Southern Rocky Mountains September 2016

September 14 - 21 we traveled 800 miles around the southern Colorado Rocky Mountains. On the first day, we flew to Denver, rented a car and drove to Boulder. 

 

The Rocky Mountains cover 3,000 miles, extending from Mexico to the Bering Strait, north of the Arctic Circle, the mountains form the continental divide. 

The highest point is Mount Elbert.

The month of September is the ideal time to witness a golden aspen spectacle on a scenic drive in Colorado, but you have to time it right: The color lasts only about a week in most places. It's difficult to predict when exactly the leaves will turn in any given location.

               

                   

Every day, over 32,000 vehicles travel through the Eisenhower Tunnel and Johnson Tunnels.The tunnels are sixty miles west of Denver, Colorado on Interstate 70.  They are the highest vehicular tunnels in the world, located at an elevation of 11,013 feet at the East Portal and 11,158 feet at the West Portal.  The tunnels cut through the Continental Divide at an elevation of 11,112 feet. The tunnels are 9 miles long.

 Established in 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park protects 415 square miles of spectacular mountain scenery and encompasses 77 mountains of more than 14,000 feet in elevation.

  

Pikes Peak Cog Railway

The 8.9-mile Cog Railway started operating 1891. Over a half million people reach the Summit House every year by the Pikes Peak Highway, Barr Trail or the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway is paved to the summit and is open year round, weather permitting. Barr Trail is the longest of any trails leading to the top of the 54 mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet and offers the greatest base-to-summit elevation gain in the state - 7,400 feet. 

The most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world (behind Japan's Mount Fuji), Pikes Peak forms a stunning backdrop for Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods. At an altitude of 14,115 feet above sea level, Pikes Peak is the 31st highest peak out of 54 Colorado peaks.

Continental Divide

Vail

Vail's average elevation is 8,150 feet above sea level. Outdoor activities are the focus of this 4.5-mile square town in the Rockies.

Moose seem to roam where ever they want to nibble on aquatic vegetation and willows. We saw 3 large moose grazing on  along Highway 34 in the Kawuneeche Valley. An adult male  stands between five and seven feet high at the shoulder. Large males can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds while females are roughly three-quarters of this size. 

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

      

Red Rock Amphitheatre

    

Dedicated: June 15,1941     Stage: 60 feet wide by 70 feet deep

Elevation at top of Amphitheatre: 6,500 feet

The Amphitheatre was built in 1936 - 1941 by Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC. This program was designed to put Americans to work during the Great Depression.

The 868-acre Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, nestled in the Rocky Mountain Foothills just 15 miles outside of Denver near Morrison, was once listed among the Seven Wonders of the World—and with good reason. Ship Rock and Creation Rock, the largest of the monoliths, tower 300 feet above the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. These massive brick-colored sandstone monoliths are taller than Niagara Falls.

Red Rocks Park has been named one of the best concert venues in the world. This incredible open-air amphitheater was designed to preserve the natural beauty of the great sandstone ledges. The massive monoliths act as natural sound walls, creating unparalleled acoustics. The Amphitheatre has seen many world-renown acts, including the Grateful Dead, Sting, Barbara Streisand, Dave Matthews Band, John Denver and The Beatles.

The natural beauty of Colorado is captured in this amazing park and concert venue, providing 360-degree views of Denver and the Plains for over 200 miles.

 That black dot on the stage is Ken.