SW Adventure

[Lapchik]

Wednesday May 27th 2026 (515 miles)
I started today in a more bright, vivid,"colorful Colorado" has all the state line signs say. I took off from Delta on us 50, which runs on top of the river canyon until you get to Blue Mesa dam. Then it switches to running in the canyon next to the river. I enjoyed us 50 more than us 550 because the views are just as good, the pavement is better, and the traffic is insignificant. Sure 550 has a few waterfalls and a really narrow cliff road, but the stress level on 50 is a lot less.

Eventually you get spit back out into the same sort of cattle rangeland that you were on near Delta before the canyon. Continuing east, the color faded away and the rain began again. As I was crossing the summit of monarch pass at 11,312 feet, I got a few snowflakes. I started to miss hot Southeast California, 11,600 ft lower than where I was at the moment (yes, slab City area in California is 300 ft below sea level). I took a small detour up to the Midland tunnels, which would barely be worth the detour during nice weather.

I continued on to canon City, where the rain finally dried up for a little while. I took the skyline drive, a less than one lane wide road in some spots along the ridge on the west side of town. As I was going down the back side, there was a large group of what I assume are some sort of paleontologist or nature students looking at the rocks.

I went over to pueblo, and then up to Colorado springs. I needed to get a grand tour picture at Santa's workshop. I also found out that you now need a reservation to drive up Pikes peak. Not sure if that seasonal, or if that's at any point in time now. Either way, I've already been to garden of the gods and up Pikes peak so I skipped them on this trip. It is also started raining again. I continued up the mountains, to areas that were on fire the last time I visited. I continued plodding along through fly fishing country, until I couldn't stand the 50° rain anymore. I headed over to the western suburbs of denver, and then road North until I got sick of it. At least those roads were dry, and 10° warmer.

I ended up in Loveland, and I went to the Mexican restaurant next to the hotel for a hot meal. I had the three enchilada platter at a restaurant called 3 margaritas. Which also sounded tempting, but I settled for a single tecate.