Colorado’s Mountain Passes

Having lived in Colorado for many years (about 25 for each of us), Steve and I have driven many of the mountain passes often.  We have made the drive from Grand Junction, which is 20 miles from Utah, to Colorado Springs regularly and rarely saw motor homes on our favored routes. The few we saw had Colorado license plates.  These are the 6 different routes that we have driven (in order from least favorite) for transiting purposes and are described as if driving from Grand Junction.  There are a few more not listed that we’ve driven for sightseeing reasons that would take much longer and some are not paved.

• Vail Pass, elevation 10,662 feet: The entire route is on four lane interstate highways via Denver. This is our least favorite of the routes due to the high volume of traffic between Vail and Denver and Denver to Colorado Springs.  Mileage is 302. 
• Hoosier Pass, elevation 11,542:  Four lane interstate until exiting at Frisco on highway 9.  The drive between Frisco and Breckenridge is one long traffic jam in the summer and during ski season.  There are a few tight switchbacks on the west side of Hoosier Pass but nothing our 24 foot RV can’t handle.  I wouldn’t want to drive this route with a big 5th wheel or a large Class A and toad because of the traffic and switchbacks.  There are no scary drop off areas.  This is the recommended shortest route our GPS gives at 288 miles.
• Fremont Pass, elevation 11,319 feet via Copper Mountain off of I-70,  through Leadville and Buena Vista. We have taken this route once just to see what it is like and I don’t remember anything significant as far as scenery or that it was a difficult drive.  According to Wikipedia it is a level drive with just one switchback. It is the longest drive of all at about 330 miles.
• Independence Pass, elevation 12,095 feet via Glenwood Springs, Aspen, and Buena Vista is limited to vehicles 35 feet and under.  We’ve never driven this route with a motor home but the last time I drove it in 2004 traveling east to west I was glad to be on the inside lane.  The outside lane was crumbling away in areas and the drop off is drastic.  The road may have been improved since then but for now I would only drive it going east to west.  Traditionally not open until late May, Independence Pass is the most beautiful of all the passes and there’s the added bonus of seeing Aspen and Twin Lakes. Mileage is 282.
• Tennessee Pass, elevation 10,424 feet, via Minturn off of interstate 70, to Leadville and Buena Vista.  We mostly alternate between this route and Monarch Pass as both are practically a tie. The initial climb is a bit steep but not for long and there are no switchbacks.  Maybe a curve or two.  Ski Cooper area is at the top of the anti-climatic pass.  It’s almost like “what pass?”  Shortly after Ski Cooper is the western style tourist town of Leadville which claims to have the highest elevation (10,152 feet) of any incorporated city in the U.S.  However Alma, which you drive through if you take the Hoosier Pass route, has an elevation of 10,354 feet and also makes the claim.  Prior to Tulip, we had a 27 foot 5th wheel with super cab truck and drove this route with no problem. Traffic is almost non-existent.  Mileage 302.
• Monarch Pass, elevation 11,312 might have a tiny edge because there are no miles driven on any interstate highway.  Exit at highway 50 in Grand Junction and drive via Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, Johnson Village, Woodland Park.  The highway over Monarch Pass has two lanes for the ascent on both sides and no switchbacks.  Maybe one or two curves which are no big deal,  Monarch Ski Area is on the east side just a little below the pass summit.  We’ve also driven the 5th wheel on this route and occasionally see large semi-trucks.  Mileage 296.

Note:  Recommend getting fuel in Colorado Springs or Grand Junction as it’s more expensive in the mountains.  One exception:  The Western Convenience store about 4 miles east of Woodland Park right on the highway always has the cheapest gas and diesel anywhere and it’s also where several of the “Texas Seven” were caught.

Scenery along the way:

Hoosier Pass Route:  The town of Fairplay, aka South Park from the TV series.

Hoosier Pass route: View from west side of summit

Tennessee Pass Route:  The town of Minturn is rather cute and sits along a rushing river.

Tennessee Pass route:  View from Leadville.  Turquois Lake is about 6 miles west of downtown Leadville towards these mountains and has 7 campgrounds along the shore.

Monarch Pass route:  Drive goes the entire 20 mile length of Blue Mesa Reservoir, which is the largest body of water in Colorado.  This was taken in March when the lake was still frozen.

Monarch Pass route: View from the summit

All routes except Hoosier and Vail Pass:  View if you are headed west shortly before Johnson’s Corner near Buena Vista. (P.S. Overnighting allowed at Gunsmoke Travel Plaza in Johnson Village).

Independence Pass route:  This old picture was taken at the summit and is the only one I have.  This is one pass where everyone pulls over at the summit to see the beautiful views.

Quiet On The Home Front

Steve is back at work through December and until then we will, for the most part, be staying put…….probably. Our plans can change in an instant so nothing is for sure. 

In the meantime, I have started another website where I am posting three pictures each day.  It is called The Three Favs of Eve and is at:  www.favsofeve.blogspot.com

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Anyone who has driven through Colorado on I-70 has probably seen the world’s largest natural hot springs swimming pool.  The thermal pool is warm enough to swim in throughout the year and until 10 at night.  The parking lot has an RV area but not for overnighting.

If someone had just a week off for a vacation, Glenwood Springs would be ideal with no car needed.  Just fly to Denver and then take the train for a very scenic 150 mile journey through the mountains and Glenwood Canyon.

The train station is directly across the Colorado River from the swimming pool.

There is a pedestrian bridge next to the hot springs that goes over the river.  The train station is on the left and a great city type downtown is straight ahead.  The Eagle River from Aspen joins the Colorado River nearby.  And speaking of Aspen, there are busses to take you the 40 miles there.

Historic Hotel Colorado is across the street from the pools and there are more motels/hotels on 6th Street just to the left of this hotel.

There’s a level bicycle ride (or walk) on a paved trail beside the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon that goes the 7 or 8 miles to Hanging Lake.  Bikes can be rented in town and I noticed a bike rack at the base of the Hanging Lake trail.

 

 

Soft, soft grass between the pool and hotel that Molly did not want to leave.

 

 

 

Thirteen mile long Glenwood Canyon is such a pretty drive.  There are a couple of very nice rest areas in the canyon. 

Campgrounds in this area are overpriced and do not get very good reviews.  Unfortunately, the national forest campgrounds don’t open until May 25th and the recreation area campground that we planned to stay at in Gypsum is no longer there.  Although several websites state that Wal-Mart in Glenwood doesn’t allow overnight parking, we saw at least 5 RV’s overnighting in the very small parking lot on a busy and noisy highway.  Lowes gave us permission for one night.

Hanging Lake, Colorado

Hanging Lake is a crystal clear, glacially formed lake about 7 miles east of Glenwood Springs that is on the roster of National Natural Landmarks.  And it is at the end of a hike that gains 1,000 feet in elevation in a mile. 

Steve and I first hiked up to Hanging Lake exactly 17 years ago this month and even though I didn’t know what a hiking pair of shoes was it was not too difficult for me then.  Seven years ago was another story…….I didn’t even make it to the 1/4 mile marker.  The picture was taken May 1995 beside the path that leads to the trail.  This time it was just as easy as it was 17 years ago because I have gotten myself into better shape the last few months. 

 

There had been a rockslide at the beginning with just enough rocks cleared to make a trail.

 

 

 

There’s a swift stream beside the trail the entire mile with waterfalls that possibly number in the hundreds.  I didn’t want to carry my SLR camera because it only has an 18-200 lens which makes it fairly heavy so I took my smaller Canon SX 101s. I was more concerned with just making it to the top than taking good pictures.

 

Periodically the trail leveled out long enough to catch our breaths.  The trail is in a narrow canyon with just the stream along side and plenty of shade.

 

The final stretch is so steep that there are metal handrails to hold on to.  All the steps are natural rock and some were taller than the height of my knees so the handrails sure helped.

                                      The views from close to the top

                    More than one person walked out onto the lake on this log

 

I shared my walnuts with this chipmunk who afterwards surprised me by coming on my lap when I wasn’t looking.

                         It’s possible to walk right up to the falls.

 

There is a short walk above Hanging Lake to Spouting Rock that you can go behind.

 

 

Now we are on our way back down.

 

 

 

 

These falls were so pretty because of all the moss along side.

Getting close to the bottom and both of us have shaky legs.  Steve kept tripping which is unusual.  I was thinking about the Glenwood Springs paramedics and how often they must have to climb up this trail to help someone with injuries or a heart attack.  Supposedly 600 people go up to Hanging Lake every day in the summer.  We were fortunate that not too many people were on the trail but we got an early start.

The only bathrooms are at the bottom so be prepared!  There’s Tulip parked in the RV area.  It began raining hard 5 minutes after we got inside.

Twin Lakes, Colorado

There’s been no time to write any posts about our trip this week and also I’ve had problems with my laptop.  If I plug it into the RV’s inverter the mouse pad doesn’t work and if I unplug it then my battery only lasts for 10 minutes. 

We made a short 4 mile detour off of our route to take a picture of Twin Lakes where my father used to go fishing.  Twin Lakes is on the road that goes over one of the most beautiful mountain passes in Colorado: Independence Pass to Aspen. 

Until later……….