johnboystravelblog

Once I reached the dreaded interstate at Glenwood Springs I headed west towards Grand Junction, where I will be staying the next four nights. About halfway there I came to the little town of Parachute (great name, eh?). This set of solar panels was outside the Visitor Center (which was curiously closed at 411 PM on the Friday going into Memorial Day weekend. Guess they weren’t expecting any visitors!). This is the most unique design for panels I have ever seen. Next week you will be seeing another interesting solar panel…

The photo below was taken from the interstate (while stopped, even though that isn’t legal – Shawn). I am staying very close to the Utah state line and this is to demonstrate that I am now making the transition from the mountains of Colorado to the deserts of the western states. The forecast for at least the next 8 days is hot and dry. Time to haul out the short pants, sunscreen, lip balm and aloe vera! Tip – Keep a bottle of aloe vera in your cooler when you travel and in your refrigerator at home. While it does NOT provide protection from the sun, it gives great relief for sun and wind-dried skin, and provides relief from sunburn. I learned that in Durango last year and my Airbnb hostess there came to the rescue and taught me a valuable lesson.

If you make a hard right as soon as you enter the Park from the south you will drive down a paved road to what is called the East Portal.  This is the point where water from the various reservoirs to the east go through one final dam and becomes the Gunnison River.  This is the water’s entry to the Park.

Driving down the road you drop from approximately 8,100 feet elevation (there was no phone service in most of the Park so my GPS apps wouldn’t work) to 6,500 feet in very short order.  This is achieved by a series of switchbacks and, in spots, a 16 degree grade.

When I was back at the River Gorge near Canon City a few days ago I met a couple from southern Louisiana and they told me about this road, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have known about it.

As you will see, it was worth the trip!

If you look closely at the photo below you will see a man fishing in the middle of the river.  This is actually a small river created by a “diversion dam” and is not the Gunnison.  This is looking away from the dam.

These are looking towards the dam.  There is also a tunnel under the dam but that is off limits to the public, hence – no photos.

 

This is the first overlook when you enter the Park at the South entrance.  I posted pictures from the same vantage point last year (September 5, 2017).  If you go back and look at that post again (either using the calendar on the Home Page or enter “Black Canyon” in the search line) you will see that on that day the foreground was in the shade and the background was sunny.  It is pretty clear from that photo which this is called the “Black Canyon”.

Looking at the right side (partially shaded):

Looking at the left side:

This photo, which was in the Visitor Center, shows the area I was in Tuesday from the air.  You can see the road I traveled to get to the various overlooks, and you can see where the canyon curves to the left.

Here are various photos from the South Rim taken Thursday with my smartphone camera.  I’ll post some closeups, taken with the digital camera, in a few days when I’m up in Grand Junction.

This is where the canyon really opens up as it continues west.  The only access is by hiking.

This formation, which can be seen from several overlooks on the South Rim, is one of the most photographed in the Park.  Because it is so big and I was so close, it was difficult to get it all in one picture.

At 2,250 feet it is the highest cliff in the state.  I zoomed in on some of the interesting “patterns” and will post them in a few days when I am in Grand Junction.

And once again, don’t you dare go over the safety fence!

I am so glad my Airbnb hostess told me about this!

Utilizing 1,000 feet of the Uncompahgre River which flows through the town’s Riverbottom Park, grant money allowed the construction of ramps (put-in and exit points) , bridges, spectator areas, etc. for the formation of the Montrose Water Sports Park, one of the few in the state and one of few in the country to satisfy ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards allowing access for all.

I stopped here yesterday on the way home and found Emergency Rescue crew training underway, as well as kids and other users enjoying the facility.

This guy (red life-vest in the middle of the river) was valiantly trying to stand up on his surfboard while surfing in place (facing IN to the wave, as opposed to riding the wave – which I didn’t even know one could do…).

When I took the photo above I was standing next to a guy in a red watersuit who said he was the “upstream spotter”.  Behind us was a large class of rescue workers and trainees (and perhaps regular people who wanted to learn the basics of water rescue) and the spotter had a whistle and would alert them if someone (kayakers, rafters, paddleboarders, etc) were coming downstream so they could clear a path.

When “class” adjourned the members walked upstream and practiced “riding the river” downstream.  Tip – apparently you should roll on your back and float feet-first downstream, and roll on your stomach and swim to the bank if you want to stop.

Needless to say, this is probably a VERY popular spot on a hot summer day.  The park itself is huge and has many other components (ball fields, skateboard park, open space and picnic areas).  A great investment!

 

 

 

Wednesday I spent much of the day in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  On Tuesday I learned that there are actually two entrances – North and South.  I first popped in the South Rim entrance to get a map and take some pictures of the three-dimensional model they have there.  I was on that side briefly last year (see posts on September 5, 2017) but felt I had to come back and spend more time here.

The red dots on the model represent overlooks and other landmarks on the South Rim.  The blue dots represent overlooks and other landmarks on the North Rim.  The Visitor Center (where I took these) in on the South Rim.  After taking these initial pictures I traveled over to the North Rim where I spent most of the afternoon.  It takes over two hours to get from one side to the other.

This a view of the model looking from the end.  I believe I read that the distance from one end to the other (scenic overlooks, accessible by car) is about 12 miles.  The Canyon is longer than that but other areas are only accessible my hiking.

There were 6 overlooks on the North Rim.  The vertical drop to the river from the second one I stopped at (The Narrows) is approximately 1,750 feet.  And believe me – if you climbed over the safety fence at the overlook you are going approximately 1,750 feet STRAIGHT DOWN.

As I took that picture I was thinking “please don’t drop the phone, please don’t drop the phone, please don’t drop the phone…..”

The largest vertical drop in the Park is around 2,700 feet at Warner Point, accessible only by hiking (hence – no photos!).

Black Canyon got it’s name because at some points it is so narrow that certain spots only get 33 minutes of direct sunlight per day.  Because of shadows, and when there are clouds overhead, the rock walls appear to be very dark in color.  Someone was quoted as saying that “No other canyon combines the depth, narrowness, and sheerness of Black Canyon”.

The Gunnison River drops an average of 95 feet per mile while traversing the Canyon.  It one spot, close to the “vertical drop” picture above, the river drops 48o feet in just a two-mile stretch.  This gives the river “cutting power” to push downward faster than erosion can widen it.

Here are a few pictures I took Wednesday from the North Rim overlooks.  I tried to pick the best ones and may post more later after I review them again.  I will be spending the day Thursday on the South Rim and will post more pictures from that vantage point (see also the September 5, 2017 posts from when I was here last year).

In the photo above, the river approaches from the left and curves to the left about 3/4 of the way toward the right of the picture.  In other words, if I were further to the right you’d be looking out through that part of the Canyon.

I’ll have to go through my pictures and post more.  It is hard to grasp just how deep and narrow the Canyon is at some spots.  The pictures really don’t do it justice.  There is nothing like seeing it with your own eyes.  After I took pictures I just stood and looked at the scenery and watched the birds and lizards.  When I got home I was kind of bummed that the photos just don’t convey what I actually saw.

It was also interesting to note that I probably only saw about a dozen cars driving around to the overlooks on the North Rim whereas I saw a dozen cars just in the parking lot at the Visitor Center on the South Rim.  The South Rim gets far more traffic because it is easier to get to.  I also expect business to pick up this weekend now that Memorial Day is upon us….

This is the best way I could think of to try and convey just how big the Black Canyon of the Gunnison is. The first picture is looking towards the South Rim from the North Rim (actually, all of these pictures are…).

If I then zoom in to the top/center of the picture you’ll see a large motorhome.

Since I’m looking across the canyon you don’t get a sense of the depth, but believe me – it is substantial.

From another overlook I was able to spot the observation area at the Visitor Center over on the South Rim (see post above).

And yet another example.  On the left side of the first picture you’ll see a deep “V” shape of trees.  When zoomed in you’ll see a small motorhome and a car.  In the foreground is a formation called “Balanced Rock”.

 

As I drove west on Route 50, this formation was on the opposite side of the western-most Basin (Sapinero) of the Blue Mesa Reservoir.

Zooming in a little closer, where the left end meets the water is thought to have formed 150 million years ago.

The little crown at the top off the next portion is thought to have formed 28 million years ago.

And finally the right portion of the formation.

Here is the same formation Wednesday morning when it was not quite as cloudy.