Day 20 Rocky Mountain Highs and Lows

What a rollercoaster of a day. But it is over and all is well. Today started like every other day 6am my alarm goes off I roll over hit it and go I dont have to beat the crowds to breakfast and the parks. Ten minutes later im breaking down stuff or packing up then heading to the shower. Yea I have it down now. I was in the Rainbow Restaurant a little after seven when they opened. Me and one other person. They were filling up by the time I left. It was another wonderful breakfast. I had the Philly Scramble, eggs full of yummy goodness and a side pumpkin bread french toast that was to die for.

After breakfast it was off to Rocky Mountain National Park it would be my twenty third park in the last three years. I was excited. It was something completely new. It was an easy drive till the canyon. US 34 which goes all the way up to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park to their Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 feet above sea level. So the highest visitor center in the National Park Service. Well so 34 before it even gets to Estes Park and runs from Loveland through Big Thompson Canyon. And this is a canyon. The videos on fb and ig show some of the road. It really was something else. I took it all the way into Estes Park. Even went by the AirBNB River Forks Bed and Breakfast...something looked amiss but I just kept going because than I got to see these guys

These guys were along the granite walls that bracket the twisting amazing US 34. It was awesome. Continued onward and finally hit Estes Park. Drove past a really nice looking KOA thinking I should have just stayed here instead of River Forks. So much closer. Through the city I went and into the park. I drove by the Stanley Hotel which seemed blocked so you couldnt get in. There was a gate guard and everything. This could be because there was a big shindig in the city today. I dont know. But I saw the hotel. I may try again in the morning.

After seeing this out side area I see why they chose Timberline Lodge for the exterior shots of the hotel in the Shining.

Okay the park. I make it in and start up the trail. I point out here that the Park Ranger at the gate did not offer me a map or trail guide. It was something that would I think haunt me later. Especially the trail guide. That has been the thing that I have used the most on these trips.

Now the fun begins. US 34 as I said goes all the way up to the Alpine Visitor Center. BUT there is another way. They call it 'The Old Road'. With a name like that WE HAVE TO TAKE IT!! It is actually called Old Fall River Road and it was the first automobile road that drove into the interior of the park. According to what I have read it connected Estes Park to Grand Lake. Some of the original road was paved and is till used as part of Trail Ridge Road. But the Old Road is a an 11 mile sometimes gravel road that goes 11 miles, has sixteen switchbacks, with some as tight as 20 degrees.

It was awesome and it is amazing and the views were stunning. And you were right there with nature, the trees were sometimes right along the road. Well almost ALWAYS right along the road. I will let some of the shots speak for themselves.

Chasm Falls. This was a guick pullout. In hindsight I should have done the trail. It was only 2 miles or so but I was already feelings odd. Elevation I guess?

Finally you make it up to the visitor center. You are feeling a bit light headed but the the views are even more grand if thats possible. At this point I did have some hot cocoa and a hot cinnamon bun. It was cold out and I needed energy.

After the refuel it was outside to tackle the Alpine Ridge Trail. Less than a mile of a lot of steps. But it goes up 200 feet really fast and has earned the nickname "Huffers Hill" and yes I was huffing. And so were a lot of other people. But the views were grand.

The next few shots come from right before the visitor center and right from behind. I just love these.

This is one of my favorite shots!

Next up we headed back down the 34 everyone else came up. It was easy. But still had some pretty good views.

Now things start to go sideways. As I was coming down the mountain I was supposed to have done a little side trail. It would not have been much. But somehow I managed to not find said side trail and not do hike and by the time I figured stuff out I was exiting the park and staring at a huge line to get back in. So I decided to make a decision. One that as I sit her writing was really smart. I figured I would drive back out to the River Forks and get myself set up and relax for my big hike in the morning.

When I originally booked this airbnb I did because it had charm and was in a building that had been around since 1908 and had been through many hands but had been an inn or some sort most of the time. It currently had a bunch of rooms upstairs and a restaurant and bar underneath. I had booked my reservation in September of last year.

As I pulled in to the front I was a bit alarmed. There was a post office that had taken over a section and there was no opening for a restaurant or a lobby. Which is what it said on my reservation. Go in the lobby and they would check in. There was only a sign that said office around back under stairs in sliding glass door.

I was yeah uneasy at best. So i went around back where according to reviews had been a scenic open area that you could walk into the back near the river... it was full of RV's... this was getting worse by the minute.

I wandered over to the door. It said closed be back at 10 am. It was 2 PM. Oh hell. So I peeked and a very umm , well a lady came around. I told her I had a reservation. She said a what? I said a reservation? For a room. She tells me they dont have those anymore. Just the RVs. Troy use to do that and he is gone off to Europe or something. I was like well i made a reservation and you all took my money. She starts to ramble about let me see if I have any keys to the cabins. I look up the stairs going I do not think any of this has been taken care of in months. I was right it was over a year I would find out. I tell her I got an email from someone named Ronda and she tells me that person quit in September of 2018. So right after I booked. She says the whole place has been shut down for a while. She heads inside I guess to look for something and than I hear her on the phone inside and then telling someone she has cash in the safe.

She eventually comes out and hands me the phone telling me its George Jones, one of the son's of the owner and he kind of runs the stuff but has no idea about the booking. I tell him everything and my information. And he takes all my info and says he will make sure I get my money back. I tell him when i get into town I will call AirBNB because I know i should and he says well dont bother with them. Now I know I really am going to call them. In the end I am now racing back into town with one thought. Please that KOA have a cabin open. It would be the cheapest in a town full of hotels catering to tourists I thought. I got there and they did. And it actually is really nice and has an amazing view.

In fact as I sat here writing I watched the sunset over the mountains.

I did get a hold of the Air BNB folks and they started working on making sure I got a refund and also managed to get me another $40 that in the end will be what i paid for this cabin. It was expensive. But I wanted it anyway. So with the refund and that hitting this card I should be good on this adventure.

Oh yeah and for dinner I went to a local place called Cousin Pat's. I had an awesome ABC Burger. Avocado, Bacon and Cheese!! Then I had some fried donuts holes because I deserved it.

And then driving back to the KOA this happened.