Wednesday 8/27
We left Salida, CO around 8:45 a.m. and headed north with the ultimate destination of Pikes Peak, a journey of about 113 miles. The air was crisp and slowly warming from a night in the low forties. Breakfast was once again a nutrition bar and my famous camp coffee, although this batch was brewed in the now infamous Woodland Motel. (Infamous in the fact of its utter non-descritpness) About 13 miles out of Salida we turned east on Highway 24 and enjoyed a very mellow drive across high plains of meadows and pasture land at around 9,000'. The temp was cool, but I had the sunroof cranked open anyway to enjoy the perfection of the day.
Once we arrived in Colorado Springs we tried to find the Pikes Peak Highway using our cell phone GPS, which consistently told us to turn onto dead end roads. After about 30 minutes of WTF, we finally started following our instincts and found the highway easily...so much for technology.
The drive up the mountain was 18 miles of low gear chugging for the O.R.E.M., and by the time we passed 12,000' It was 20 mph max. When we reached the summit at 14,110' the wind was howling and it was 39 degrees, so the shorts Odie and I were wearing were perfect attire. The views were stunning, vast tapestries of greens and browns underneath a sky so clear one could see into another reality. Odie had completed the Pike's Peak Marathon 4 different times about a decade earlier, and I was dumbfounded considering that accomplishment, especially since I felt winded just walking around! In fact, after about 60 minutes at the top, I was feeling dizzy and a bit nauseous, and since Odie refuses to drive, I made the call to start the trip down the "hill."
The grade coming down is so steep that I had the O.R.E.M. in the lowest gear and was still gaining speed. There's a mandatory brake check stop about halfway down where a park ranger checks your brake temp. The brakes were fine, but right before the check point a marmot ran in front of the O.R.E.M. and I didn't' have time to react and avoid it. That was a major bummer. I told the ranger at the check point what had happened, and she said they would make sure it got a proper burial, and I believe she meant it...
Tonight we are camped in the hills above Buena Vista, CO at around 8,200'. We found this spot after inquiring at a local rafting/mountain biking shop. Awesome sky, peaceful, nothing but the wind and crickets to keep us company...
And to you marmot, I am deeply sorry that I couldn't miss you...May your spirit run free for ever more...
Newton
Today (Thurs 8/28) we traveled from Buena Vista, Co to Estes Park, Co via the Rocky Mountain National Park. The weather was rainy and cold, and in fact it snowed at the summit (11,780') and the drive down was semi gnarly until we got below 9,000'. The rest of the day consisted of Thai food, a $6.00 shower at Dad's Laundromat, and now a beer at the Estes Park Brewery. Tonight we're camping in the park at around 8,000' and it's suppose to be in the low thirties....time to break out my flannel PJs...
Newton
We left Salida, CO around 8:45 a.m. and headed north with the ultimate destination of Pikes Peak, a journey of about 113 miles. The air was crisp and slowly warming from a night in the low forties. Breakfast was once again a nutrition bar and my famous camp coffee, although this batch was brewed in the now infamous Woodland Motel. (Infamous in the fact of its utter non-descritpness) About 13 miles out of Salida we turned east on Highway 24 and enjoyed a very mellow drive across high plains of meadows and pasture land at around 9,000'. The temp was cool, but I had the sunroof cranked open anyway to enjoy the perfection of the day.
Once we arrived in Colorado Springs we tried to find the Pikes Peak Highway using our cell phone GPS, which consistently told us to turn onto dead end roads. After about 30 minutes of WTF, we finally started following our instincts and found the highway easily...so much for technology.
The drive up the mountain was 18 miles of low gear chugging for the O.R.E.M., and by the time we passed 12,000' It was 20 mph max. When we reached the summit at 14,110' the wind was howling and it was 39 degrees, so the shorts Odie and I were wearing were perfect attire. The views were stunning, vast tapestries of greens and browns underneath a sky so clear one could see into another reality. Odie had completed the Pike's Peak Marathon 4 different times about a decade earlier, and I was dumbfounded considering that accomplishment, especially since I felt winded just walking around! In fact, after about 60 minutes at the top, I was feeling dizzy and a bit nauseous, and since Odie refuses to drive, I made the call to start the trip down the "hill."
The grade coming down is so steep that I had the O.R.E.M. in the lowest gear and was still gaining speed. There's a mandatory brake check stop about halfway down where a park ranger checks your brake temp. The brakes were fine, but right before the check point a marmot ran in front of the O.R.E.M. and I didn't' have time to react and avoid it. That was a major bummer. I told the ranger at the check point what had happened, and she said they would make sure it got a proper burial, and I believe she meant it...
Tonight we are camped in the hills above Buena Vista, CO at around 8,200'. We found this spot after inquiring at a local rafting/mountain biking shop. Awesome sky, peaceful, nothing but the wind and crickets to keep us company...
And to you marmot, I am deeply sorry that I couldn't miss you...May your spirit run free for ever more...
Newton
Today (Thurs 8/28) we traveled from Buena Vista, Co to Estes Park, Co via the Rocky Mountain National Park. The weather was rainy and cold, and in fact it snowed at the summit (11,780') and the drive down was semi gnarly until we got below 9,000'. The rest of the day consisted of Thai food, a $6.00 shower at Dad's Laundromat, and now a beer at the Estes Park Brewery. Tonight we're camping in the park at around 8,000' and it's suppose to be in the low thirties....time to break out my flannel PJs...
Newton
Luv u long time newton, How 'bout posting pics of the peak ☺️
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