Welcome to Death Valley! We are staying at Stovepipe Wells Village, about 25 miles from the Furnace Creek area, home to the Visitor Center and more lodging.
From Stovepipe, we travel .2 miles turning left to drive up a 2.3-mile dirt/gravel road to Mosaic Canyon’s trailhead. I was here last year and had to come again. Why did you not hear of my visit last year? Well, that’s a saga, so come along and I’ll fill you in. Beside, you are going to love this hike!
Let’s Go!
On the eastern edge of the Waterpocket Fold in Utah we find Goblin Valley State Park. Wait–what fold, what valley? Well, come on along and see!
The last few days we’ve experienced arctic weather. Snow, below freezing temperatures overnight into the morning, single digits all day long. Brrrrr . . . OK, OK, I lived in Montana for seven years so should be fine with frigid. No, OVER IT, and enjoy the shorter winter season at this latitude too. One thing though? You can’t beat the beauty of ice- and snow-covered landscapes! Come on along as we drive the roads and visit the pull outs in Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs gorgeous city park.
Part 3: Last Leg of the Byway
When we drove into Lake City yesterday, we crossed a bridge over Henson Creek. A short distance from the bridge, the creek feeds into the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. The Lake Fork begins high in the mountains southwest of Lake San Cristobal, flows through the lake, and ends its 64.7 mile-long journey north to its confluence with the Gunninson River in Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Yes, this river runs south to north. Am I the only one who thought all rivers run north to south–south is downhill after all, right? Actually it is all about gravity. A river will always take the path of least resistance and flow downhill as quickly as possible. That downhill path can be in any direction including north, south, east, west, and every direction in between. The most famous and longest river in the world runs north through 11 countries–The Nile.
This last section of CO-149 is about rock formations, ranches, and Lake Fork’s canyons. Over the road’s remaining 45 miles we will travel down about 1,140 feet. Let’s go!
