The Grand Time

Tom's Journal

May 17 2007 - Day 2

View A Different Day

Today was a study in contrasts.

At about 9:30 am, Gary and I began to ride the river as it wound its way toward the southwestern boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park.

We encountered three distinct types of obstacles in the ever-widening channel, which account for the contrasts referenced above.

For the first fourteen miles, the last we will travel within this National Park, the obstacles were natural: trees that had fallen in the river’s path. Immediately downstream, and for the next three miles from the Park we had to negotiate obstacles of a very different type: many barbed wire fences stretched from one shore to the other; there were also several major diversion dams each of which noticeably diminished the flow.

Meanwhile, the sky was providing obstacles of its own. It was clear and sunny when we started, but Clouds soon rolled in. By noon wind, lightning and thunder had given way to rain and hail. Fortunately, it didn’t last long, but the temperature didn’t make it over 60 degrees the rest of the day.

For the next three miles, the gradient changed dramatically-what had been swift and calm water became rough, continuously white and very fast. It grew more and more turbulent until it entered a major drop in a boulder field strewn with downed trees-third flavor of this day’s obstacles.

After a very short portage, we were within sight of Colorado’s largest natural lake. On a trip like this, what would such a lake be called? Grand Lake.

By 4:30 we had entered the lake which, thanks to a dam built in the late 1940s, is actually a reservoir called Shadow Mountain. Again, the rain began to fall as we paddled to a point near the dam.

During the day, we had rapidly (pun intended) descended between 400 and 500 feet and again saw deer, moose and elk along the way. The high mountain vistas were breathtaking as we traveled in excess of 20 miles. We would like to have gone farther but the rain continued to fall and we were tired.

Of course, once we decided to stop, the weather became clear. Story of my life!

View A Different Day

Mile by Mile Photos

May 17 2007 - Day 2
Mile 11 through Mile 30

May 16 2007 - Day 1May 17 2007 - Day 2May 18 2007 - Day 3May 19 2007 - Day 4May 20 2007 - Day 5May 21 2007 - Day 6May 22 2007 - Day 7May 23 2007 - Day 8May 24 2007 - Day 9May 25 2007 - Day 10May 26 2007 - Day 11May 27, 2007 - Day 12May 28, 2007 - Day 13May 29, 2007 - Day 14May 30, 2007 - Day 15May 31, 2007 - Day 16June 1, 2007 - Day 17June 2 - 11, Day 18 - 27June 12, 2007 - Day 28June 13, 2007 - Day 29June 14, 2007 - Day 30June 15, 2007 - Day 31June 16, 2007 - Day 32June 17, 2007 - Day 33June 18, 2007 - Day 34June 19, 2007 - Day 35June 20, 2007 - Day 36June 21, 2007 - Day 37June 22, 2007 - Day 38June 23, 2007 - Day 39June 24, 2007 - Day 40June 25, 2007 - Day 41June 26, 2007 - Day 42June 27, 2007 - Day 43June 28, 2007 - Day 44June 29 2007 - Day 45June 30, 2007 - Day 46July 1 - 13, Day 47 - 58July 15, 2007 - Day 59
The last day; The river’s end