Roadtrippin' Colorado Style

birthday 3-1 trip

Another year has passed in the life of r-dub. Guess it's time to celebrate with another road trip. I've got a hankerin' for some pass hopping. Let's see where these roads will take me this time, shall we?

Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink

We're still chugging along on SH 92, but that won't last long. Ready to see Colorado's largest man-made lake?

41492 is still curving along, waiting for the end of the canyon.

415Blue Mesa Reservoir? Methinks the scenery is about to change.

416Heh. Think I beat this sign to the punch.

417Rounding a curve, we come across the Blue Mesa Dam.

418SH 92 heads right over the dam.

419Interesting that only the cable rail is present across the dam.

420On top of the dam.

421Looking east.

422Looking west. This was wicked neat in person.

425Just after the dam, 92 heads up a fairly steep grade to its intersection with US 50.

426Here's the eastern END! of SH 92. Last year at this time, we were seeing what the western END! looked like.

428Let's see: camera? Check. Batteries? Check. Gas? Check. Dr. Pepper? Check. Snacks? Check. Wait--that's not what they're talking about? :)

429Still heading east on US 50 now. We're still on the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway, too.

430Oh, yeah--there's a lake beside us, too.

431Crossing a segment of Blue Mesa Lake. Any guesses as to the font on that Cove Road sign?

433The last picture was taken at the center of this picture.

435Okay, I understand where the Mesa part came from, but not the Blue part.

436Looking out o'er the land n sea.

439About to cross to the north side of Blue Mesa Lake.

442Curving over.

444Looking east while on the bridge.

445This sign doesn't kid around. That would really hurt to continue straight.

446Bighorn sheep alert! Didn't see any this time, though. Would a picture from another trip work?

448Still traveling along the lake.

449Wow. Scenery rules!

450Loosely translated: your car's about to hate you.

451Actually, this isn't that bad.

454More scenery than you can shake a windshield wiper at.

455This lake stretches for over 20 miles.

458We're not done with the reservoir yet, but the terrain has opened up to the point where 50 can veer away from the shore a bit.

459See what I mean?

460The wide part doesn't last long.

461Approaching another crossing.

463It's not US 50 this time, it's SH 149.

465149 has a little more head room than 50's bridge did. There's still "No wake" signs on the bridge, though.

466At the northern END! of SH 149. We saw the southern END! of this highway on my Birthday 3-0 Tour.

467Looking down the first few yards of 149.

469Looking back at the 149 bridge.

473More reservoir goodness. We're looking at the eastern end of the reservoir now.

475As soon as the reservoir stopped, we entered Gunnison. There's obviously been an alignment shift here.

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Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any of the orginizations listed within this site. I'm just a bored roadgeek with way too much time on his hands. All of the picts in this page are mine and mine alone unless otherwise noted. Remember, kids: stealing is bad, mmmm-k? I get quite pissy if things are taken without telling me. I don't like to be pissy. You won't like it either. If you want to link to this page, that's fine. Please shoot me an email beforehand so I can link to your page as well. K? Thanks. --Ryan

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