Colorado

Sunday, 9/2

We had a very leisurely departure from Green River, UT and after 3 hours driving we arrived at Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP in Colorado. Weather was sunny when we arrived and turned overcast as the afternoon progressed. We even got a little rain.

The canyon is quite impressive. It is not wide and yet is very deep. It is mostly black gneiss and schist streaked with granite and pinkish pegmatite. The Gunnison River doesn’t erode the canyon as much as it once did because of upstream dams/reservoirs that generate electricity and control the water flow to prevent downstream flooding. There is also a 6 mile diversion tunnel built more than a century ago that brings water to farms in the Uncompahgre Valley.

There are some short hikes but most of the park experience (due to the canyon itself being almost inaccessible) is driving along the rim and pulling over at one or all of the 10 viewing locations until you get to the end of the road about 7 miles later. We did that for probably 90 minutes. It was getting quite windy and cold so we only stopped at eight of the viewpoints.

Monday, 9/3

We did a 4-mile hike and got some new views of the canyon today. And, along the way the weather turned sunny for a bit which was nice for taking pictures.

After lunch we drove down to the river on the East Portal Road. Serena was concerned about the 16% grade but Jeff wasn’t and the rangers said it would be okay. In addition to being steep the road is twisty so we never picked up speed and made it to the bottom no problem. This road exists from the time when the diversion tunnel was being built. The walls of the canyon aren’t so steep here but it was still beautiful. The best part was the bears we saw - mama and two cubs. We saw them at the river’s edge first but distantly. By time we got to their vicinity they were ambling up the opposite side of the canyon and getting farther away.

After dinner we went back to visit the viewpoints we skipped yesterday and watch the sunset. It was a lovely evening and pretty much no one was out at the viewpoints.

Tuesday, 9/4

We went back this morning to see the river and Painted Wall from the Cedar viewpoint in the morning light before leaving the park. Only two hours driving to get to Crested Butte. Jeff has a couple friends from high school who live here. We hung out and visited a bit then wandered over to downtown which is very cute with lots of flowers and all the buildings with colorful paint schemes. It is also pretty much 100% geared toward the tourists - shops, bars and restaurants. Jeff’s friend Kay and her husband Don own Donita’s Cantina which, of course, is where we ended up for dinner.

Wednesday, 9/5

Jeff’s friend Annie invited us all over for breakfast and we had a nice visit. It’s rainy today so no hiking which would be challenging anyway at 9000’ elevation. Instead, Annie took us out to Gothic. She’s a docent at the visitor center there so we learned all about the silver mine boom & bust origins and the people who came in 1928 and established the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Scientists are still doing research in Gothic. We’re going to use our MoviePass tonight and see Crazy Rich Asians.

Tomorrow we leave Crested Butte and head for Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming (aka the mountain from Close Encounters of the Third Kind).

I think people like pictures which is good ‘cause it was hard to choose just a couple.

Measurements of Black Canyon of the Gunnison at three different view areas

pegmatite stripes in the gneiss and a peek of the West Elk mountains

Lots of Pegmatite

Painted Wall and the Gunnison River

sunset light on the canyon

A peek of the Gunnison River

View from the base of a small cliff we hiked past

long view

Gunnison river at the bottom of East Portal Road.

Upper Canyon at the bottom of East Portal Road still has great rocks but the canyon walls are more eroded and gradual rather than just vertical walls of rock.

Mama bear

Baby bears

Sunset

Morning light on Painted Wall and the Gunnison River

West Elk Mountains

Hello from Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Crested Butte

Donita’s

Gothic Mountain & buildings of the research center