National Parks - Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

7/30/1994 ... headed to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. Breathtaking canyon viewed from then top - very deep, narrow and dark. Beautiful views.

The park sign from the car

A look into the canyon

Me at the view point

A better look at the river

5/24/2007 On the road to Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. Only did the trail and overlook at the visitor center, but still a really magnificent sight down into the canyon, especially in the beautiful weather.

The park sign (note the snow)

The view point platform

Me at the view point

The canyon ...

... and river

Great Sand Dunes National Park

9/22/1983 Drove to the Great Sand Dunes. Had baloney sandwiches in car. ... Walked up to and onto dunes, bounded down them.

The dunes from a distance

The scale of these dunes is hard to get - they're huge!

Me on the dunes

I feel like Neil Armstrong

Ken having some fun

10/5/2012 ... headed to Great Sand Dunes NP on a beautiful sunny but cold day (also on the Los Caminos Antiguos CO Scenic Byway). Went as far as the VC, taking photos in the rising sun. Back south a little, then west, the intersection being where the map showed the Old Spanish NHT [CO] crossed, passing west of the SDC range.

The park sign

The dunes from a few miles off

A nice panorama in the morning sun

Me, my ride, and the dunes

The SDC mountains along the NHT

4/27/2017 Back down to the car, we drove a tiny bit to the dunes access area in the Park where we got some good photos at the stream and reminisced about "bounding down the dunes" almost 35 years ago - yikes!! One last stop at the VC for a unigrid, and back on the road.

The park area sign ...

... and info

Ken photoing ...

... Buck Creek, and the dunes

Blowing sand

Beautiful views ...

... back to the dunes and mountains

Mesa Verde National Park

9/22/1983 Drove to Mesa Verde. Visited two ruins, the Spruce House and Cliff Palace (trails and wooden ladders).

Cliff Palace

Ken checking out the ruins

Amazing construction

Me heading on up ...

Rocky Mountain National Park

7/23/1989 Drove through Rocky Mountain National Park - beautiful mountain scenery, tundra. Hot cider and blueberry muffins snack at Alpine visitor center.

Great view

Me blocking the view

Nice vistas everywhere

Snow still in July