- Robert G. Nulph
- May 27, 2021
- 4 min read
Whenever I travel, I like to keep a blog to remind me of the wonders I have seen. It is also a way for friends and family to travel vicariously with me as I roam (in this case) the West. As you see in my previous blog posts, I also include a variety of photos - shots that I thought turned out well or shots that show some of the experiences along the way.
I arrived in Granby Monday evening after a nice visit in Lisle, Illinois and a quiet stay in Lincoln, Nebraska. My Casita is very nice and a great place to relax at night after a day of exploring.
My first full day in Granby (Tuesday) did not start out well. I was doing my homework and found that the road (Hwy 34) to Estes Park was closed until June 1st. I had a horseback ride in Rocky Mountain National Park scheduled for 7am this morning (Wednesday) but the drive to the stables which should have been 45 minutes would take over 3 hours! (You almost had to go back to Denver to get to Estes Park!) I didn't panic (mostly!) and called the stables. They kindly changed my ride to the 18th of June when I return to Granby for a couple of days. After being reassured, I sent out for a refreshing hike around Monarch Lake (4.2 miles.) To get there, you have to travel a dirt road around Lake Granby - a massive lake that for some reason is extremely low - leaving huge areas of the lake empty of water. The lake is down 29 feet with little reassurance that the snowpack melt will fill it to near normal levels. Other lakes such as Grand and Monarch do not seem to have the same issue. After the somewhat hairy/depressing/intriguing drive along the edge of Lake Granby (with no guard rails and at times a rather narrow washboard road with 100's of feet drop off on both sides!) The hike takes you along the lake's northern edge past vast rock slides with Indian Peaks (part of the Continental Divide Range) shining in the distance. The area suffered a severe blowdown a few months ago and the trail was just recently reopened. (all but one rather hairy section over a stream stuffed with downed trees.) It was amazing and a bit distressing to see so many trees down - totally uprooted or snapped off by the extreme winds that ripped through the valley. It was a relaxing and beautiful hike and at one point I did get to commune with a young male moose who seemed as curious about me as I was about him. A very nice afternoon replete with the smell of pine, the soft rush of winds through the trees, many different bird calls and few natural obstacles that made the trail interesting.
After a great meal and wonderful service at the Brickhouse 40 tavern in Granby, I called it a night. Of course I did get a chance to see the full moon sneak through the clouds but pics of a moon at night are hard to get. Too tired to get the tripod out and do it right!
Today started by sleeping in and then heading to the Kawuneeche Visitor Center of the Rocky Mountain National Park. After buying the requisite magnets (my refrigerator is almost full!) I headed north to view the fire damage from the East Troublesome Fire last year and then go on a few short hikes. The fire damage was extreme and amazing with entire mountains covered in burnt husks and a few homes along the way with nothing left but fireplaces.
I traveled north until I got to the road closure and then looped around to return to a couple of short hikes. The first was a mile loop to the Holzwarth Historic Site. This early 1900's Dude Ranch still has its original buildings set on the edge of the Kawuneeche Valley.
While hiking the road to and from the Holzwarth site, I saw a bull moose (too far away for a shot) a couple of birds I know my Mom would appreciate and the mighty Colorado river - almost narrow enough to jump!
After my visit the the Holzwarth site, I moved on to hike the short (1 1/2 mile Coyote Valley Trail. This trail meanders along the Colorado River, offering sweeping views of the Kawuneeche Valley. Along the way I saw a variety of birds, a coyote slinking across the meadow and a herd of elk. I also had a very pleasant visit with a painter taking advantage of the beautiful scenery and mild (though windy) weather.
My last stop of the day was a short hike to Adam's Falls. This very powerful 55 foot falls thunders through a crevasse and takes a 90 degree turn at the base of the upper falls. The falls is along Eastern Inlet that feeds Grand Lake.
As I made my way towards home, I saw a bull moose eating the new grass growing from the fire damaged edge of the woods right at the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance sign. A great way to end the day!
Tomorrow, I think I will explore a little to the south of Granby. Stay tuned!
Bob
