Colorado 2026 Trip Report (the final three days)

Written by ceddammit

Day 8:

I decided that Day Eight would consist of a visit to the north rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I really don’t remember why (I have GOT to start taking better notes on these trips). After all, it’s a five-hour roundtrip from Lake City.

I ended up getting a late start, yet I was exhausted all day, so I stopped for a couple naps along the way. Ultimately, I didn’t make it to Black Canyon. But I covered a decent amount of territory and got some pics of some pretty cool spots. Check ’em out:

I brought the rented Jeep to a screeching halt when I spotted this cavern on the river.
Look out! Cliff!
Is it just me, or does this formation look like an alligator?
This part of the state looks suspiciously like Wyoming.
Colorado’s largest unnatural body of water, Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Had to zoom in on cars to provide size perspective.
The water level at Blue Mesa Reservoir is incredibly low due to multiple years of drought.
I never get tired of pale green rocks. In fact, I think I’ll start a rock band called Pale Green. We’ll play nothing but Deep Purple covers.

When I returned to Lake City, I stopped in at Silver Slice Pizza Company, where I had a most excellent calzone!

Day 9:

During my first “Leftover Colorado” tour 13 years ago, I drove through the old mining town of Creede. I explored the mining area north of town (officially known as the Bachelor Historic Tour) but didn’t check out the town itself. So, today was dedicated to exploring Creede. But the round-trip would be over two hours, so naturally I expected to find some photographable areas along the way. I was not disappointed. Just outside Lake City, the highway climbs a series of switchbacks to an overlook above Lake San Cristobal…

Looking down at Lake San Cristobal
Tailings pile from what appears to have been gold mining.
Our old friend, Goose Island

The highway tops out at an elevation of a little more than 11,000 feet. It was almost like being on Trail Ridge Road again!

So, I got to Creede and drove all over the historic part of town…and saw nothing I wanted to photograph. Well, there was one thing. The town’s fire department is located inside a mountain! Check it out:

I considered driving the Bachelor Historic Tour again, but a storm was rolling in. So, I stocked up on a couple things at a local grocery store, then headed back to the hotel. The next three pics are from the descent back into Lake City…

Faint rainbow after the storm
Part of Slumgullion Earthflow (a very slow-moving landslide)
This is a very steep and winding little highway.

Day 10:

I allowed the full day on Day Ten for the drive to Denver International Airport. Y’see, Google Maps says this is a 5-hour drive, I knew there’d be more photographable scenery on the way, and I was hoping to take a detour through Cripple Creek to visit a museum I’ve wanted to visit for years. Let’s get to the scenery:

I am guessing this is a mine reclamation project.

As I passed over Monarch Pass, I began looking for a big old mill that I remember seeing there many years ago. And, yes, it’s still there:

To my great surprise, the mill is now surrounded by an operating modern mine! See for yourself:

This was another one of those days where I was experiencing the Parkinson’s excessive daytime sleepiness, so once again, I stopped for naps multiple times. Not surprisingly, then, I didn’t have time to take the Cripple Creek detour. Gonna have to try again next year.

And let me just say in closing: the Denver airport is an absolute maze of construction right now. So much so that they have announcements in the terminal building (not concourses) saying basically, if you don’t have a boarding pass, get the Hell out! I’ve been dealing with Charlotte’s airport remodeling for the last decade. It’s been complaint-worthy and highly frustrating, but what they’re doing in the Denver terminal is MUCH worse than anything I’ve dealt with in Charlotte. If this construction hasn’t been completed by the time I make next year’s Colorado trip, I may try flying into Colorado Springs instead of Denver, or maybe even one of the little western slope airports. Seriously, avoid DEN at all costs for the next year or so!

Leave a Reply