Fruita, CO – July 18, 2012
Early this morning we loaded up all our suitcases in Colorado Springs, Colorado and pointed the truck west toward Fruita, Colorado. It was a beautiful Colorado morning with a deep blue sky overhead.
A little more than an hour west of Colorado Springs, we stopped at the top of Wilkerson Pass. The elevation of the pass is 9, 507 feet (2,898 meters). The view to the west is breath-taking, reaching across South Park to the Collegiate Range. Many of the mountains in the Collegiate Range have snow on the peaks all year long. The backdrop of the blue sky helped the peaks stand out.
View from the Wilkerson Pass summit toward the Collegiate Range.
One very nice about Wilkerson Pass, especially for tourists, is the National Forest gift store. The ranger on duty can answer just about any question. There are all sorts of Colorado items for purchase. Lastly, there is a proper restroom before one continues farther into the mountains.
From the top of the pass, we headed west toward Hartsel, Colorado. Driving west on Highway 24 one can catch a glimpse of Spinney Reservoir. While driving this portion of the highway, it is not unusual to see antelope lying down or grazing in the vast grasslands.
At Hartsel, we switched to Highway 9 toward Fairplay, Colorado. Just as we turned onto that highway, I noticed a large heard of buffalo grazing in the field. Behind the buffalo, in the distance, was Buffalo Peak. I had to stop and take a photo.
Some buffalo grazing in South Park, Colorado. Buffalo Peak is in the distance in the center of the shot.
We arrived at our destination, Fruita, at about 14:00. It will be our base of operations for a while. Over the next day or so, I took several photos depicting life in the country, focusing on details that others often overlook.
