After two weeks at Green Mountain Falls, CO, (14 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, CO) it was time to move on. We certainly stayed busy during our stay and would be more than happy to return some day. The only downside was two weeks at 8,000 feet was not enough to acclimate and I was ready for some thicker air.
Between our campground and Colorado Springs was a continuous downhill drive with a loss of nearly 2,000 feet of altitude. We passed this sign and wondered just what kind of storms do they have around here. Hopefully, we will never find the need to abandon our car and climb to safety.
Today was a short hop to Calhan, CO, just 48.4 miles (93,674.1 total). Joani picked this site for its close proximity to the Paint Mines Interpretive Park.
I was concerned about some visible wear on the Honda's tires - they needed to be replaced. Our alignment was ruined by potholes somewhere along the way and the outer edge of the front tire was badly worn. Actually, this set of tires lasted longer than any we previously had so it was time. There were no tire dealers in Calhan and I was not sure about continuing on towards Topeka, KS, and Kansas City, MO. Joani figured out our best options for new tires would be backtracking towards Colorado Springs. I made some calls and found something acceptable but they could not mount the new tires until tomorrow.
Since the Paint Mines was only a few miles away we decided to visit this afternoon. It was less than 4 miles but half of that was some rough gravel road so you know I took it slowly.
Between our campground and Colorado Springs was a continuous downhill drive with a loss of nearly 2,000 feet of altitude. We passed this sign and wondered just what kind of storms do they have around here. Hopefully, we will never find the need to abandon our car and climb to safety.
Today was a short hop to Calhan, CO, just 48.4 miles (93,674.1 total). Joani picked this site for its close proximity to the Paint Mines Interpretive Park.
I was concerned about some visible wear on the Honda's tires - they needed to be replaced. Our alignment was ruined by potholes somewhere along the way and the outer edge of the front tire was badly worn. Actually, this set of tires lasted longer than any we previously had so it was time. There were no tire dealers in Calhan and I was not sure about continuing on towards Topeka, KS, and Kansas City, MO. Joani figured out our best options for new tires would be backtracking towards Colorado Springs. I made some calls and found something acceptable but they could not mount the new tires until tomorrow.
Since the Paint Mines was only a few miles away we decided to visit this afternoon. It was less than 4 miles but half of that was some rough gravel road so you know I took it slowly.
We walked a half mile through green fields before we saw the first signs of erosion. The grass gave way to white, chalky scars in the ground. At first, features had little depth or color but as we continued, the hoodoos became deeper and more colorful. We were almost giddy as we walked through the fantastic landscape snapping pictures. Some of our favorites are below.
This is a close-up shot of the seemingly melting rock.
What an unusual specimen! It is nearly the size of two basketballs, otherwise, it would be in my trunk.
Frasera speciosa, Monument Plant, Green Gentian, Elkweed, Deer's Ears
Wow! A plant with many names. It is similar to the Century Plant, in that it grows 20-40 years, flowers once and then dies.
Wow! A plant with many names. It is similar to the Century Plant, in that it grows 20-40 years, flowers once and then dies.
I feel lucky to have witnessed the bloom.
We wondered if the same colorful layers were everywhere under the surface of the green fields surrounding the park.
No comments:
Post a Comment