2010 Tour Part 3: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park |
| Gordon White | Monday, 12 July, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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After our Denver visits with Coyote, Outfitter, Hallmark, and Five Star RV, we were ready for a little adventure. Angela charted a course to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Southwest Colorado and made sure to take as many scenic drives as possible to get there. Come on Cummins. Let’s hit the open road.
285 to Gunnison Once we got through the Denver metropolitan area, through the sprawling suburbs, and past the small town satellites, Colorado began to show her true splendor. On 285, the feeling of untouched open space was breathtaking. All around us, flowing wisps of snow and rain draped the rolling hills and mountain peaks.
The clouds threw gentle shadows across seemingly endless fields of golden brown grasses. Then the sun would hit a snow capped mountain and beam with unspeakable beauty against a changing sky of delicate blues and whites. Again and again the road before us turned to reveal impossibly beautiful landscape after impossibly beautiful landscape. As our truck climbed, the elevation was marked by our ears popping, the temperature dropping, and the rain turning into snow.
The only occasional clues of man were the rusting barbed fences containing grazing horses and cattle. It was one of those drives I wish we could experience when life throws it’s challenges at us. Everything falls into perspective. Everything makes a bit more sense. What a wonderful experience. Dizzy at Monarch Pass
We took a left turn onto US 50 to make our way towards the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and the visual hits kept coming. When we finally reached Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet, we were literally dizzy. The assent to Monarch Pass is quite rapid leaving little opportunity to adapt to the thin air. The feeling is somewhat like being intoxicated, which seemed appropriate after all the incredible highs we had seen that day. And there was another rude shock awaiting us. When we left Denver that morning, the temperatures were in the 70’s. We were basking in the warmth of summer weather wearing t-shirts and sandals. When we opened our truck doors at Monarch Pass, old man winter blew in cold and strong. Summer was nowhere to be seen and we were freezing! Of course we loved every second of it and laughed at how absurdly unprepared we were. Angela grabbed a sweatshirt and tried to stop shivering for a photo. Then we looked around and were once again struck by nature’s beauty. Coming down the mountain was as dramatic as the way up. We descended ten miles of five to six percent grades into the town of Gunnison and camped for the night at Mesa RV Park. What a day. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
When we talk to our friends in Denver about what to see in Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park comes up again and again. The park is located about 250 miles southwest of Denver and, as you read above, the drive there alone is worth it. Our first stop inside the park was Tomichi Point. We pulled the dinette side of our camper as close to the canyon edge as possible and had lunch. Now this is what truck camping is all about; cliff side ham and cheese wraps, with a pickle slice. Delicious! The sides of the narrow canyon have the most sheer rock walls we’ve ever seen. At it’s deepest, the canyon is 2,772 feet deep. That number loses all meaning when you stand at the edge of this canyon and look down to the raging river below. Like so many things you can see in this amazing country, no words or pictures could ever replace the experience of physically being there.
The twisty two-way road through the park tightly traces the edge of the steep canyon walls. To make things more interesting, there’s often little more than a small cluster of rocks or a guard rail to keep you from driving off the side. That would be one heck of a way to end the magazine. With hands firmly on the wheel, Angela drove us into the park pulling into a view point here or a hiking trail there. The view points are basically cliff side look outs that take you right to the canyon edge. Thankfully there are metal guard rails to hold on to as your eyes attempt to get a handle on the stunning landscape.
The trails are more of a hiker beware situation. While most of the trails themselves are very easy hikes, they often take you close to the canyon sides with only a few hundred billion molecules of oxygen and hydrogen between you and the canyon floor. Angela and I explored these trails and took in everything nature had to show us. Wow. Perhaps my favorite part of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison experience, other than the vistas, were the swifts. Shaped like Mig fighters of the late 1950s, these birds fly incredibly fast and are impossibly maneuverable in mid-flight. Try as I did, I could not get a single quality photograph of these acrobatic birds as they turned, darted, and dove right in front of us. If the Migs had been this maneuverable, we might all be speaking Russian now. That night we stayed at the South Rim campground. We opted for an electric hook-up site as we needed to work on the magazine. Unfortunately, that’s when Angela started to feel the effects of altitude sickness. We seriously considered leaving the park to drive off the mountain but she decided to sweat it out. The next morning she had adjusted and felt much better. After exploring a few more overlooks, we drove out of the park and back into cell phone and Verizon MIFI 3G wireless internet range. And wouldn’t you know our website was down? We were able to get the situation fixed quickly, but gee whiz, that was fun. It’s always an adventure! Keeping the Edge Don’t think for a second that we’re done with cliff side driving, heights beyond imagination, or sights that take more than your eyes to fully comprehend. Next on our adventure are Ouray, Colorado and the Million Dollar Highway. Buckle up, and don’t look down. |
