The Long and Winding Road

I got to experience some of the incredible natural beauty of the mountains surrounding the Denver area. I drove west on I-70 to a small mining town called Idaho Springs. Not much to look at, but driving through the town was the only way I knew to find what I was really looking for: the roadway that led up to Mt. Evans and Echo lake.

When I first visited the Denver area back in September, my best friend and I happened to stumble on this area. We had been going on a "drive to nowhere special" just to see what the mountains were like west of Denver. We decided to exit into Idaho Springs to check out a mining town. We just drove through the town, and turned on a road that connected back up to I-70. Well, I missed the entrance ramp to I-70 and drove a little further down the road where I saw a sign that intrigued me. It referenced Mount Evans some number of miles ahead and I thought, let's see where this road goes.

Yesterday I took the same route as we had taken back in September, but this time it was completely different. There was snow this time, though not as much as I had expected (or hoped for). The area was practically deserted this time which allowed me to take a more leisurely tour than last time. No vehicle came up behind me the entire 40 miles of the trip. The road was clear though which made the drive very easy.

The road up Mt. Evans winds and inclines to about 14,264 feet. The views are breathtaking. There are many areas where you can pull over so you can get out and look at the mountains that seem to stretch forever. I stopped a few times and just stood out there and took in the beautiful vistas.

At 10,600 feet there is a small lake called Echo Lake. Unlike in September, this time it was frozen over. Someone who (I assumed) worked at the park surrounding the lake told me that it was safe to walk on it, so I did. I didn't fall, but came close a couple of times. I was surprised the lake was still frozen over; it wasn't very cold at all. All I wore was a sweater to keep warm and I was comfortable.

There is a lodge called Echo Lake Lodge that overlooks Echo Lake (I assume that's the reason for its name). The lodge closes in September, and it was all boarded up; it'll reopen in May. When it is open, you can buy souvinirs and groceries there or eat at the restaurant. My best friend and I had eaten lunch there just before it closed for the season over Labor Day weekend.

If you stay on this road it winds up one side of the mountain, and then back down again where you can eventually connect back up with I-70. As I decended the mountain, there were a couple of places where I could see down into the valley into Denver. What I saw made me so sad. There was a dark haze of smog over the city. Seeing it made me want to stay up in the mountains in the clean air.

I came back into the Denver area and did some running around. I needed to rent a UHaul truck so I could pick my stuff up and take it to my best friend's house. I had called the moving company and they said that my stuff should be here on Saturday (that's today). I contacted them today and they said it won't be here until tomorrow. Because of that, I'm having to change my itinerary. I've had to push my departure from Colorado to a day later.