ColoradoTrue

Welcome to ColoradoTrue, a blog featuring all things Colorado, but mostly western Colorado (and occasionally eastern Utah).

I spent a couple of days at Ridgway State Park for the first outing of the year. Did a little hiking and fishing - the Rainbows were really biting. I went to Telluride one day to try to get some photos of Rainbow Falls. It was a bust. Four blocks of downtown Colorado Avenue were blocked off, and the road to the falls was still patchy with snow. Better luck next time. I'll be going to northern Arizona toward the end of the month (Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and Canyon de Chelly). Should be a fun trip. It seems to me that it's been unusually cloudy and drizzly this spring, but could be just my imagination. That's it for now, so until next month, be happy, stay safe.

Posted May 1, 2022.

COLORADO PLACES

We're still traveling in the High Country. This month we'll visit Crested Butte.

This Month's Colorado Place

Last Month's Colorado Place

You say you missed some of the past Colorado Places? No problem! All of the Colorado Places that I haved presented here are archived at Highways-Byways.com.

"....get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space..."

Edward Abbey

Upcoming Events

Aaron Watson Warehouse 25 Sixty Five May 12, 2022
Rubber Ducky Race River Park at Las Colonias May 14, 2022
Barrel into Spring Wineries across the Grand Valley May 14-15, 2022
Wuffstock Festival Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park May 14, 2022
Grand Valley Highland Games Mesa County Fairgrounds May 15, 2022
Draft Horse Show - Wild West Classic 6 Horse Hitch Mesa County Fairgrounds
May 19-21, 2022
Rides & Vibes Mountain Bike Race & Music Festival Downtown Grand Junction
May 20-22, 2022
Music in the Grapevines with Stray Grass Two Rivers Winery May 24, 2022
Celtic Women: Postcards from Ireland Avalon Theater May 27, 2022
Travis Tritt Set in Stone Tour Las Colonias May 28, 2022
Antique Truck Show Cross Orchards Historic Site May 28, 2022

COLORADO PHOTOS

April showers bring May flowers. So here are some flowers.

Indian Paintbrush

Golden Columbine

Cholla Blossoms

Colorado Columbine

Deset Phlox

Explorer's Gentian

COLORADO ADVENTURES

Hikes, camping trips, road trips, off-roading, and other adventures. I'm featuring a river adventure this month, one the whole family can take.

Morrow Point Boat Tour

Welcome aboard the Morrow Point Boat Tour. This is a fun half day adventure that the whole family can enjoy. So buckle up your life vest, sit back, and enjoy all the ambience the Gunnison has to offer.

The Morrow Point Boat Tour is a 1½ hour round trip excursion on the Morrow Point Reservoir in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The boat tour is provided by the National Park Service for a nominal fee ($24 for adults) and reservations are required. They make 2 trips a day, one at 10:00 AM and another at 12:30 PM. The boat tour is accessed from the Pine Creek trailhead at mile marker 130 on US Hwy 50. After a couple of short switchbacks you will arrive at the parking lot.

Sign on Brick Outhouse

Stairs down to the river

After parking, descend 230+ stairs into the canyon and take a leisurely 3/4 mile stroll along the Gunnison to reach the Morrow Point boat dock.

End of stairs
Start of trail

Gunnison River below Blue Mesa Dam

Trail to the boat dock

The trail to the boat dock is all that is left of the rail bed of the Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad. The tracks were removed in 1949, and most of the rail bed has been submerged by the reservoirs in the Black Canyon.

Tour Boat

Morrow Point Boat Dock

There were two park rangers on the tour. Ranger Ed drove the boat and Ranger Curt did all the talking, giving an excellent presentation. I learned a lot of geologic and human history about the Black Canyon and surrounding areas.

Our tour guide and narrator
Ranger Curt

Under way

Chipeta Falls

Curecanti Needle and Blue Creek

There is one waterfall on the tour, Chipeta Falls, named after the scond wife of Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Utes. Aside from the sheer canyon walls, the most significant geological feature on the tour is the 700 ft granite spire called the Curecanti Needle.

The return trip presents the opportunity for lots of photos, questions, and taking in any sites that may have been missed on the outbound part of the trip. It's a good time to eat the lunch you may or may not have brought.