I downloaded an app, Gypsy Guide for this park, so we had our own personal guide talking to us, as we went through the park. I highly recommend it!
Enos Mills, a naturalist and RM guide was one of the first to advocate for this area to be made into a park. He was supported by F O Stanley and his family, along with an earlier writer Isabella Bird. It took almost 6 years of letter writing and trips before President Wilson proclaimed Rocky Mountain, a National Park.
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| The Historic Crag's Lodge, the third oldest hotel built here in 1914 before the park was official
The historic Crag Lodge where we stayed for two nights was built in 1914 and was part of the Eagle Roost Resort. While the lobby, game rooms and restaurant retain their old furniture and charm, the bedrooms have been upgraded. The only drawback is no AC, since at 7500 elevation, you rarely need it until now. Ugh! Thankfully, they had a couple of ceiling fans, multiple windows and a boxed fan. It was like returning to our youth before AC. They did have internet, but they had multiple games & puzzles in the main lobby area and even a pool table! Saw a family with kids enjoying some of the games. Old School!
     
Tried to frame the Stanley better in this photo
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We needed to get something for breakfast. Mike had spotted the Donut Haus down the hill from us. We have been trying to be so conscious of our diet, but we caved this day. OH MY GOSH! If you like donuts, these were nirvana...
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| One of my all time favorite cars... |
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| Thanks to our National Senior Parks Pass, another free visit!!! |
The Ole Fall River Rd is an old Arapaho’s path that is still a dirt road with various switchbacks and breathtaking views.
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| One of the ranger/volunteers giving a lecture on the wildlife found within the park |
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| The straighter and paved part of this road before things got hairy... |
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| Here you can see the dirt road starts here and is one way mostly.... |
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| Oh, but the Views... |
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| Our first rushing water area, Chasm Falls |
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| Think they have enough signs for people to ignore??? |
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| So, many wildflowers in bloom |
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Mike really used his bionic knees this trip |
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| More flowers along the water |
They have the tall snow marker poles alongside the road, so we are assuming they use it for snowmobiles in winter.
Can you imagine going up this in a Model T??? Yikes. Sometimes they had to go up backwards to keep gas flowing to the tank. Oh My Gosh!!! (This road takes about an hour now, but it use to take 9 hours.)
FO Stanley, entrepreneur and inventor created the Stanley Steamer which was a very popular car! He even gave President McKinley a ride. The Model T became more popular because it was far cheaper, so the Steamers went out of production in 1924. His famous hotel is still in operation and thought to be haunted. They even do haunted history tours there. One of the local characters, Miner Bill was sure he would strike it rich and illegally built a cabin not far from this road. He blocked the road for awhile causing all kinds of problems. Stanley gave him work around the hotel to keep him out of mischief.
After heavy snow accumulation the park officials sometimes had to use dynamite to blast open roads again. One sees stone cages called gabions. They act as support for the roadside switchbacks. Even with the gabions in place; they still have to rebuild parts of the roads after the winter snows.
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| You can see the tundra areas here, the light greenish gray |
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| Thanks to such a heavy winter snowfall, there were falls everywhere |
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Can you tell Mike loves waterfalls Once you get above the tree line, you come to the Alpine Tundra and the Visitor Center which is just short of 12,000 feet. They have a finished path which is referred to as Huffer Hill. (Didn’t attempt it. Between the elevation and the 60+ mile per hour winds. UGH!!! Mike reminded me that when he was a pilot, they were told over 10,000 feet, you should be using oxygen.) |
Gore Pullout gives you views of numerous mountain ranges and in our case an elk herd.
High Point is over 12,000 feet with volcanic cliffs called Lava Cliffs. Funny, as we were viewing this spectacular scenery; the song, “Love Lifted Me” came on. How appropriate! We love this park!!!
We have been following along a glacier canyon. The tundra have only a 40 day growing season, but the plants are incredibly hardy to natures forces; however, not to footprints. More than 100 species of plants. Winter winds can reach 140 miles an hour. (Due to the high winds and elevation, we passed on walking the paved trail up here at Tundra Communities Trail.) Had a bit of a wait here because of road construction and one way traffic.
Ptarmigan birds live in the tundra.
Can't claim this photo...we didn't see them
They tend to walk rather than fly to save energy. They hibernate in the winter and their feathers turn white from their summer brown.
Gore Pullout gives you views of numerous mountain ranges and in our case an elk herd. Pika is a mole like critter that has to collect food to last through the winter in their
underground holes.
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| Again, I had to find a photo for you |
Colorado has seven mountain ranges. Some have ranges inside ranges. Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs look over what is called the Front Range.
At Rainbow Curve Overlook one can look back to the Alluvial Fan created from landslides. Lots of opportunity for rock climbing if you are into it. Diamond Wall is so tall, it takes days to climb, so you have to sleep & eat on the wall using a porta ledge. Not for us!!!
Many Parks Curve Overlook where you will see many meadows with Long’s Peak the tallest mountain.
Deer Junction is a popular 6 mile hike along this route. Lots of hiking areas around here. Bear Lake one of the favorite hikes around the lake. We passed on this hike due to much warmer temps at this lower altitude. Small amount of black bears here, but no grizzlies.
MacGregor’s Ranch.
All organic garden is put in by all volunteers and they reap the benefits.
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| The enclosed front porch |
All of the ranch is like it was in the 1800’s. It was a three generation ranch started in 1873.
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| Bobcat pelt and information about their brand |
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| They had a potbelly stove for their enclosed porch |
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A certified stock certificate  Originally, a front bedroom that became an office/crafts room  |
Muriel's paint set but once she started running the ranch, can't imagine she had much time to paint
Some old cameras that they used and Muriel's mom's sewing machine
Her bedroom was added on...everything is original including her mother's quilt on her bed
The photograph over her bed showed her riding off to school in town on her pony. They even had some of her school papers
Her riding outfit and typewriter
Muriel's walk in clothes closet which really showed off the family's wealth
They had water inside thanks to FO Stanley pumping it to his hotel from Beer Creek & it passing through their property.
An indoor bathroom with indoor plumbing and hot water
Loved all the original bottles, jars and cartons
Her parents walk in clothes closet
Her parents bedroom
More of Muriel's mom's, Maude's hand created quilts
The family or living room
Currently, the ranch is run by a General Manager with all volunteer helpers.
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| It's a baby grand made in a square shape to fit on a wagon. Both Muriel and her grandmother played it |
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| The MacGregor Scottish plaid, Loved the house's design in that there were so many doors and windows to catch the breezes |
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| On the wall were her father's and her degrees and the land grants for the ranch
Muriel held multiple degrees including law, but she never practiced except for family and friends. She was devoted to maintaining the ranch. She was also an accomplished artist and pianist. Her dad was a Denver judge and her mom Maude was a gifted quilter and seamstress. Muriel never married.
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| This family Bible dated back to the late 1700's |
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The dining room was used for their help or guests. It had English china and sliver and Muriel's highchair The fancy wallpaper, built in cabinets, chandiler, English service ware were rarity |
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Her high chair could be folded down for a stroller, Notice the pass through for the dishes Silver cabinet and a Victorian eucalyptus pods hanger made by Muriel's dad for his wife |
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| Muriel or her caretaker used this old stove until the 1970's when Muriel died. One concession was a bigger water heater |
The old Hoosier baking cabinet with flour and sugar drawers and spice up above
The books were old accounting books for the ranch business
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| They would recycle soap scraps for their dish soap |
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| Their everyday dishes came out of old detergent boxes. I can remember that practice when I was a little girl
The first Post Office and local Grocery store was run by Claire, Muriel’s grandmother. They still have hers and Muriel’s accounting books for their store. Muriel continued to sell milk, meat, eggs, veggies and so forth with little outside help.
Early washing machines on the backporch
A newer version
The newer improved model
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The side entrance
Ms MacGregor drove an old Ford Fairlane. She had removed the backseats so she could haul around her many cats, calves and any other critters she wanted with her. She would call ahead to the stores and order what she needed. The store owners would send someone out to the car with her items; so they didn’t have to deal with her critters getting loose. LOL. Even in her later life, she would ride her horse out to collect her cattle. Due to the type of fencing she used, her cattle could often be found wandering through town. Then, the townspeople would help her round them up once again.
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| My grandmother talked about using some of these items when she was growing up on the farm |
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| Root Cellar |
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| It was incredibly spacious and they needed it for themselves and what they could sell to the townspeople |
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| The various barns and chicken coop |
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The blacksmith shop and their farm equipment  |
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| The fan hood in the back was a more modern addition |
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| Mike said this outhouse still got the job done |
Quite the character, she had her parents vacuum sealed into a coffin with glass tops and kept them in her living room. When she had decisions to make, she would go in and discuss it with them.
After some teenagers out on a joyride broke into her house and broke the coffins. Her folks were finally put into a stone mausoleum beside the house, where she rests with them.
As we often say, “Truth is stranger than fiction!”
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| We were so hot and thirsty after our day, we stopped off here for an afternoon refreshment |
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| After a siesta, we had another wonderful meal at the View |
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| Here we are having the owners original Este's Park Old Fashion to finish our stay here |
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