Southwest 2021-11: Over the Colorado Rockies to Moab, Utah

March 16-17, 2021

    After two days snowed in in our AirBnB in Longmont CO, we were able to depart. We were sad we weren't able to visit again with Marilyn's niece and her family due to side roads still being icy, but at least we'd had one great day with them. We needed to get going and get over the Rockies ahead of the next storm.

Van dug out of the snow by Doug but sitting on ice 

    Doug had the van warmed up, but was a bit apprehensive about all of the ice beneath the tires, not to mention our white top.

It would take us at least 4.5 hours to get to Grand Junction, our destination for the night.

Leaving Longmont 

    Several cars in Prospect New Town, the area of Longmont where our AirBnB was located, were stuck on side streets, and we did a little slipping and sliding ourselves getting to the highway.

Under a searing blue sky, snow blanketed the farmland along the road and the Rockies in the distance.

Heading west through the Rockies on I-70

    In Arvada just north of Denver, we stopped at a gas station to visit with dear friends who had moved there from Visalia. It turned out their trip to Moab was in just a couple of days! So we made it a short visit and got back on I-70. 

Entering the Eisenhower Tunnel

    It was clear, but the temps were low enough that black ice was a concern. The Eisenhower Tunnel east of Vail is the highest point on I-70. Tunneling through the Continental Divide for 1.7 miles, the westbound tunnel was completed in 1973, and the eastbound in 1979.

Exiting the tunnel, our GPS read 11,131 feet.

Snowing again.

Snow falling made these signs even more exciting. 

    There would be several downhills that were steep and miles long. Every time we started down, especially if it was snowing, Marilyn gripped her armrest, and Doug said, "Relax, everything's okay."

Colorado River

    I-70 follows the Eagle River until it flows into the Colorado coming down from the north at Dotsero CO. Then it continues to follow the Colorado.

A magpie stood watch on the rest area sign.

    No Name is actually the name of a nearby community, creek, and canyon. We stopped because not long before, snow had flown off the roof, which can be a danger to other vehicles, as well as ourselves. In an effort to get the snow off the top, in the parking lot, Doug went forward or back then slammed on the breaks numerous times. The snow stubbornly stayed put.

Another magpie preferred sitting on the back 

of a bighorn sheep. There were about half a dozen 

of them along the freeway onramp.

    A short distance further on, we stopped at Glenwood Springs and went to a carwash, again to remove the snow from the top. That was minimally successful, so we found a tall wall, parked the van beside it, and Doug hacked at the snow—there was a layer of ice underneath—until he finally had it off. Now we know why people have a ladder on the side of their van.

The snow was mostly gone, but rain, too, was worrisome, given the low temps. 

And then, there were those storm clouds....

Snow along the Colorado River. 

    We were entering the high desert area of steep-walled canyons, juniper, and pinyon pines of western Colorado and eastern Utah. It was still cold: there was snow on the banks and gravel bars in the river.

Butte and colors typical of the high deserts of the region

    About 5:30, 8 hours after leaving Longmong, we arrived at our second-ever KOA campground, in Grand Junction CO. We were glad to be out of the snow and ready to roam easily again. 

The next morning we were back on I-70/US 50 enjoying vast openness of Colorado and Utah. 

Colorado River along 128, the River Road, 

 from Cisco to Moab

In half an hour, we'd reached the turnoff to 128, at Cisco, UT, known as the River Road for obvious reasons. For the next hour Marilyn's jaw was pretty much on the floor.

We've camped on both the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon, but one can't possibly take in the all the splendor driving along the Colorado River through the gorge it has scraped out here. 

128 winds through the gorge for 45 miles.

A tributary entering the Colorado.

    Beginning at mile 29 at Dewey Bridge, there are a number of BLM campgrounds along the river. We wanted to get as close to Moab as possible, so we investigated a couple but kept going.

We went all the way to the last campground, Goose Island, which was full, then retreated to the second closest to Moab, Grandstaff.

It doesn't get much better than a campsite 

on the banks of the Colorado River. 

  We were in luck: site 1 at Grandstaff Campground was open and became ours. We paid the $10 fee—even at the full $20, and we pay only half with our national lands senior pass, it's far cheaper to stay in this incredibly gorgeous place than what we've paid in places with nothing to recommend them. After grabbing some lunch and leaving a few items to further indicate the site was taken, we were off to Arches National Park. But we'll get to that in the next post.

View of Colorado River and cliffs beyond 

from Grandstaff Campground.

    A bike path runs for several miles along the river. At the T-intersection of 128 and 191, it continues both south to Moab and north to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

Site 10, Grandstaff Campground, from above

    Marilyn was up early the next morning and walking through the campground found several open sites. We were also on the lookout for sites for Judy and Brian, the friends we'd visited in Arvada, their daughter, husband, and two sons. They'd be there the next day, and Judy's brother Doug was arriving that day. We moved ourselves to site 10, had coffee, and headed to Arches NP again.

Doug's Promaster 159 extended with top popped, "only" 4 feet longer than ours. Doug looks out with his grand-nephew.

    As we were returning from exploring Arches, Marilyn spotted a red Promaster in a turnout and asked if that wasn't Doug. Indeed it was! Doug B had consulted with Doug S numerous times before buying his Promaster 159 extended with poptop and four seats. This was his first outing, coming from Seattle to join his family—and fortunately, us. His goal is for his kids and grandkids to be able to camp in it, too.

View from above of Doug B's Promaster 159 extended and our Promaster 136. And the Colorado River.

Judy and Brian's Highlander and Trailer

    After dinner at the food truck park in town, Doug and Doug went scouting for three more camp sites. It appeared several people were leaving, and early the next morning Doug B confirmed with the campers and claimed their sites. Later that day Judy and Brian, their daughter, husband, and two wonderful grandsons arrived with their trailers. We were so happy to be able to have more long chats with them that evening and the next morning. There is just something about being with friends in such a wonderful area.