Rifle Falls ~

 Our last day didn't quite turn out as we'd planned, it ended up much better!  We started, as usual on weekends, with hot latte's!  Out to town - Bullocks - so I could purchase a sweater I'd looked at the day before :-)  We had lunch at the Daily Bread, where I enjoyed my first potato pancakes in forever!

We had reservations later in the afternoon, to ride the Gondola to the top of Iron Mountain & visit the caverns.  With plenty of time to spare, we decided to take Hwy 82 south from town, toward Basalt.

Mt. Sopris~

As with everywhere we went, towns that hadn't been much more than wide spots in the road, are now small cities.  The valley gradually infilling with homes & acreages.  It was tempting to go further, but we were looking forward to the gondola ride..  

The truck waits~

Returning to Glenwood on time, as we parked, we noticed the gondola moving slowly with lots of stops. Only a few of the cabs were occupied. Our tickets were refunded - the wind had come up enough - the ride was suspended for the day. With the afternoon free, we decided to drive on west to Rifle. We'd lived there when I worked on the Colony Oil Shale Project just outside Parachute.

Roan Cliffs~

It was a beautiful afternoon!  Rifle sits on the edge of the Piceance Basin, making it the go-to place when Oil Shale was being touted as an emerging energy source.  The fairgrounds had been  updated & the town itself had new stores & lots of new houses.  We didn't stop in town, our destination was one of our favorite spots on this side of the state - Rifle Falls State Park.

Rifle Falls

The entry fee to the state park was $10.  Since it was Super Bowl Sunday, we didn't expect many people.  The small parking area was almost full - but several cars were leaving as we parked. 

Trail Map~

There was plenty of snow on the ground.  We took the trail going past the falls & to the caverns, before looping back.  It was icy in the shade.  The dirt & rock inside the first cavern was powder dry.

Me in the first cave~

We continued on down the trail, with the footing more slippery as we went.

Along the edge of the cliffs~

I told Butch I was doing OK on the way down, but getting back up would be a trick.  After the last cavern, we decided to turn back.

The creek~

The water in this little creek was almost turquoise~  With a trout farm just north, a great place to fish I'm sure!

Going back up~

The climb back up, gave me & my injured leg a workout :-)  Butch offered an arm more than once!

An icy trail~

As the afternoon progressed, the temperature dropped & the trail changed from slushy to icy.  Once we made it back around to the cliff front, I couldn't resist climbing up to get a photo of the spray.

The Falls~

The falls have an amazing sound.  Possibly because of the caverns below.  We were the last vehicle in the parking lot.  Even the Ranger had left for the day.

Rifle Gap Reservoir~

Driving past the very low reservoir - the color of the water & sky were so intense.

Driving through the Grand Hogback toward Rifle~

The view above might be familiar to anyone living in CO during the early 1970's.  This is where the Valley Curtain was constructed. 

For old times sake, we had dinner at the Rivera before heading over to the pool.

Entrance to the Pool~

Our last night in town & last evening to enjoy the pool.  The weekend tourists were all gone, as was the line waiting to enter, due to Covid restrictions.  Staying at the Lodge - we had wrist bands allowing us unlimited access.

Looking up at the Lodge~

In earlier years, especially in the winter months, we'd come down after work & have the pool almost to ourselves.  (My leg had been tingling since our first soak.)  We soaked & enjoyed the beautiful evening, stars shining against a blue/black sky.  It would be hard to leave~