Sturgis & Colarado Mountain Loop

The town of Pella, IA was founded in 1847 by a group of emigrants from the Netherlands. The town has since retained and preserved its Dutch heritage through historical architecture, museums and tulip festival. 

We stopped by the downtown area to grab lunch and take a little drive around, not walk about since it was 94 degrees with a heat index of 109. Pella is known as "Little Holland" and has a replica of a Dutch square named Molengracht. 

Dignity of Earth & Sky
This statue is in honor of the 125th anniversary of South Dakota statehood  It overlooks the Missouri Rive and measures 50 feet high, 16 feet deep and 32 feet wide.

The star quilt held by the woman has more than 100 blue diamond shapes that move in the wind "like an Aspen leaf. Three Native American women from Rapid City, SD, served as the models for the sculpture.

Look who we found on the roof top where we had lunch, James and Stef!

One last hoorah for the Sturgis Rally. 

Greg & Lisa on the last run of the Sturgis Rally.

Morning glow on the Tetons.

Out and Jeeping on a beautiful 70 degree day. We went up to Shadow Mountain and down to Antelope Flats. 

Ahh, sunset on the edge of the plateau. 

At Signal Mountain Lodge and Restaurant enjoying the outside patio and large quesadilla for two. 

We said adiós to the Grand Tetons and headed toward Alpine, Wyoming. It was a short 1.5 hour trip to the next campground.

Beautiful ride along the Snake River on Hwy 89/US Hwy 26 to Alpine. There were many USF Department campgrounds along the way. 

Traveling to the next campground and came across the little town of Afton, Wyoming where the claim to have the largest elk horn arch. 

Site #55 in Hailstone Campground ( a little slopey) with views of the Jordanelle Reservoir which is fed by the Provo River. 

A view from the Pine Hollow Trailhead along the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway

Bridal Vail Falls on East Provo Canyon Road

This 15-mile scenic byway takes about one hour round trip. From the main road, this canyon narrows almost immediately into dramatic alpine scenery.

Guardsman Pass Rd near Park City, UT is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 9,740ft.

Located in a narrow-walled canyon, East Canyon State Park is at an elevation of 5,700 feet and north east of Salt Lake City. 

We went through Emigration Canyon, up to Little Mountain Pass on to State Highway 65 for some great views. and a few hidden gem campgrounds. 

Rockport Reservoir is about 45 minutes from Salt Lake City and only 25 minutes from Park City. At an elevation of over 6,000 feet, it covers more than 500 acres and has a state park for camping. It's considered the blue jewel in Utah's high country. 

On the lower Provo River and flowing into the Deer Creek Reservoir, there are few campgrounds and a lake house serving lobster nachos.

Long Canyon Road

The begining of Black Dragon Canyon. What a ride!

Black Dragon Canyon casuality, hehehe.

Coming out from the Black Dragon onto I-70.

Sunset lake, about 400 steps from our site (#15).

Jeeping around the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway with a side trip on Forest Road 253 - Mesa Lake 

So expansive, views for miles along Forest Service 100 (or A Road) out toward Lands End Observatory. 

Leaving Grand Mesa and heading south.

I heard the mountain town of Ouray , CO being called the Switzerland of America, since it’s situated in a river valley at nearly 8,000 feet, surrounded by the snow-capped San Juan Mountains. 

Travel day up and over the pass on the Million Dollar Highway (550). Who knew you could disguise the RV (Mocha) with the rock colors in these mountains. 

Silverton, CO a Victorian mining town established in 1874 and located between Ouray and Durango along the 550 Highway.

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge tourist train comes by three time per day. Sure do like watching the steam trains. 

Early morning view from the campground. 

Jeep day up to Clear Lake via Forest Road 585 and Clear Lake Rd.

Clear Lake has beautiful views of the valley, waterfalls and a crystal blue/green lake at the end! Small remnants of snow remain on the mountain slopes along with a new dusting of snow.

Just stunning views coming down from Clear Lake. 

While out Jeeping we like to scout out other campgrounds in the forest. This is Golden Horn Campground in the San Juan National Forest. Dispersed camping along South Fork Mineral Creek.

About five miles outside of Silverton on the way to Durango is Molas Lake Campground.  

Kendall Campground, dispersed camping, no services but Mineral Creek runs through the area. 

Twilight Peak on the beautiful US-550 (Million Dollar Highway) going from Silverton to Durango.

Mountain views from near Molas Pass. The pass is approximately 10,900 feet in elevation in the San Juan National Forest. 

With all the rain we had for the week we were in Silverton, we finally got a rainbow. 

We did a little Jeeping along the Animas River, northeast of Silverton. 

The red box is the campground we stayed at while in Silverton. 

The county mountain roads are a little rough, Jeeps come in handy.

A little closer look at Companion and Chimney Rock.

Chimney Rock covers seven square miles and preserves 200 ancient homes and ceremonial buildings, some of which have been excavated for viewing and exploration, this view is of the Great House.

Navajo Lake State Park in New Mexico is situated surrounded by the San Juan River Canyon lands.

Sushi take out at the RV before taking off tomorrow to Lake City.

Out on a motorcycle ride from Lake City to Creede, CO.  This is near Slumgullion Pass. 

Small silver mining town of Creede, know to be basecamp for outdoor adventures. 

Creede Fire Department in a cave built into the side of the mountain. Fire trucks located inside. 

Lake San Cristobal, a place we camped (Wupperman) at years ago with the kids. 

A look at  Lake City, CO as the leaves change to their golden colors. 

The beginning of our 6+ hour adventure traveling the Alpline loop and going over both Engineering and Cinammon Pass. 

Engineer Pass: Gravel road (and that term is used loosely... it's a little rougher than we remember from years past) reaching 12,800 ft known for San Juan peak views, mines & waterfalls, completed in 1877

Looking over toward Poughkeepsie Gulch Shelf Road 

Over the mountains and through the woods is Ouray, CO. 

Coming down the pass and heading toward Handies Peak, a remote summit in the San Juan range in the Rocky Mountains with hiking trails to the top. 

Lake Fork of the Gunnison River is far, far down and looks back at Cataract Gulch. This river valley was created by a glacier  thousands of years ago. 

We have been here before and it never disappoints. This is site #52. Across the street (#50) is an unobstructed view of the Taylor Park Reservoir with no campers and smaller trees.

An amazing experience of seeing the Super Moon rise over the mountains. 

Up and over Cottonwood Pass (12,126 ft) heading toward Buena Vista, CO 

There were many hairpin turns (15mph) as we traveled from Almont to Buena Vista. It is also the tallest paved mountain pass going over the Continental Divide.

Looking toward Mt. Harvard and Mt. Belford. 

Silver Dollar Saloon

Leaving Leadville on south highway 24. 

Dispersed camping found along the south side of Twin Lakes. We turned off of Hwy 82 near the Aspen Whitewater Rafting Company. 

Looking back from Twin Lakes towards Indepedence Pass. 

Leaving Buena Vista to head over to Canyon City, CO.

Traveling between Buena Vista and Salida you can see 12 peaks over 14,000ft in elevation. 

Sunset at the campground. 

Skyline Drive is a scenic, razorback ridge, drive overlooking Cañon City that has steep sides and no guardrails.

Shelf Road was a major route for the stagecoaches and freight wagons traveling between the Arkansas Valley and the Cripple Creek Gold Mining District. This trail is a five-mile stretch of road that hugs the rock walls of above Fourmile Creek. ~ Gold Belt Tour

Originally called the Cañon City and Cripple Creek Toll Road, Cañon City’s business leaders financed the road. The toll collectors lived in small cabins nestled at either end of the Shelf and collected tolls every time a horse, wagon or stagecoach passed. ~ Gold Belt Tour

On The Shelf you'll discover Window Rock. This road is part of the Golden Belt Tour Scenic Byway. 

This crag type formation has an impressive arch that is known as Odin’s Eye.

The Two Mile High Club was formed in 1931 when local business owners banded together to care for the free-roaming donkeys that had been freed from working in local mines. The donkeys now spend the winters in a pasture just outside of Cripple Creek, being cared for by the club until their release into town every summer.

From The Shelf road into Cripple Creek for their Fall Festival. 

Looking back at Cripple Creek from Highway 67 and heading up to Tenderfoot Pass at 10,200ft. 

On this motorcycle ride we not only went over Tenderfoot Pass, but also went over Ute (near Divide, CO) and Wilkerson Pass (between Lake George & Hartsel). We spent the day between 9000 & 10,000 feet. 

The Royal Gorge Bridge spans 1,260 feet from rim to rim of the Royal Gorge, suspending 956 above the Arkansas River.

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Cañon City, Colorado. A 1950s-era train makes daily 2-hour excursion runs from the Santa Fe Depot through the Royal Gorge along a famous section of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. ~ Wikipedia

Garden of the Gods near Manitou Springs, CO. Balancing rock is holding on as all the tourist pass by. 

Walking down the path will give a better view of the "Kissing Camels" on top of this rock formation. 

Pikes Peak from Crystal Reservoir at the North Slope Recreation Area. 

The toll to drive up Pikes Peak Highway is $15 per person and you must begin before 3pm.  Reservations are required between Memorial and Labor Day. 

Luckily, we made it to the top, did our viewing, and started back down before the clouds engulfed the whole top of the mountain. 

Another successful summit, elevation 14,115 ft. We took this drive about 20 years ago and it was not paved all the way to the top. It is now. 

Sunrise from site #2. We met some new friends, Rick & Cindy originally from Memphis, TN during our stay.

Site #W1 - electric and water, and dump station available. 

Pelicans in Kansas, who knew.  We were watching the pelican around sunset. Apparently, they migrate to the midwest and further north in the summer. 

So many mouths to feed, the catfish were hungry on this morning. 

Campsite #W1 - water/electric with lake and marina views. 

Final sunset on another trip.