Skip to main content

Day 60 - Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Well, I got caught in my first thunderstorm today. Actually it was a sleet thunderstorm. Afternoon thunderstorms are a known occurrence in Colorado and other mountain environments, but I was so mesmerized by the well-named Exlamation Point, that I paused for an hour to read and enjoy the view, long enough to put myself in trouble. I was a third of a mile from the summit of Green Mountain, two miles past the Exclamation Point, when I heard thunder and looked west to see dark storm clouds. 

I looked up at the summit lovingly, but turned around immediately. I went off trail, down the trended and not so steep moutain side, knowing I could intersect the trail below and save a half mile. I found the trail and began running. More thunder. Closer. Not wanting to be on the highest mountain covered with trees, running would atleast get me well below tree level-- wet is fine, stuck by lightning is not. It started sleeting as I ran, covering the ground and the canyon vista in a thick white pebble crust. With the trail now wet and muddy and having cut my distance to the van from three miles to one, I fast hiked the rest of the way to the shelter and warmth of the van. 

I stayed in the van the majority of the afternoon. The weather would clear up and then suddenly another sleet storm would come. This pattern repeated all afternoon. I napped and read my book and napped and read my book until about 6.  Then I took a drive along the rim to view all the viewpoints, eventually winding my way back to my favorite "chasm view" as the sun set. 




Labels:

Comments

  1. David FrankstoneMay 22, 2015 at 5:56 PM

    What a day! I echo Laura's sentiments..love uou and take care!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 62 - Colorado National Monument

Established as a national monument early in 1911, Colorado NM is known for its high canyon "rim road" and sandstone spires of Monument Canyon.  The canyons of west Colorado are pretty--as they have more green trees and shrubs than the more famous Utah canyons. This gives them a more alive feeling, although the sandstone spires were formed many thousands of years ago by erosion.  Rim Rock road curves up the the top of the canyon cliff, goes through several round tunnels and is lined with scenic viewpoints. The best views were in he Monument Canyon section, and included in sequence, the Coke Ovens, The Kissing Couple (behind my head), and the most famous of all: Independence Monument, the tall spire in pic 3 and viewed from the side in pic 4.  The original promoter and caretaker of the park, John Otto, was the first person to climb Independence Monument and now it's a climbing right of passage. Every July 4 climbers ascend and mount an American flag at the summit. Fun! ...
2 comments
Read more

Day 82 - Yellowstone to Montana

My alarm sounded at 5:30am, a time early enough for me to arise before someone found me secretly camping. The geyser prediction said Grand at 6:15am so I set out toward it.  I ran into geyser gazer Jim there and he said it likely erupted at 4:30-- missed it. Early morning eruptions are hard to predict as someone needed to have seen the previous overnight eruption in order to make a prediction. I walked on toward Artemesia, an unpredictable geyser at the far corner of the basin. I had seen her erupt from a mile away and wanted a closer inspection. The early morning setting was momentous, yet I didn't see a geyser erupt up close until Grand at 10:30.  Then Sawmill erupted with its twirling thirty foot action (pic).   The only remaining geyser left to experience on my mental list was Beehive up close. With a predicted window of 810 to 1210, I arrived at 1030 and waited until 1pm, before giving up. The sun was hot, I had read the geyser book cover to cover, and while seeing e...
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 43 - Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef, a national park centered around a 90 mile ancient seabed reef was next on my list. A sensationally scenic three hour drive from Bryce, back through Escalante, and then through a national forest led me to the park.  A stop by the visitor center to get the lay of the land and insider info on local free BLM campsites complete, I set out on Chimney Rock trail up the the top of the first reef to get a view.  Yes sir!! The weather was ideal for hiking and the views completely blissful, but I was frankly tired today. I set out along the scenic road down the west side of the reef and remember wanting to take a nap-- but still having a sense of urgency to complete the desert portion of my trip-- I pushed on and set out to hike down the Capitol Gorge and Grand Wash canyons. The Capitol Gorge had a "Pioneer Wall" with inscriptions from the early 1900s and the Grand Wash had a nice narrow section with towering canyon cliffs all around. I took a photo of the surrounding reef...
1 comment
Read more