September 2002.........

Estes Park: The Eastern gateway community to Rocky Mountain National Park, elevation 7,522 ft. It's a pretty little town with a very nice golf course, but one must play around the elk. In 1859 Joel Estes and his wife moved to the Estes valley. In 1864 the town was named Estes Park and in 1900 there were 200 residents. The town was incorporated in 1917 - two years after the Rocky Mountain National Park was established. The area has weathered two major floods, Big Thompson Canyon in 1976 and Lawn Lake in 1982. We visited Estes Park with friends, Tom & Mary Hagney, Harold and Margaret Winsinger, and Bob & Evelyn Ediger.

September 2002.........

The Fall River Road: the first road to cross the Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado. Started  in 1913 before the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park, the early construction was carried out by state prison inmates. The convicts made little progress and contractors completed the road in 1920. The unpaved mountain road climbed from Horseshoe Park up the steep Fall River Valley over a series of tight switchbacks to reach Fall River Pass at 11,796'; from there, the road continued down the west side of the mountains to Grand Lake. Despite the popularity of the route, the road proved difficult to traverse and maintain. Automobiles had trouble mastering the steep grade and tight curves and avalanches often buried the road forty feet deep. Following the completion of Trail Ridge Road in 1932 the eastern Half of Fall River Road became a one-way scenic drive from Endovalley up to Fall River Pass; the western half was abandoned or overbuilt by the Trail Ridge Road.

September 2000.........

Cripple Creek: "The Worlds Greatest Gold Camp". In 1890 gold was discovered in Poverty Gulch - now Cripple Creek. Historic mine shafts and cabins still dot the landscape in the high country behind Pikes Peak. Gold mining is still in full swing in the area. There are many museums, trails, historic sites and casinos in and around Cripple Creek. It seemed to us there were more casinos than about anything else. A fun day trip is to take Colorado State Highway 67, between Victor and US-50.The road descends through Phantom Canyon, is narrow & unpaved, has many turns and some moderately steep sections. No vehicle over 25 feet is allowed on the road. The Royal Gorge is just off US-50 a few miles West of Canyon City, which is close to the beginning of the Phantom Canyon Road.

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