Old Fall River Road

     Old Fall River Road was opened in 1920 and was the first auto route into the high regions of the park.  We thought that we would miss the opportunity to drive it because late spring snows had prevented the annual work that needs to be done to open the road.  It is closed during the winter.  The road is a one-way, 11 mile gravel road which takes you up the Fall River valley to the visitor center at Fall River Pass, 11,796 feet above sea level.  When we arrived in the park the predicted opening of the road was not until later in August.  However, when we were at the Alpine Visitor Center after driving the Trail Ridge Road we saw cars driving on a gravel road behind the center.  The Ranger told us that the road had just opened, so today we decided to drive it.

    The road has a series of switch backs and follows a route traveled long ago by Indian hunters.  There are no guard rails and very few road signs.  The speed limit is 15 mph so it is not a quick drive.  There are few places to pull off to view the scenery, but you need to be careful not to get too close to the edge.  No picnic tables, no rest areas - just great views and a sense of following in the footsteps of adventurers.
    There were a surprising number of cars on the road - it was Monday and had only been opened for two days.  We also saw a fair number of Park Rangers on the road - keeping an eye on road conditions and offering help to anyone with car problems.  There is no phone service in the park so no calling AAA if you are stranded.  We saw one Jeep pulled over getting some Ranger aid.
     As we drove above the tree line we could see dark clouds forming above the Visitor Center.  We had read warnings in all the park publications about staying in your car when there are lightening storms.  With all rocks and no trees you are a real target for lightening at 12,000 feet.  I wasn't thrilled about being on the dirt road when the storm hit.  There were quite a few areas where the road was rebuilt after being washed out.  We were lucky and the rain held off until we got to the top.  Then the wind came and really got chilly.  I felt sorry for the folks who were only in T-shirts and shorts.
    We drove back down to Heavenly Valley for a picnic.  The rain stopped and it was warmer so we enjoyed watching families with small kids climbing on the rocks around the picnic area.  One especially adventurous boy climbed to the top of the rock pile.  I kept hearing, be careful, Matthew, come on down.  Seemed like just yesterday we kept saying the same thing to our rock climber.
    It was raining again by the time we got to the campground, so it was a good time to plan the next leg of our trip to Golden, Colorado.  I was really frustrated in trying to find a campground there,  I forgot to pack the Western half of my Woodall's Campground Guide, and I don't have a working computer.  Luckily we noticed in the brochure for our current campground that they have a sister campground in Golden.  The folks at the office made reservations for us and we are good to go for the next two nights.  Whew!