Royal Gorge and Garden of the Gods

Here is Pikes Peak one of Colorado's 14ers

Today's trip was to Royal Gorge Bridge. This is a place John has wanted to visit since me got out here. This was not really what we expected. It is basically a tourist trap.

About the highest Suspension Bridge

• Construction on the world's highest suspension bridge began June 5, 1929, and completed Nov. 1929


• Length: 1,260 feet (384 meters)


• Width: 18 feet (5 meters)


• Main Span: 880 feet (268 meters)


• Towers: 150 feet high (46 meters)


• 2,100 strands of No. 9 galvanized wire


• Weight of cables: 300 tons• 1,000 tons of steel in the floor of Bridge


• Walkway: made of 1,292 planks of deck; about 250 are replaced annually


• Original cost to build: $350,000 with a cost today of about $20 million


• Bridge will support in excess of two million pounds


• Listed on the National Historic Register

About the longest single-span Aerial Tram

• Built in 1968 at a cost of $350,000


• Length: 2,200 feet (671 meters)


• Height above Arkansas River: 1,178 feet (359 meters)


• Power: direct current motor


• Auxiliary gasoline emergency standby engine


• Maximum speed: 11.4 mph


• Capacity of cabin: 35 passengers


• Track cables weigh over seven tons each


• More than two miles of cables utilized in tramway system


• Safety: wind-warning gauges working at all times; tram will not operate during severe weather or gusty winds

About the world's steepest Incline Railway

• Construction began in 1930 and completed in 1931


• Length of incline: 1,550 feet (473 meters)


• 100% grade, 45-degree angle


• Powered by Otis Elevator with a completely automatic SCR drive system


• Standby emergency diesel engine


• Maximum speed: 11.4 mph• Rate of descent: 3 mph


• Weight of cars: 4,500 lbs.


• Travel time: 5.5 minutes each way


• Same engineering and construction crews that built the Bridge


• Safety: 19 manually operated stopping devices, also equipped with automatic governor to stop each car


• Listed on the National Historic Register

On our way home we stopped in Colorado Springs and walked around Garden of the Gods

Estes Park

Today John Stephen and I went to Estes Park then up and hiked Estes Cone. In Estes Park we saw this heard of Elk just causually walking through Estes Park.

Estes Cone

Today John, Stephen and myself went to hike Estes Cone. The guide book said it was 3.2 miles each way and should take about 3 1/2 hours. We left the trail head at at about 9am and returned at 4pm. 7 hours. Look at the pictures below for the trip up.



Stephen walking up the trail.





This is Eugenia Mine which was about 1.4 miles in the hike.



There were these birds who acted like they wanted to get close to us but would not stay put to have their picture taken.



Estes Cone from about the 2 mile point. We will end up at the top there in about 1 1/2 miles.



Twin Sisters 2 of the 14ers





John and Tim with Long's Peak in the back ground, another one of the 14ers.





The trail is called Storms Pass Trail. There were several trees with lighting damage.

John taking a break.



This is what the trail turned in to.



Another view of Longs Peak.





The top of Estes Cone.



Twin Sisters from top of Estes Cone.

See the Panormac view from the top.










The top of here is where we ate lunch.

John wated a picture of me so people could see that I do these too.

Estes Cone from the trail head. John and I agreed if we knew that is what we were going to going to we may have thought twice. However it was a nice hike.

Loveland Pass

Today we went back to Loveland Pass we took John's brothers and the dog

also check out the Panoramic view

First trip on RTD

Today we did a trial run on RTD out to where I will be working. It was a long day we caught the train to downtown, we then got off at the 16th street mall and wet to the RTD service center to get route maps and talked with the lady to get the best way to get to work. We also found out if you take the light rail and transfer onto a bus do not purchase a round trip light rail pass. if you purchase a one way pass you can use it to transfer onto a bus but if you do a round trip light rail pass you then have to pay the bus fair each way on top of the light rail pass.

We the went back and got on the light rail to the end of the d-line then caught the bus out to where i will be working, that leg is about 50 mins and the light rail is about 30 mins. We got off and walked down to where the office is and that is less than a 5 minute walk.

Ate lunch then just missed the return bus so we had a 35-40 minute wait for the next one.

Over all i will have about a 90 min commute each way luckly the light rail staion is only about 5 minutes for the house.

Unfortionally the bus out if it is not late puts me to the office 5 minutes before I have to be at work, so I will probbly have to take the eairler one and get there 30 minutes early.

Car Woes

I am sure that most everyone has heard about our car troubles.

John's Taurus did not survive the trip out. Due to it being 16 years old and being an eastcoast car the under body was very rusted and unfortionally the rear suspension gave out on the trailer out and we had to junk the car.

Then my van which is 10 years old started having issues, was told that it will take more than what it is worth to get it fixed and the emisions has somethign wrong, i got pulled over my the state highway potrol due to the excessive exaust, I was able to talk my way out of a ticket as I told the cop that I just moved out here and I am in the process of getting it fixed. I had an O2 sensor right in the car, LOL.

So when I was out yesterday I drove through a car lot and as I was leavign saw a car that caught my eye. I went back home and researched it on-line and saw that it had very good consumer reviews.

It is a 2003 Saturn LW300, it had 26.5K miles and was priced under $10. Rare to find a used car with that low of miles for under that price. I went back and ended up buying the car see the pictures below.