Colorado Springs

 

 

We have been to Colorado three times, and coincidentally, each visit has been to a place with “springs” in the name.

 Our first visit was in 2003 to Steamboat Springs in our pre-RV and pre-blog days. The photos are of me at Fish Creek Falls during a very long hike on a very hot day and TBG on the trails near Thunder Mountain.

 

Our second visit was in 2016 to Idaho Springs. The photos show our first RV tucked into her spot in the woods near the cabin, the view on the way up to Saint Mary’s Glacier, and us with my Brotherman and Sissy at her family cabin demonstrating our willingness to exact some good old mountain justice if need be. That trip is detailed on the old blog here if you need a reason to put off starting on your to-do list for the day.

Our third visit was less vacation than the first two because we were in town for our eldest nephew’s wedding. As much as I would like to regale you with tales of family foibles and pictures of a very lovely wedding, this blog isn’t the place for that. You will have to be content with the dirt we were able to chase with said family when the wedding festivities and the weather allowed.

I left you with a cliffhanger last time, asking if you’ve ever heard of a “bomb cyclone.” We hadn’t, either, but we became intimately acquainted with one the day after we arrived in Colorado Springs. As you know we’d been keeping a wary eye on the weather for the last few weeks in hopes of timing our travel and arrival for the nuptials to avoid any severe weather. When we saw that a very, very bad meteorological event was predicted for the day we were originally scheduled to travel, we gladly forfeited $4 for our last night in Raton, and rolled into Cheyenne Mountain State Park on a beautiful, sunny day. We weren’t able to extend our reservation and had to park in a different site for that first night, which was up on a hill overlooking the site we’d be moving into the following day.

The park had plenty of trails, and we set off almost immediately to take advantage of the balmy day. It was hard to believe the prediction.

 

We managed to get in about 4 miles, even though part of a trail we wanted was cordoned off by signs that read “Keep Out! Dangerous police training!” I’m all for trained police, but I was a little miffed that they would render part of a state park inaccessible when folks had paid (a lot of) money to access it.

By morning, the skies were leaden, and the rangers went around to every campsite to be sure everyone was stocked with food, water, and propane. The trailer in the site we were supposed to move to exhibited zero signs that they were prepared to vacate, but they had until noon to scram, and all we could do was watch nervously from our site up on the hill as the time crawled by and the winds increased. We did not want to be on the hill during the storm. It turned out that they, too, were waiting for someone else within the park to move, and at almost straight-up noon, we all played musical sites.

Gimme shelter!

As you can see, this site offered some earthen protection and, fortunately, in this position, we had the winds at our tail instead of into our flank.

Cue the bomb cyclone.

According to an article in USA Today: As a powerful storm slams the central U.S. on Wednesday, people have started calling it a “bomb cyclone.” Are they right?
Yes. The storm has officially undergone bombogenesis, the National Weather Service reported Wednesday, which means it can be called a bomb cyclone.
Bombogenesis occurs when a storm’s barometric pressure drops by 24 millibars – a millibar is a way of measuring pressure – in 24 hours. According to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller, the storm pressure has “dropped 24 millibars in the last 18 hours. So it more than meets the criteria.”
A bomb cyclone is basically a winter hurricane, and this storm has a pressure that’s equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. 

The “view” out our windshield about midway through the cyclone.

Colorado Springs recorded the highest wind gust in its history at 97mph, and we saw footage on TV news of semis blowing over on the highways. We stayed safe inside with all the slides in, never losing electricity, cell/internet service, or TV reception, even without the antenna up. While the fierce winds were loud, our orientation to them meant we experienced minimal buffeting and sway. The storm was as bad as predicted, and we were very glad we’d heeded the warnings.

The hurricane blew itself out by evening, and the next day TBG and I were able to get out to do the family grocery shopping, everyone was able to eventually make their flights in, and the revelry officially began.  

On the day before the wedding, a group of extended family was able to enjoy an outing at Garden of the Gods, a close-in park built around stunning rock formations.

It is a gorgeous park, however it was overrun with visitors the day we were there — a sunny Saturday during Spring Break — and I wish we’d had more time to take it in. With the newlyweds residing in the area, chances are good we’ll get another shot at it eventually.

On our last day together following the wedding, TBG’s folks, brother and sister-in-law, and we got in a hike at Red Rock Canyon Open Space.

 It wasn’t as picturesque as Garden of the Gods, which you can see in the distance in the above photo, but it was a nice jaunt.

The brothers and their parents.

After all of the celebrants and family were headed home, TBG and I had one more day at the state park to explore its trails.

 

Trying to outrun the snowflakes.

Our trail guide.

Other than the very tame deer, we had the place to ourselves for our ~3 mile trek, then we nestled back in the rig to watch it snow some more. Yippee.

This state park, and Colorado Springs itself, has much more to offer than we were able to take advantage of during our stay. Although we’re through with Colorado for now, with family, friends, and national parks we’ve not yet seen scattered throughout the state, Colorado isn’t through with us. We’re going to let it warm up a bit first, though.

COMMENTS

raastha An adventure travel indeed. Glad to know you are safe. Beautiful photographs.

Chasing Dirt Thank you for hitching a ride and the kind words! 🙂

Lowe's Travels It seems Colorado Springs had been in the weather news lately! So you were in that crazy pattern, bomb cyclone! But glad you were safe and live to tell what it’s like. You had a cute trail guide.

shannon871 We have reservations for Mueller State Park in July, and I was also pretty shocked by the expense that we will incur. And it’s pretty hard to get reservations, even at the high prices. What’s up with government entities actually charging what the market will bear?

TBG All the fun of living in close quarters funneled into tight submarine-like quarters.😘 It was, da-bomb!

chapter3travels Who knew you could have a hurricane in Colorado in the winter? Craziness. Glad it all worked out campsite wise, and I’m relieved everyone had plenty of warning to get supplies and prepare. At least the park rangers were on the ball. On the other hand, I’m amazed there were so many trucker accidents on the highway. Did they not know about the storm or did they just not care? You would think they’d be paying attention to this kind of stuff. But alas, who knows? In any case, glad you guys made it through safe and you can add another crazy experience to your list.

Laurel Bombogenisis? Okay, that is now my new favorite word. And I’m going to use it even if it has nothing to do with weather because it’s SUCH a cool word! 😜
Seriously, that bomb cyclone was crazy—so glad you guys rode it out safely. Valley of the Gods has been on our list forever—what a beautiful spot! As always, love your hiking adventures. I especially love the photo of you in your bright hiking gear outrunning the snowflakes. Hope you’re headed for warmer weather and that Mark is following!