Rocky Mountains High

After over night rain the sun was shining and the skies were clear. It was 45 F as we rode out of Georgetown, Colorado, back-tracing east on I-70 for a few miles until we picked up US 40 north.

This took us almost immediately into the cute Victorian town of Empire. A few of the higher hills had a light dusting of snow. The ride was refreshing and brisk and beautifully sunny. Vissibility was excellent.

We soon began climbing towards Berthoud Pass. The road up was double lane which meant we didn't have to sit behind slower vehicles. We had an exhilarating ride until we crested the top at 11315 ft and began our descent on a single lane that offered few places to overtake.

At the bottom of the descent the road emptied out into a wide flat valley with a backdrop of hills, that led to a series of towns whose sole existence seemed to be to support the ski industry; endless, lovely skiing holiday homes and units.
We stopped in Granby for brunch, obviously another ski town.

There must have been a competition for the best straw man, as one sat outside each business.

Remington's Family Cafe was an efficiently run and a relaxing stay.

We turned onto Us 34 to take us into the Rocky Mountain National Park. This is a spectacularly wild place. The road through the park led due north for a few miles. Along the way a startled elk fled as we approached. The road soon began to climb and snake its way up to Milner Pass at 11758 ft.

From there things just got more interesting as the road climbed up into the treeless tundra at 12383 ft. The traffic was quite heavy and the going slow, but that gave us time to look at the views that seemed to go on forever in the crystal clear air. A spectacular ride. This road will only be open for a short time now as the winter snows are starting.

After traversing a ridge for several miles the road began to descend. From high up we could see the road way down below in the distance.

We eventually left the Park and rolled into the beautiful town of Estes Park where we stopped for coffee and bun break (which primarily involves giving your buns a rest. Eating pastries is optional). From Estes Park we had a quick ride into Boulder. Our GPS took us straight to Richard and Marianne's home where we received a very warm welcome and cold beer. We talked about where we had been and where we are going next.

We enjoyed watching the wildlife outside their window.