371. Last Day of the Trip to UT, CO, and WY

On our way back to Sedona, I took Libby to some rock arts on Potash Road near Moab. I’ve posted a few pictures about this petroglyph site before. But I have never had my own pictures taken there. This is one of the many advantages of having a travel companion which include camaraderie, friendship, safety, fun, laughter…

Another advantage is saving money. With my last minute timeshare deal, her economy car, free National Park days, and our frugal ways of living, we’ve spent $300 each for 10 days including accommodation, gas, park fees, and food. Not a bad deal, don’t you think?

I will start travel alone again one day. I’m sure I will miss her companionship very much.

 

 

370. Beautiful Wildflowers

Although it is end of wildflower season, we’ve seen some gorgeous blooms. If you love wildflowers, Colorado is a great place to visit in the summer.

369. Rifle Falls State Park

On our way back, we stopped at Rifle Falls State Park. Coming from NC where there are tons of waterfalls, I didn’t expect much of this park. In fact, it is a small park with short hikes. But the falls are quite pretty and the caves are nice, especially when we had a crisp sunny day.

 

368. Encounter of a Moose

I didn’t take any picture of Steamboat until the last day. The sunset was lovely. And to add icing to the cake, we saw a moose not far away from us. Libby was very emotional. She was afraid of moose from the horrible story she had heard. But this moose was very calm and he didn’t seem threatening at all. The brief encounter unexpectedly helped her to overcome her fear. Wildlife tend to leave us alone, if we leave them alone. Most accidences happened when human beings intentionally provoked them.

 

 

367. Rocky Mountain National Park

I’ve been to Rocky Mountain many times. If fact, the very first National Park I’ve ever visited is Rocky Mountain. Although it is not the top NP on my list, it is still special to me.

The park is only two hours away from Steamboat, so we took a day trip. The day started hazy. It became worse and worse. We had drizzle, rain, and hail. Still, we kept going. It was loud thunder that finally sent us running back. The rain was so cold that both of us were shivering. Nevertheless, our spirits were high, especially when we were fleeing from a not-so-happy deer. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

366. Fish Creek Falls

Just minutes from downtown Steamboat, wilderness comes to life with a splash at Fish Creek Falls. Clear and fresh alpine water roars down the canyon, spilling over the 280-ft falls which can be seen with a short walk.

We took the longer hike to the Upper Fish Creek Falls and continued to a large meadow deep in the Routt National Forest. Colorful leaves and the tail end of wildflowers dotted along the trail. I kept wondering how brilliant it must be when all the flowers were in full bloom.

PS. The sign says it is 5 miles to Long Lake. We hiked more than 5 miles and we were told by several locals that the sign isn’t right. It is another hour to the lake so we decided to turn back.

365. State Forest State Park

State Forest State Park is about 80 miles northeast of Steamboat Springs. I’ve been there once years ago. The jugged mountain peaks and pristine clear lakes left such a great impression that I wanted to share it with Libby.

However, it was a cloudy day. The “blue lake” I promised turned out to be gray. And since the road was too rough for her little car, we ended up hiking about 7 miles instead of 1.5 miles from the trailhead. As you can see from the pictures, we still had a great time despite the disappointing weather.

364. The Awe-inspiring Devil’s Causeway

Devil’s Causeway is a narrow strip of land in the heart of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. A 6 miles hike will allow you to experience fear and thrill.

I’ve read that nearly everyone who attempted to cross was brought to his or her knees. As we reached one end of the “bridge”, I understood why. At 11,800 feet, this “land bridge” is roughly 50 feet long and 3 feet wide in places—with shear drops of several hundred feet on either side! Neither of us wanted to risk our lives to cross. We were just happy to see it with our own eyes—no pictures can do justice to the awe-inspiring feelings we felt.

 

363. Rocks around Yampa

Yampa is a small town, only 30 miles south of Steamboat Springs. On our way to Steamboat, I noticed strange rocks under the dim light. As “rock lovers”, we decided to take a look in the daytime. I’m glad we did. There are not many rocks, but they are cool.

362. Snowy Range Scenic Byway

Located in southern Wyoming, the Snowy Range Scenic Byway is only a couple hours away from Steamboat Springs, CO. This 29-mile stretch of paved road crosses the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, offering spectacular views of rugged peaks reaching over 12,000 feet, crystal clear lakes, and great hiking trails.

Snow lingers late and returns early so the byway is normally open from Memorial Day through October. We found patches of snow on the ground to play with. 🙂

PS. There are a few places named in Libby’s name: Libby Lake, Libby Creek, Libby Flats, and Libby Recreation Area!

(Marmot?)