Well hi! What a delight to visit Glacier National Park again. Let’s take a two-waterfall hike to Saint Mary Falls then Virginia Falls on the east side of the park. This is the first time for me and maybe you too, so grab your gear and let’s go. It will be 3.6 miles round trip with lots of wide switchbacks taking us first down about 260 feet then up about 280 feet–then doing it in reverse. Let’s take our time and enjoy the ramble because we’ll no doubt be huffing and puffing as we go!
As the craziness of life keeps us running and striving and worrying, downright fearful, and more, it might be time to consider slowing down and looking around. Our natural world has a way of forcing it on us via seasons. Is it time you paid closer attention to the lessons? For me it was a waterfall in Glacier National Park that made me reflect on nature’ s reminders.
Sometimes life just gets in the way and a trip to the mountains for fall colors doesn’t happen. Pretty much all of October, until today, has been spent preparing for moving–the real move–and unpacking from moving. What a process and I only moved to the other side of this apartment complex! Well, 1,000 miles or 1/10 mile demands nearly the same moving process–sigh. However, now the views from my windows and slider (below) includes Pikes Peak and a lovely view southeast along the Front Range. Since we can’t get away this fall, let’s take a look around the Springs for amazing autumn colors!
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!
