November 21: Poudre Canyon & Rist Canyon . . .
Read MoreI mentioned earlier that I chose to make this trip by car because I've recognized just how much I love seeing the sights from behind the wheel. I've discovered that getting there has become my idea of a "vacation." My efforts for this year's trip to Colorado have been directed toward seeing the sights – a Driving tour. Heather knows this and had several feasts for my senses (and camera) planned for my visit. Today's adventure began near the city of Bellvue, Colorado, (west of Fort Collins), at the entrance to Poudre Canyon.
Poudre Canyon is a 40-mile-long gorge that stretches from the northern end of Rocky Mountain National Park to where I was standing at the moment when I took the photos above and below just north of the city of Bellvue, Colorado. The name is a reference to the Cache la Poudre River, (or simply the Poudre River), that flows therein. The river's name is based on an incident from the 1820s. Legend has it that French trappers exploring the canyon got caught in a big snowstorm. The only way they could make it out the canyon was to lighten their load. The decision was made to bury all of the excess supplies, including a large amount of gunpowder, along the banks of the river for later retrieval when the weather improved. The trappers used the name "Cache la Poudre," which translates to "Hide the powder," to identify the spot.
Colorado Route 14 runs east-west across the state passing through the city of Fort Collins before heading west into Poudre Canyon, (where it is designated a Colorado Scenic Byway), and eventually to the Continental Divide. The plan for today was to explore a small portion of Route 14 through Poudre Canyon before returning back to Fort Collins via nearby Rist Canyon. Essentially, we would be making a beautiful scenic "loop" through the mountains.Poudre Canyon is a very popular place that attracts hikers, kayakers, climbers, and especially fishing enthusiasts, (this area is known for trout fishing). Poudre Canyon Road is filled with small pull-offs for not only all of those people, but also for camera-happy tourists like myself. This particular pull-off sat at the point where the Poudre Valley Irrigation Canal seen in the photo above diverts water from the Poudre River, (which is on the opposite side of the road), to be used for irrigation. There is nothing special about an image of an irrigation canal. But I liked how the sun's reflection in the background made the tree on the side of the hill appear blue.