South Meadows Campground, Pike National Forest, Woodland Park, CO May 30 – June 10, 2013

The drive from Las Vegas was longer than our usual two or three hours and it was windy the entire way. Rich had a workout just keeping us in our own lane, especially once we reached the mountains.

Shortly out of Las Vegas, I saw pronghorns in pastureland – some on each side of the road; another first for me. I had to look them up in a reference book to find out what they were… Rich said the pastures are usually lush green but because of the extended drought, they were mostly brown.  Gradually we saw mountains in the distance and as we drew closer saw that many of them were still snowcapped. We were in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and they were like I’d never seen before: rocky and rugged with twisty roads and drop-offs that had me holding my breath. In spite of that, I found them beautiful, and we stopped,

at Raton Pass (7,835 feet) at an overlook (we were at 6,000 feet at Tetilla Peak) and I actually felt dizzy when we got out at the pull out. The pass was on the Mountain Trail part of the Santa Fe Trail and I couldn’t imagine traveling through this in a horse, mule, or oxen-pulled wagon.

The farther we go in Colorado, the more beautiful it gets. In fact, as we neared Pike National Forest, I was reminded of the book from

my childhood, Heidi. The lush, green mountain valleys, the rocky peaks so far above, and a quiet beauty that belied the busy little tourist town of Woodland Park we were about to pass through.

We arrived at the campground tired out and were unhappy to see that the site we had reserved was impossible for us to get into. After looking around, it was obvious this wasn’t friendly to RVs with slides. Happily, there weren’t many sites taken so we were able to find one that would work for us.

We were treated to our first dry camping and pit toilets of the trip, and our first time ever of camping at a place that didn’t have a dump station. We also found that sometime since last summer a rodent chewed the fresh water filler hose so we reverted to carrying gallon jugs of water from a  spigot, a la

tenting. Thank goodness the weather was cool enough that we didn’t miss the air conditioner, although there were several mornings when a little heat would have been welcome.

In spite of all that, the location was beautiful – a forest of Ponderosa pine trees, which give off a unique aroma – very different from any other forest we’ve been in. The Ponderosa pine grows up to 150 feet in height and four feet in diameter. As the tree

matures, the large chunks of bark turn from a grayish-black to a dull orange-red color, and once a tree is over 80 years old, the bark gives a distinct butterscotch aroma when scraped (made me hungry for vanilla ice cream). Many of the trees we saw were well over 100 feet tall, but none over about two and a half feet in diameter.

In addition to dry camping, we had no cell or data coverage (nor could we get anything on the weather radio), so Rich went back to town to get some groceries, a battery for the RV, and check the weather.  While there, he heard Gainesville had a 50% chance of getting a tropical storm. We kept our fingers crossed on that one. (Happily, although there was a lot of rain, the winds
didn’t amount to much.)

We had arranged to take the cog railway (the world’s highest) up Pike’s Peak our first full day there and what a trip that was! When we left the railway station in Manitou Springs (elevation 6,571 feet) it was sunny and in the high 70’s. I felt foolish with my long-sleeved shirt and carrying my heavy jacket, especially when I saw many folks in shorts, but knowing how easily I get cold, I kept it with me. As we climbed, the scenery changed from the fir,

spruce, and pine forests to sparsely forested areas with rocky outcroppings, to tundra and snow. At the summit, 14,110 feet, it was 27 degrees with a 60 mph wind for a wind chill of -7 degrees. Boy, am I glad I had my coat!

We disembarked and once we stepped from the shelter of the

restaurant/gift shop, were immediately assaulted by the ferocious wind which turned my nose red and cold within minutes. Rich and I walked around the area and tried to get photos of the area but it was difficult with the wind and extreme cold.

The trip up took an hour and we were at the top for 20 minutes

before we started down again. Apparently, altitude sickness can set in after 30 minutes or so, hence the fairly short stop on top. Once back inside the railway car we warmed up quickly in spite of having no heat – just being out of the wind was a blessing. I can’t imagine living in those kinds of conditions, even when I complain about the Florida heat.

Katharine Lee Bates, English teacher at Wellesley College from 1885 – 1925, wrote the poem “America the Beautiful” after a trip up Pike’s Peak by wagon in the late 1800’s. She received a small sum upon its publication in 1895 and it was the only compensation she ever received.

Pike’s Peak is omnipresent in the surrounding area and until you get back into the mountains beyond our camp, is visible. It is truly larger than life.

We enjoyed walks in the forest, wandered around the nearby lake, and generally relaxed. Rich got a two-day fishing license and caught his limit of trout in the lake two days in a row, we found a wonderful place for lunch called “Margo’s Vienna Beef Station”, and went to the Garden of the Gods.

The Garden of the Gods was privately owned until upon the owner’s death, it was given to the city of Colorado Springs by his children in 1909. According to his wishes, admission is free to visitors, although donations are happily accepted.  It is a large piece of property full of breath-taking scenery and over 15 miles of paths and was named a National Natural Landmark in 1971.

According to Wikipedia the garden is made up of “ancient beds of red, blue, purple, and white sandstones, conglomerates, and limestone that were deposited horizontally but have now been tilted vertically and faulted by the immense mountain building force caused by the Pikes Peak massif.

“Evidence of past ages ancient seas, eroded remains of ancestral mountain ranges, alluvial fans, sandy beaches, and great sand dune fields can be read in the rocks”, and in 1878, the bones of dinosaur speices Therophytalia kerri was found.

The Garden of the Gods is truly a fascinating place and we’ll plan on stopping again to get some additional education on the area.

In driving to the Garden of the Gods, we passed a little goldenrod colored building on the side of the road that proclaimed itself “Margo’s Vienna Beef Station”. Rich immediately said he wanted to stop there for lunch, and said they had great sandwiches. Now, I can’t say that overly excited me, since I’m not too fond of deli-type food, but  We went back two times before we left, and I was a fan! The Philly steak sandwich was better than we got in Philly, and even the hot dogs were tasty. I can’t wait to find another spot like it!

agreed to try it. We stopped and got an Italian beef sandwich, wet, and a gyro, and I can honestly say the gyro is the best I’ve ever eaten. I found the Italian beef a bit salty, but since I use very little salt, it was probably just me.

We had hoped to get up to the Rocky Mountain National Park, but there were no sites available and we didn’t want to have to just

drive up and back in a day, so will save that for next time. Since our time was getting short, we turned east when we reluctantly left Colorado and began our drive toward New York. We decided to stay north of Kansas and Oklahoma due to the horrible tornadoes they had been experiencing, so my next new state: Nebraska.