Colorado Rockies to Pike's Peak Mid-winter Road Trip

[Old Henry]

Gentlemen, Pursuant to several recent requests, I submit my report of my 1,100 mile road trip in Old Henry through the Colorado Rockies to Pike's Peak a month ago while my wife was at a quilting retreat. Here is the map of the trip:


This trip was during the coldest and snowiest weather that northern Utah and Colorado has had for years. Because of that, I didn't stop to take as many pictures as usual. Most of the time the snow came right up to the travel lane such that there was no shoulder to stop for a photo. And, it was mighty cold.

How cold was it? During the first night between Vernal, UT and Craig, CO is was -20°F outside. Usually the fresh air heater of Old Henry could keep up but not then. It got down to 50° inside. It wasn't 'till we got to Craig that I investigated and found that the cable to the air damper in the heater duct had come off on a real bumpy section of the old highway allowing the damper to fall and block the airflow to the heater. After fixing that, we stayed toasty warm inside from then on.

After the first night in Craig, CO we continued on old US 40 and 24, Colorado 9, and US 285 to Buena Vista, CO for the next night. Although we had record snow and cold prior, it never snowed a drop the whole trip. Everything was so beautiful covered in white with the glorious sun beaming down on it. Just before Buena Vista we hit a couple of high points: Hoosier Pass over the Continental Divide at 11,539 ft. elevation and Alma, CO the highest incorporated city in North America at 10,578 ft. elevation:





I had no plan to climb Pike's Peak in the middle of the winter as I'd done it in Old Henry twice before in the summer. But, when I woke up on the third day I decided to do it. So we did. Here's the video: https://youtu.be/5BOnvLqGBtQ

A turnout view point on the way up:



Arriving at the top where I bumped into one of the big boulders shown in this photo looking down on Colorado Springs creasing my previously perfect bumper:







That night we stayed in the Monarch Ski Lodge just before Monarch Ski Resort. Next day we headed home over another high pass:



All in all, a wonderful 4 day road trip through the gorgeous Colorado Rockies in mid-winter.


Previous road trips:

Great Plains April 2018 https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=245122

Yosemite, King's Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks in September 2017: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229907

Pacific coast from San Francisco to the Olympic Peninsula in July 2017: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224808

Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in March 2017: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=216069

Western Utah Desert in the snow in December 2016: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211692

Mt. Whitney and Death Valley in November 2016: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209009

Teton National Park in September 2016: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205574

Alaska in May 2016: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=196219

Moki Dugway in April 2016: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193764

Four rivers in Idaho and Montana in March 2016: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190776

Red Canyon, Utah February 2016: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=188740

California Highway 1 November 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182600

Great Basin National Park and City of Rocks October 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181134

Pike's Peak September 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179372

Uinta Mountain Range, Utah, August 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173539

Mount Rushmore and Devils Tower, July 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173539

Pony Express Trail in April 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166241

Mexico and around in February 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162633

Ghost towns of Modena, UT and Pioche, NV in November 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155331

Million Dollar Highway, Durango to Montrose, Colorado in June 2014 https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142975

Transcontinental Railway Grade in May 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139471

City of Rocks, Idaho in April 2014:https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137684

Capitol Reef National Park in March 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133018

Grouse Creek and the AAA garage in February 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130966

Grand Canyon in January 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128820

Moab, UT in December 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127222

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument November 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123694

Across Nevada on US 50, "The Loneliest Road in the Country", October 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120098

Mount Evans (the highest paved road in North America) August 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115013

Canada in June 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109872

Monument Valley in March 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99523

Bryce Canyon in February 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97822

Milford, Utah in December 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93137

Nevada and Idaho in November 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89080

Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83966

Yellowstone National Park in May 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864

Death Valley in February 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62705

Pike's Peak in July 2011: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19141

Route 66 in April 2010: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57511 [/COLOR]