Winter is Coming, Summit County

Looking west along the trail described below. I usually bicycle in this direction. It goes to the Copper Mountain Ski Area, and also beyond it to Vail Pass.

This is a paved bicycle/hiking trail that parallels Interstate 70 (but on the other side of a small creek) near Frisco in Colorado. I stopped there intending to bicycle on it, as I've done several times before, but it was snowpacked on this mid-November afternoon. So I didn't bicycle.

Growth of a House

I noticed this house in Antonito, CO, on my way south to the Trinity Site on April 4. Not pressed for time, I turned out that street and photographed it. The house appears to have grown room by room, layer by layer, and theres a tower out back! Perspective in the photo has been controlled, but the tower is unstraight.

Arkansas Valley Sunset

Several years ago, while driving home from Denver, this fine view across the Arkansas Valley toward Mt. Yale presented itself. The photo was taken from a place I know near Highway 24-285, in central Colorado.

Storm on Old Monarch, Friday Feb 16

Today I went skiing up the Old Monarch Pass road again. I had a little more time than I expected, so I went all the way up near the summit. I didn't go the last 200 yards because the snow was drifting real badly up there.

Dark cloud fragments would sweep up over the ridge from the Gunnison side. Snow would whirl and drift. Sometimes the snow would be picked up by what looked like the winter equivalent of dust devils. This was powerful and exciting.

It also made me ask myself, "What am I doing here?" Though just a mile from other people (on one of the ski runs at Monarch) the whole place had a spooky quality about it. I made my photographs, and headed back toward my truck.

Going downhill was delightful. It was kick and glide skiing all the way!

Old Monarch Pass

Pictured above is the summit of Old Monarch Pass. This was the route of Highway 50 until 1921. The highway now crosses the continental divide maybe a mile south of here. The old road is now a cross country ski route, also traveled by snowmobiles. In the summer, you can drive over, and go down the Gunnison side of the mountains.

See this site for the history of Highway 50.

Today I drove to the Monarch Ski and Snowboard area, visited with my friend Anrahyah (who kindly offered me part of her lunch!), and then went cross country skiing on the Old Monarch Pass road which is just uphill from the entrance to the ski area. I think it was about 1:30 pm.

The snow was in great condition, high enough that it wasn't melting on this relatively warm day. The summit of the pass is a bit over 11,300 feet. Coming down was kick and glide most of the way.

At the bottom, a man asked me general questions about skiing the area, and then looked to be putting on his skis. A lady who had started just ahead of me was still on the mountain somewhere.

After a slice of pizza and a drink (at ski area prices), I drove down the mountain and home.

Road up to Monarch

The view west toward Monarch Pass on Highway 50, Chaffee County, Colorado. When it works out, I've enjoyed driving up there on Friday afternoons since my friend is up at the ski area then with a group of her students.

http://crestonecharter.blogspot.com

It's about a 40 minute drive, and I normally find some photographs to make along the way. I am, after all, working on a book illustrating Highway 50 across the country! It's only another mile or so from the ski area to the summit of Monarch Pass.

This time, I didn't take my cross country skis. But I should have. The snow was better than I thought. The Old Monarch Pass road would have been good.