Colorado September 14-21, 2009, Travels in Gunnison NF

We spent a week camping next to Taylor Park Reservoir and exploring the back roads and mountains in this part of Gunnison National Forest. During this week, the quaking Aspen trees changed from mostly green to about 60% yellow & gold. I had expected the trees would change to almost all yellow/gold but there is still a lot of green in the trees.

These Apen trees in the middle of fir & spruce trees are mostly green with a little gold


While these trees a mile or so away have fully turned to gold



A few pictures of the Aspens





These Aspens make an interesting pattern in the fir & spruce trees


Some of the Aspen trees have already lost their leaves, but we still had pretty views of the mountains & valley




Some views as we drove the dirt & gravel roads in the mountains in Gunnison NF:

First, pictures of a pretty doe mule deer

Since she was back lit, you can see her whiskers


Tundra, mountains & clouds


Mountain & Sky views



Indian Head rock. It does look like an Indian leaning against a rock.


A different rainbow


Rain clouds & rain from the top of Cumberland Pass



Sharon’s new summer home, looking out on a beaver pond & beaver lodge



Gunsight Pass Road

Gunsight Pass road, about 4 miles NW of Crested Butte, was the roughest road we drove. It was a fun, but bumpy drive with pretty views. (As always, click on the picture or map for a larger view)


3D Map





Looking down from where the Blazer is parked in the previous picture.



Looking all the way down.


We didn’t go all the way to the end of the road. Forty five minutes of bumpy road to go the 4 miles we went was far enough. Besides we had plans to do more sightseeing that day and we had another forty five minute drive to get back down.



One day we ran across three hunters who killed (harvested if you prefer) a beautiful trophy bull elk. They shot him at about dusk the day before. They worked in the cold rain until after midnight that night quartering and hauling out half of the elk. This morning they were bringing out the rest and we got pictures of the shooter carrying out the head and antlers.

This is the rough and rocky slope they climbed up to get to their hunting area. Of course they then had to carry the elk back down. Not going to drive your ATV up this slope. If you look closely in the right center of the picture you can see the hunter and his trophy.


A misstep here and he has a broken ankle or twisted knee.



A beautiful trophy elk.


That's all for now

Al & Sharon

Colorado September 9-13, 2009. Curecanti NRA, Black Canyon and Taylor Park Reservoir

A side-bar before we continue our travelogue.

At times Sharon & I have an impediment keeping us from getting up from our recliners to get or do something. It is known as “C-O-L”. Sometimes C-O-L is Computer-On-Lap, other times it is Cat-On-Lap.

In this case Sharon has Cats-On-Lap & Computer-On-Lap, a double C-O-L!!

After a nice stay at Mesa Verde NP, we left for Curecanti National Recreation Area (NRA).

There are two routes to and from Mesa Verde NP from the Grand Junction, Montrose & Gunnison area. One is Hwy 550, we took going through Silverton and the other is Hwy 145, going through Telluride. We took the route though Telluride coming back. It is a much easier drive. Only one pass, Lizard Head Pass, to go over. No tight switch backs or steep grades this way. Although the route though Telluride looks longer on the map, there is only about 3 miles difference in the two routes.

At Curecanti NRA we stayed at Elk Creek Campground, about 15 miles west of Gunnison.

A brief description of Curecanti NRA, taken from their website:

Curecanti is made up of three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River. Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water, and is the largest Kokanee Salmon fishery in the U.S.. Morrow Point Reservoir is the beginning of the Black Canyon, and below, East Portal is the site of the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel - a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

This is a picture of Morrow Point Reservoir. The canyon walls of this reservoir are the start of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Credit: NPS/Lisa Lynch

A few pictures of the lake & camping area at Elk Creek CG

Our campsite & lake


View from our front window


A morning view

And an evening view


And there is always the ever present chipmunk or squirrel



While staying at Elk Creek CG, we took a day trip to the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (BCGNP)


“No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison”. The walls of the canyon typically drop about 2000 feet straight down to the river.

Similar to the Grand Canyon, there are north & south rim areas of the national park and it takes quite a bit of driving to go from one side to the other. We visited the south rim some years ago.

It is a beautiful drive, following Hwy 92, as it winds and twists following the north side of the canyon.


A typical view from the road


3D Map of the canyon


A few pictures of the canyon, all taken from overlooks

A general view of the canyon


Sharon looking down into the canyon


What she was looking at


Another view looking down into the canyon


A completely vertical wall about 400 feet high without a visible ledge.


Interesting banding on the canyon wall


Another view looking down the canyon


From Curecanti, we moved into Gunnison National Forest to Lakeview NF campground.


Our campsite overlooking Taylor Reservoir


A panoramic view of the reservoir and mountains from the campground


Looking back at the reservoir from a near Cottonwood pass


A closer look and you can see the Lakeview CG on the hillside on the far left of the picture


That’s all for now. Next up will be general views in and around Gunnison NF.

Al & Sharon