Monday, August 30, 2010

Crossing the Rocky Mountains in style.

We left The USAF Academy at about 8am. Early for me, but we were Crossing the Rockies today! From the flat lands to the South of Denver the sights were as we has seen them the last week. But just into the Rocky mountians we started seeing the mansions built high on the sides and tops of the lower mountians and hills.
This one was a little exceptional to say the least.

The terrain got rougher.

Until it was really rough and very rocky.


Before choosing this route, I-70, I asked around. Some said it was tough but beautiful. Beautiful does not do it justice. This was the most amazing few hundred miles we had seen since driving to Alaska. But the terrain is much worse than the Canadian Rockies or the Yukon or Alaska.


On this trip I smelled our brakes ont he motor home for the first time. I would not dirve this route without exhaust brakes. Ours probably saved our bacon. Here we enter the Eisenhower Tunnel. It is punched through a mile and a half of rock. Funny on this side the sun was shining.



And on the other side it was raining. I knew there was reason to worry when I saw so many runaway truck ramps.

But the drive was terrific. There were times you felt like you could touch the rock (of course you could not, but they seemed that close.)


I have known only one guy who has skiied Vale and that is Tuck. This is the first time I have ever seen the place.


Now this trip produced 114 pictures. It is hard to select 15 of those. But I cannot believe they are this many folk who can afford to Ski Vail. There must have been a thousand of these Ski Resorts.



More resorts and you can see the ski slopes in the back ground, of course they are green this time of the year.


More beauty and more fun. This road was cut following the Eagle river. Most of this rock openings for the road are naturally carved by God's handiwork using water.


Here is a bridge crossing the Eagle and into a tunnel. I believe we went thru five tunnels in the few hundred miles.


Once I asked, "Hey Honey what happened to the East bound road. I see the rail road track." As youcan see below, it was below me, and just now comes out so youcan see it, running lower along side the EAgle River.


The Eagle joins the Colorado river and the road continues on thru to the flat lands West of the Rockies, We made it safe along with millions of others that travel this route. We will not do it again, but both of us are glad we took I-70 thru the Rockies.

Not yet to Grand Junction, but thru the Rockies. We continued thru to MOAB, but that will be later.
We have driven cross country on I-40, I-80, I-10, I-20 & I-8. This was our last trip and we could not miss I-70.
Thanks for coming along. I wish I could have put more pics, but they would have bored you. We all know pictures never do a view justice.
Nite Shipslog,
PS: I am posting from Moab. Tomorrow we go to the Arches Nat'l Park.

7 comments:

Jen said...

I didn't have any problems with brakes in my little car, but the highways with nets holding the cliff in place and signs that say "Watch for falling rock" make me nervous.

Debbie said...

It would give me the heebie geebies driving on a road like that. I'm glad you & Sherry made it through safely.

As many pictures as you guys take on your trips I've been wondering if you keep all these stored on your memory cards and purchase more or if you use the same card and delete the pics after you've added them to your computer. Inquiring minds want to know, lol. You don't have to answer that Jack because I know it's none of my business but it is something I've thought about as I look through all the pictures you share with us on your blog.

Love ya'll
Debbie

betty said...

all great shots; I would never get bored of pictures. that sounds like a very scary road, indeed! I would have been glad to be off of it! glad you guys made it safely off of I-70 :)

betty

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

It is beautiful there but would not be my choice of places to drive for sure. I'm glad you enjoyed it and took pictures though.

shirl72 said...

You could have said the old saying "There's
A Rocky Road Ahead". What a drive hope you are
on now flat land. Beautiful pictures buy us one
of the hillside houses while you are there. I could have guess that Tuck was the dare devil
skier. Stay Cool

Shirl

BlueRidge Boomer said...

Why is it...I can't get Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again" out of my head....??!!

Looks like a grand time....beautiful country...!!

Enjoy

Anonymous said...

You surely are living an American dream - thank you for sharing.