EARLY DECEMBER – COLORADO

            I made a quick trip to Denver the first week of December.  I wasn’t too interested in mountain driving with snow and ice.  Sooooo, I booked Amtrak to get me from Denver to Grand Junction in order to visit Mom (Thelma) who just turned 97.

          Even after the red-eye flight, I walked the city with a friend and enjoyed all the lights that evening and we spent the night at Denver's Oxford Hotel, a refurbished city landmark near the train station.  

Denver's Civic Center

The lighting scheme changes through greens, blues, purples, whites, golds, etc.

the Oxford Hotel in front of Union Station

Ironically, the train station is due for remodel and is closed for 2 years!

The hotel shuttled me to the train next morning

            The Amtrak trip was fantastic, hadn’t done it since I was 12!  What a relaxing way to travel; recliner seats have leg rests and curtains if you want to nap, the lounge car has large windows, the café has junk food all day, the dining car has white tablecloths and no plastic flatware.

Lounge car with swivel seats and mega views

Travelling at 20 mph affords great scenic beauty but many pics were blurred 

a new learning curve

Dining car between meals

What does Colorado have to do with Oceantics? 

All snowmelt and waters from the west side of the Continental Divide go to the Pacific Ocean; weird that the fresh snow I was seeing might end up in my back yard on Kauai.

            The train winds through canyons of the Rockies along the Fraser River, a major tributary to the Colorado River.  The tracks then follow the Colorado river through old worn volcanic features to the western edge of the state before heading on into Utah. 

Byers Canyon 

 Pit stops are for smokers and leg stretching but five minutes is really quick

 Ski season hadn't really kicked off yet

Still in rockies

           Once I got to Montrose, I visited Mom several times, had lunches and dinners between keeping her routine at the residence.  I took an early morning hike in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, just a few miles from her.  (see Mother’s Day post from May 2012).  A  big storm was due in, it was cloudy but I dressed warm – it was great. 

The moody canyon

by the time I put an extra layer on, it was starting to lift

Trail on left heading down

             There were parts of the trail I wished I had skis on as I crabbed my way down 400 feet, crunchy snow over ice.

 Oak Flat Loop had oaks and it was a loop - not sure where the flat came from

Oak leaves

            I was relieved when I started back up on the loop.  I still had a big day ahead of me.  The air was incredible, intermittent view of the canyon very exciting.

 Oaks above the canyon

Heading back up (winding trail visible below)

            Driving back down toward town I looked for deer and found them happily grazing.  Going to Colorado is usually my big animal fix.

A mule deer in her winter coat

           In the afternoon I took mom up to the canyon to drive along the rim.  We ventured out to one overlook, with the wheeled walker.  Then as promised, we stopped at the visitor center for hot chocolate and more views from the interior.

HI MOM

A little more snow on the return trip  

that water will eventually make its way to the Pacific