Postcards from the Colorado River
They say, "He who travels far has many stories to tell." But I think another old saying goes like this, "He who travels far is so busy that there's hardly time to write on your MacBook and publish on Substack." That's been my experience, at least. I've been on the road for the past few days, following the Colorado River from its source to the Mexican border, and I type these words in Fruita, Colorado. So I'm catching up with you after I wrote about the Conference on World Affairs in Boulder. If you missed it, you can find those posts here, here, and here.
But now that I've caught my breath, I wanted to share some of the highlights of my journey with you. I've got a bunch of photos to show you, so I'll keep the text to a minimum. So instead, think of this as a series of postcards from the Colorado River. I'll return to The Planet newsletter's usual format in late April.
I spent most of Saturday in Boulder with friends I wanted to meet during the conference but didn't have the chance to see them yet. So, we met in the Trident Cafe (which I wrote about on Buy Me a Coffee here), and I had another meeting in the Boulderado Hotel (which followers on Patreon already knew). But after that, it was time to hit the road.
I left Boulder, Colorado, in the afternoon. My aim was to get as close as possible to the source of the Colorado River and then follow the river by car all the way to the Mexican border. Unfortunately, there were still winter conditions in the Rocky Mountains National Park, so parts of the park were closed. My best option to get as close as possible to the beginnings of this mighty river was via the south entrance.
The route took me via Berthoud Pass, which is on the continental divide; a snowflake that falls a few centimeters further to the east than its brothers and sisters will end up in the Atlantic Ocean instead of the Pacific. Just days before, it had been closed due to snow, but it was open now. On my way there, I stopped and hiked in Windy Saddle Park, a sometimes snowy, slippery trail where a fierce cold wind was blowing, but there were good views of the mountains.
After the pass, I drove a beautiful route to Lake Granby, where I arrived just before sunset. And it was there that I passed the Colorado River for the first time, and I knew that it would guide me on my journey in the coming days.
I found a hotel in Grand Lake, furnished in an outdoor style, that fits the kind of chic cowboy vibe of the town.
This was the next morning in Grand Lake, my road trip day two; it was the low season, and there were hardly any tourists or anyone in the town.
I got breakfast in one of the few open places and walked to the lake that is the headwaters of the Colorado River.
That's all for now. I'll be back soon with more postcards from the Colorado River. Let me know what you think of this concept – I hope you enjoy seeing the sights through my lens! And for those who subscribe for articles and opinions, don't worry – I'll return to my usual format in about ten days. Thanks for reading!
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One year ago, I wrote:
I like the postcard format. Some of your stories might have to be told after the trip. I totally get the "to busy to write". Sounds like you are packing a lot into your days. And those roads are proper mountain roads - not the *cuise control on for hours and hours* interstates. I've traveled along parts of the route along the Colorado and in the West - wonderful place to travel. Stunning nature. Looking forward to more pictures and stories.
What's the highest elevations you have ever been at? I just talked with some friends from Colorado on Zoom - they have a view of Pikes Peak from their bedroom. So I'm just wondering.
Thanks for taking us along on your trip.
Oh Colorado! How lovely you are there. I think it is a great time of year to be there --just at the end of winter when you can comfortably sit outside for a cup of coffee with snow piled high all around. I love that about CO and have camped in my rooftop tent at just this time of year. What a fantastic journey you are taking along the CO River (that may be in such trouble if we don’t change our ways)! Safe journey