Visit a friend's house near DeBeque CO to mow some weeds
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For some time, the little squiggles of roads between Kremmling CO and
Dotsero (Dot-Zero - the starting point of the Moffat Line [from what
I've read]) have caught my eye. The roads roughly follow the Colorado
River of which the Moffat Line more closely hugs the Colorado River.
The roadway, through some sections jumps up to "the highlands" where
the river valley is hardly visible. I'll wish to re-visit the section
as in both visits (out and back) had a fair bit of it well after dark. The first map is the overall route from the DeBeque valley house to Fort Collins. Via freeway, without traffic jams, I think the trip is a flat four hours, maybe five hours tops. Via the two-lane, 30mph roads, it worked out to about six and a half hours - a slower pace with more scenery and certainly less traffic. |
| The Dotsero / Kremmling section that was my goal to see the roads and scenery. |
| Photos from Day One of the trip. Aspen trees turning gold as we head west and up Highway 14, nearing the Cameron Pass (10,276 feet). |
| When we return through here in about 30 hours, there will be snow flurries in the headlights. |
| High elevation snow. |
| The western side of the Cameron Pass. The horizontal cut on the mountainside is the Upper Michigan Ditch. It diverts water from Lake Agnes, which is in the valley at the base of the snow touched mountains near the right of the photo, into the Cache LaPoudre River for local irrigation and drinking water. |
| Somewhat "in the flats" of North Park - Aspen gold. |
| Heading south towards Muddy Pass. There were clouds stacked up over what I'd take to be Rocky Mountain National Park / Estes Park. |
| Switch days / switch direction - We're on Day Two's return trip to Fort Collins. This is a short bit east of Dotsero. The Colorado River valley and UP RR tracks snaking along. |
| Mountainsides changed from tan to deep red. |
