A Snowy Drive Through Empty Areas of Central Colorado - February 10, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - The night before, a sudden turn of events
required me to travel to Woodland Park as soon as possible.
Snow was
in the forecast overnight and for much of today, but I did not have any alternative options.
I had to go!
Well, I made the best of things and brought my camera along for the drive.
If you live in this particular region of central Colorado,
these photos will probably seem fairly ordinary, but hey, I was thinking of my faithful visitors
in places like Nebraska,
South Carolina and Texas
with this one. :)
Enjoy the photos. At the bottom of a page is a video from
the evening. It was still snowing in Buena Vista when I returned and Stephen and I made a
semi-entertaining video. Ahhhhh ... you gotta love the snow!
It was snowing significantly in Buena Vista.
Here was the westerly view as I traveled on West Main Street.
Many of the streets were covered in ice and snow from previous snow and sleet storms from the weekend.
Johnson Village, CO
TOP PHOTO: Approaching Johnson Village,
it did not appear the conditions were going to change. But what I didn't notice at the time was
the small area of blue sky in the background.
MIDDLE PHOTO: The view of Midland Hill, a mountain I've climbed three times recently. You can
see my pages of each hike here:
BOTTOM PHOTO: A photo at the
Gunsmoke Truck Stop.
Now the truck stop is open 24 hours,
which is a huge advantage if you're driving through
Chaffee County
in the middle of the night,
but prices at the gas pumps in Buena Vista
are usually about 10 to 15 cents cheaper than in Johnson Village. Be advised! ;)
Traveling along Highway 24/285. I love
these realistic snowy road photos! :)
Approaching Trout Creek Pass, there is usually a grand view of the
Buffalo Peaks to the left, but there were covered in clouds.
The open area beside the highway is known as Chubb Park, a place you might be acquainted with
if you've ever hiked the Davis Meadow Trail,
mountain biked in the "Four Mile" area or camped somewhere near the Buffalo Peaks.
I tossed in a photo of the initial descent from the pass as well.
The point where Highways 285 and 24 split off.
285 travels straight ahead toward Fairplay, Bailey and
Denver.
The turnoff to the right leads to Hartsel, Woodland Park and
Colorado Springs.
Oh and yes, the road was slick!
Traveling east in Park County,
things began clear up. Look at the blue skies!
Those two small pointed peaks are behind one of the entrances to Ranch
of the Rockies, a massive residential area in the boonies. I have friends who live there. :)
Wide open country! Much of this wide
open area of Park County is also referred to as South Park. Yep, there really is a "South Park" in Colorado!
Many Coloradoans have spoken of this portion of road
(from Hartsel to Wilkerson Pass)
as being very isolated, which it is. But I will say this: There were really desolate
highways throughout New Mexico
that put this road to shame in the lonely department! :p)
My last photo taken on my drive to Woodland Park was in Lake George.
Here's a lazy shot from the car of the South Platte River. I wasn't in the mood to
get out of the car and find a photogenic spot along the river. :p)
Tarryall, Colorado
On the way back, I made a detour at Lake George and traveled to the very rural and historic town
of Tarryall. From Highway 24, take Park County Road 77 approximately 11 miles north ...
... when you see the white schoolhouse,
you've made it to Tarryall, Colorado!
Note: I'd like to dedicate these few pictures to my friend Steve in
Kansas. (I hope he appreciates these!)
Three photos of a
one room schoolhouse that served
the community in the first half of the 20th century.
I snapped four photos of a historic marker on the site. Very interesting!
A small house and two outhouses behind the schoolhouse.
My guess, from reading about the social history of this era,
is the small structure was the home of whomever was the female teacher of the school.
Two views of the mountains from the road.
Many older homes like this one are in the area. One must wonder...
How well are these structures winterized, if at all?
One photo of
myself
as I took the "short cut"
(Park County Road 31) toward the Round Mountain Campground area back to Highway 24.
West of Hartsel, I spotted buffalo. Again, I was too lazy to get out of my car.
Interestingly, it remained clear with blue skies in
Woodland Park and Teller County,
but upon my return to Buena Vista, it was still snowing.
Snowfall came down throughout the evening. Above is a fun video I made with Stephen as
we drove around town in the late afternoon. :)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - The night before, a sudden turn of events
required me to travel to Woodland Park as soon as possible.
