SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010:
I would drive a total of 160 miles today.
On Sunday morning I left Gunnison, Colorado. The first thing I did was drive over Monarch Pass.
All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.
It was a very scenic drive on Colorado state highway 82 between Twin Lakes and Aspen.
SH 82 provides the principal transportation artery of the Roaring Fork Valley on the Colorado Western Slope.
There was on and off snow flurries as I climbed to the summit of Independence Pass.
The Scenery was breathtaking.
I crossed the Continental Divide at the summit of Independence Pass at an elevation of 12,095 feet.
As I descended the mountain into Aspen there was a nice view of the Roaring Fork River.
Maroon Bells is a mountain in the Elk Mountains that consists of two peaks, South & North Maroon Peaks.
Maroon Peak, at an elevation of 14,156 feet, is the 27th highest peak in Colorado.
The view of Maroon Bells from the Maroon Creek valley is one of the most famous scenes in Colorado,
and is reputed to be the "most-photographed spot in Colorado" and one of Colorado's premier scenic overlooks.
The Silver Queen Gondola at Aspen Mountain Resort carried me 3,000 vertical feet from
the heart of Aspen to the top of the resort. Reaching an elevation of 11,212 feet.
The summit of Aspen Mountain hosts panoramic views of the Aspen and Elk Mountain Range.
The City of Aspen is an affluent Home Rule Municipality with a population around 6,000.
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Hello everyone, Finishing up my trip as I am heading back to Grand Junction to return my car and fly home. It was a beautiful drive today. Went over Independence Pass on the way to Aspen. It was spectacular. It snowed for a while as I was climbing the mountain. The snow was beautiful. The picture below was taken at Independence Pass, Elevation 12,095 feet. The snow was quite deep up there. The picture below is of the river that the road paralleled. One of the prettiest spots on Earth is Maroon Bells, just outside Aspen. When I got there it was raining and totally cloudy and no blue sky at all. I took a walk around the lake and the sun came out as I was walking back and it was beautiful. They say this is the most photographed place in Colorado. Went into Aspen next. Below is a picture of town. I rode the Aspen Gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain. It was quite a long gondola. Took about 15 minutes to get up there. The views from the trip over Independence Pass were better but the gondola ride was fun. Weather today turned out much better than expected. The forecast looked like a repeat of yesterday. We did get some rain and snow but it was mostly nice. A little cold but nice. It has been a fantastic vacation. I was worried that after my exotic trips of last year that this simple little driving trip might not satisfy my travel fever. But it was great. My next trip is going to be a cruise through the Panama Canal this December. Have a great summer everyone! Tim |
MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2010:
On Monday I drove 130 miles back to Grand Junction to return my car.
I spent the night at the Doubletree Hotel (video below) and I flew home early Tuesday morning.
Click on the banner below for my next trip in December 2010.
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