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Gunnison, COJul 3, 2009
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Cute Couple at Monarch Summit
Mountains to the East
Ski Trails to the North
On Monday we left Buena Vista heading back south to route 50 and then west toward Gunnison. The journey took us and the See Ya to just over eleven thousand feet in elevation at Monarch Pass. We decided to take a couple of hours there for lunch and a visit.
At the road summit there is a store and a gondola lift that is only active in the summer. We decided to take the lift up an additional 700 feet in elevation. Although enclosed, the several stops (for loading other cars) was a little disconcerting. But we made it to the top. It was worth the ride as there were great vistas in all directions from the observation platform.
We headed down the west side of the pass through Gunnison to the Mesa RV Park about 4 miles to the west on route 50. It would prove to be a neat campground.
On Wednesday we drove the Escape west toward Blue Mesa Lake. The lake was formed by building a dam on the Gunnison River in 1965 and is the largest lake in Colorado extending 36 miles along the river with 92 miles of shoreline.
We drove about 20 miles west to the trailhead of the Dillon Pinnacles Trail. It was a warm day and the 4-mile long round trip with a few hundred foot gain in elevation produced some sweat. It was a good hike though starting along the lake and then climbing toward the rock formation known as the Dillon Pinnacles. The panoramic view of the lake from the trail summit was terrific.
Arnie kept searching for shade along the way but there was little available. There was a spot where we stopped for lunch under a couple of trees and he tried to lay down at any bush that he could find along the way. We stopped on the way back down and Sue and Arnie took a break in and under a tree.
As we neared the finish of our hike, Arnie successfully found a path to the lake and cooled himself off for several minutes. He was much happier after that as we completed the hike and headed back to the campground.
This evening their was a big pot luck / bbq at the campground. The owners supplied chicken, sausage and brisket (all smoker cooked) and there was a huge array of sides, salads and desserts to choose from. If a bit overpatriotic, the group was a friendly and happy assembly.
Earlier today we visited Crested Butte, about 25 miles north of Gunnison and have plans to spend time there over the next couple of days.
