Saturday, February 20, 2010

A misty snow ride through Red Rocks Park

Note: This posting is also located on examiner.com. So what's the difference?  I get paid per # of hits on that site, so if you feel like helping my fuel budget, read the article there instead:  LINK,  Thanks!

Today's forecast high temperature was 28°F, it was overcast gray skies with a light snow mist falling over parts of the Denver Metro area, and less than an inch accumulation in the grassy areas.  Perfect!

I headed out after breakfast, shortly after 9:20 AM and crossed Denver using Hampden Avenue which is also known as US285.  Forty-five minutes later, I was in the outskirts of the town of Morrison and getting my first glimpses of the rock formations that the Red Rocks Park is known for.

I was surprised to see the number of cars with sightseers but then again the beauty of the rock formations with the snow cover they'd collected is a powerful draw:

A Panoramic view one is greeting with when entering the park through Entrance#3

 
 Frog Rock, looking north on Red Rocks Park Rd

Further up on Red Rocks Park Rd

Looking south, back towards Frog Rock

 
 Framed between Nine Park Rock on the left, and Picnic Rock on the right, you can see the Trading Post

 
 A better view of Nine Parks Rock

 
 Looking south towards the Frog Rock formations

 
 The light snow mist that was falling, caused a blurring effect on this view of the park's amphitheater from 
the Lower South Lot 1 parking lot

 
 A rock formation near the southern end of the Trading Post's parking lots

 
 As you start heading up Ship Rock Rd, you can see the ramp people use to get to the 
amphitheater on the other side of this large rock formation

 
 Ship Rock, it makes up the southern "wall" of the amphitheater complex
view from the Upper South Lot

 
 Again from the Upper South parking lot, a view of "Sinking Titanic" Rock

 
 Heading north on Trading Post Rd, I believe this is Creation Rock

 
The view of the north side of the amphitheater rocks on Plains View Rd (I think)

 
 West Alameda Parkway, takes one through the tunnel cut through Lizard Head Rock
click here for a pic from the Denver Public Library of when this tunnel was being built

 
 Some of the shallow caves formed on the walls of Lizard Head Rock

 
 The west side of the tunnel cutting through Lizard Head Rock

 
 Coming back down from the Upper North Lot, another shot of the rocks to the north of the amphitheater

Red Rocks Park Trading Post
click here for a photo from the Denver Public Library from back in the 1930s

By the time of the last shot, it was a bit after Noon and so I started heading home.  I took on gas at the Conoco just east of Morrison and then headed towards Kipling Avenue on Morrison Blvd.  I took Kipling south till I could turn onto US285 and from there it was a retracing of my outbound route.  The roads in town were pretty dry and traffic was building.  I got home just before 1:00 pm.  A good winter's day of riding!

More information on the park here:  Red Rocks Park

My previous rides through Red Rocks Park, when there wasn't as much snow around:



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