August '08    Page  2            | back | index | forward |

Tuesday, August 5, continued

After Monarch Mountain pass, we pulled the trailer a few miles west of Gunnison to Gunnison Lakeside RV Resort.  WE found here 3 days at half-price (only $15 a day for full hookups), and on the Blue Mesa reservoir.  You know us: we can’t sit!  So, we drove west to the Curicanti National Recreation Area Visitor Center at Elk Creek, where we paid for two passages on a boat ride this Saturday morning in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison . Then…looking for rocks again, we went looking  for some mine tailings that were supposed to be about 15 miles south.  On the way, just where US 50 crosses the river, we saw the Dillon Pinnacles.  Wow! 

Then south on County Road  26 (dirt road naturally), also called Lake City cutoff, for about 16 miles to CO 149.  We went west a short while (3-4 miles) before deciding that the rock sites might be east.  We didn’t find them, but enjoyed driving back to the campground via 129. Then west where it meets US 50.  A great day in a great place!

Wednesday, August 6

We woke up early and decided to so the West Elk Loop, a 225 mile trip today. We travelled east to Gunnison for breakfast at the Quarter Circle Restaurant.  Great buttermilk pancakes and egg scramble.  North on CO 135 to the Roaring Judy State Fish Hatchery (trout and salmon), to town of Crested Butte (mountains). This is the road coming into Crested Butte:

Turn west on County Road 12 (dirt road) towards Kebler pass (9980 ft).  Pass and see ghost towns of Ruby and Irwin, then Lake Irwin and the Irwin cemetery. 

This is Lake Irwin, and the falls near the lake spillway.

Lake Irwin is at 10,200 ft!

Flowers everywhere at  this altitude!

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