Miata Mailing List: September 1995, Message #700
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   From: Greg Bassett 
Subject: GWT - Day 10
   Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 23:11:45 -0400

Great Western Tour - Day 10
Steamboat Springs to Pueblo Co, Rocky Mtn National Park.

10 days and I'm beat!. 

We should have know that we had been on the road too long when we ran into
morning rush-hour traffic, just west of Steamboat Springs.  Now, this is not
your usual morning rush hour traffic.  First of all it occurred at around
9:30am.  Second, it involved around 300 head of cattle.  Of course the whole
round-up was headed west with us.  So we spent the better part of an hour
travelling at 5-10 miles an hour with our windows down and at rectum level
with all these cows, most of which seemed to have has something disagreeable
for dinner the previous night.  It was one of those mornings.   In any case,
Fran got some great shots of  the cows surrounding our car.  At least we
were in a car.  Two guys on Harleys didn't seem to be enjoying themselves as
much as we were.

US40, like most of the older US highways is under construction.  Lots of 1
lane closures.  Lots of gravel.   However, this is the only way to get out
to Rocky Mtn. National Park.  The drive through the park was a high point
for me.  I'm a flat lander, and really enjoy visiting the mountains.  The
Rockies are the be-all, end-all of mountains in the US (to my knowledge) and
the park road takes you right through the heart of them.  The route climbs
to over 12,000 feet.  Well above the tree line, into Alpine tundra, snow
banks all around.  Really dramatic driving.  What amazed me most about this
was all the number of cyclists all along the route, even at the top.  These
guys gotta have lungs down to their toes!.  

Weather once again was beautiful.  Cold, in the morning, sunny and breezy in
the afternoon.  At the top of the mountains it was downright cold!.  Kinda nice!

Rocky Mtn. National Park is VERY popular, even in the "off" season.  Very
slow going through the park, (which we did not mind), and after (which
bugged the hell out of us) which made us late for our next destination Mt.
Evans.  

After much deliberation (which consisted of me saying "I'm beat, let's head
home" to which Fran answered, "Me too, and I miss our pets, let's go") we
decided to beat-feat to US25 and head south back toward the southland.  

The nice thing about traveling the US in a car is the Interstates are always
available.   Outside of most cities, the speeds are in excess of 80 MPH.
North of Denver, we were running 85+ and being passed on the left regularly.
Coool.  Of course, there is a dark side, REAL rush hour traffic through
downtown Denver.  Boooo.  

So here we are, sitting in Pueblo West, trying to remember what day of the
week it is, and savoring the memories of the vacation.  

Tomorrow's route:
Pueblo CO, to somewhere in Texas (probably Lubock)