Tuesday, May 28, 2024
On the way out of the campground this morning, we stopped to view the eagle nest. From the roadside, we had a relatively close view of the nest with its three eaglets and the mother on her look-out perch. Unfortunately, the sun was shining from the other side of the nest so we could only make out black silhouettes against the bright morning sky.
So, we proceeded along to Stephanie and John’s house arriving shortly after 9 am. John is a retired truck driver who spent years driving through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. He volunteered as our driver and guide for the day. We loaded our water and warm clothes into their black comfy Nissan Pathfinder and headed for the hills.
Our first destination was Guanella Pass. We headed west on interstate 70 away from the Denver metro region, then turned south and were soon travelling through scenic rural mountain landscape. The ascent to the 11,670 foot Guanella Pass twisted its way through beautiful mountain conifer stands of Pike National Forest.
On the peak of the pass, snow lay all about including huge mounds piled up around the parking lot covering a sign that John and Stephanie were expecting to see. We donned our warm clothes, then made use of the opportune restroom facilities before walking around the area taking in the scenic views all around us.
————— Guanella Pass —————
We then descended down Guanella Pass Road, formerly a burro’s trail, with nice views down the draw into the valley below. Along the way down, we passed a hydroelectric plant and reservoir. Near the bottom of the pass, we were pleasantly flabbergasted to spot four Colorado bighorn sheep on the opposite side of the road. John parked a discreet distance away and we disembarked to observe and take pictures of the ovine group. The sheep casually walked across the road single file, then quickly climbed a roadside ridge where they stopped to eat vegetation and keep an eye on their growing audience below. Eventually, we continued our descent into the quaint town of Georgetown.
—— Descending on Guanella Pass Road ——
After winding through Georgetown, John took the entrance ramp for I-70 west and shortly we passed a group of five bighorn sheep grazing alongside the interstate. I’ve always thought these creatures were a myth, but now I’m convinced they’re real although I may never see another one in my life after witnessing nine in less than an hour’s time span.
Soon, John pulled over on the side of the road for us to view the Wichita State University football team plane crash memorial. This tragedy occured in 1970 when half the team was flying on a chartered aircraft from Stapleton Aiport in Denver to Logan Airport in Utah. The overloaded plane was flying too low, became trapped in a box canyon without enough room to turn, and crashed below the summit of Mount Trelease. A trail to the wreck site begins just past the memorial. Visiting the memorial was a sobbering experience.
— Wichita State University Memorial along I-70 —
After viewing the memorial, we continued along I-70 another short distance, then John exited onto U.S. Highway 6, Loveland Pass Road. This road twisted and wound up the mountainside to the continental divide at 11,990 feet. We got out of the car to look around. Again, lots of snow was on the ground and we had beautiful long-range views.
We were very near the location where John experienced a landmark event in his life. Highway US-6 over Loveland Pass is an often used alternative route to I-70 for hazmat trucks that are not allowed to pass through the Eisenhower Tunnel for safety reasons. However, it can be a treacherous option sometimes during the winter.
Almost twenty years ago, John was driving a tanker truck over the pass just after midnight when he encountered complete whiteout conditions. On a curve just below the summit, he was forced to stop and set the brakes on his empty tractor-trailer. The over 100-mph winds violently rocked the truck until John could feel he was airborne. His truck landed hard and John heard trees “snapping like toothpicks” as he rolled down the steep mountainside. (He still hears the snapping in his head everytime he recounts this experience.) A tree pierced the sleeper cab helping to slow the truck that eventually was halted by a large tree just a few feet away from another steep drop. John remained still in the cab with the lights on. Eventually, another passing trucker spotted him but had to descend the mountain in order to call for help. Hours after the incident, John was safely rescued and became a hero among fellow truckers that use that route for surviving his attempted “shortcut.”
—— Loveland Pass ——
We then turned around at the summit and headed back down the mountain, passing by the spot where John’s “shortcut” had started. Descending, we could also see the mountain where the fatal crash of the Wichita State football team had happened and had an overhead view of the Eisenhower Tunnel.
—— Descending Loveland Pass Road (US-6) ——
We retraced our I-70 route back to Georgetown where we had a rest stop and enjoyed walking through the visitor center and gift shop. There was a burned-out truck carcass along the entry ramp as we got back onto I-70. This was another sad reminder of the perils truckers face traveling these treacherous mountain passes. Overheated brakes while making the long steep descents are a perpetual threat to truckers in this area.
—— Georgetown ——
John then drove us on Central City Parkway. This eight-mile-long road runs through a historical mining area that now attracts tourists via casinos. We passed through two cities, Cental City and Blackhawk, with their casinos, hotels, bars, and other tourist facilities. Revenue from these businesses are repaying the government bond that built the parkway. The last section of road traversed along a scenic river valley and, after waiting awhile to pass by a construction projet, we went through three short tunnels. From Central City Parkway, John drove us back to their home.
—— Central City Parkway ——
Back at the house, we relaxed awhile before heading out to dinner. John and Steph are in the process of adopting two Kenyan sisters who are adults. The elder sister, Cece, is already in Denver and has a good job. Her younger sister hopes to make it here soon. So, Jane and I will have two new nieces. We had hoped to meet Cece during tonight’s dinner, but a job responsibility came up that prevented her from joining us.
We drove to nearby Cinzzetti’s for dinner. Jane and I ate there during out last trip here two years ago and were looking forward to the all-you-can-eat Italian buffet. We weren’t disappointed. The plentiful food was great. We left satisfied and stuffed.
After dinner, at John and Steph’s home, Jane and I said our goodbyes and thank-yous and departed. Before entering the campground, we stopped to observe the eagle nest again. The evening sun allowed us to more clearly see the nest and birds. When we arrived, the mother eagle was in the nest feeding her three eaglets. Then, she flew to her perch above the nest to survey the grounds below while her eaglets continued feasting.
Finally, we returned to our motorhome and soon were in bed ready for a good night’s sleep after a full day of wonderful experiences.
