Friday, September 5, 2008

Thompson Canyon/Estes Park

We drove up the Thompson Canyon to Estes Park again today. Let me take you along in pictures.


Why a man made object in the form of a pipe ruins the natural beauty of the canyon right at its entrance is beyond comprehension.


Looking up farther into the canyon.


Water below the little dam.


And it runs out under that pesky pipe again.


The road goes out of sight around many corners. You seem to be in a box canyon around every corner.


It was very bright, and the sun was in the West shining almost into the lens.


I spent as much time out of the car as I did driving. Loyce was sure I was going to walk the entire 22 miles.


The river would undermine the road if were not for these walls.


The water really hustles when the channel becomes narrow.


Another of the dams on the way down. This is not the same one pictured yesterday.


Downstream from the dam.


We are around 7,000 feet now and the rocks give way to ponderosa pines.


The entire river flow rushes thru this small rock opening.


It is quite narrow thru the upper part of the canyon. Thus it is mostly white water.


The trees above the river.


I didn't picture the trees that were stressed with the pine beetle, but some of the upper most part of the canyon has the problem. I hope that the beetles can be stopped here because this is such a beautiful place.

I shot a few pictures in the town of Estes Park. This is not a ski community, but is just as commercial with the tourists as the ski communities are.



Still a rustic community.





I went to the Stanley Hotel to take a picture, but they wouldn't let me in. They wanted a parking fee, just to drive on the property. Perhaps the pickup truck makes us look as though we do not belong. The BMW behind me went right by the gate.

We again went up to the Rocky Mountain National Park. We found out that we should have paid 20 dollars to get in the park yesterday, but they were having a season ending picnic and were not manning the gates during the luncheon. We must have violated the rules by driving right on by the gate when no body was manning it. Should have left the 20 spot under a rock on their desk. LOL

While in Estes Park, Loyce bought a fleece jacket, and I found a new tripod to go under the camera. Now I need to download the panoramic software.

Another great day was capped off when we went to Red Lobster tonight. After spending 10 days in the mountains, we were thirsting for a nicer restaurant, rather than the mom and pop places we encountered in the smaller communities.

Tomorrow we may hang back and investigate the local old downtown here in Fort Collins.

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