The drive from Rawlings, WY to Montrose, CO took us on the high plateau area of Wyoming and northern Colorado with mainly open rangeland, some oil/gas wells and sparse vegetation. Since the area is high plateau, the continental divide was crossed a number time in Wyoming. Continuing into Colorado, the high plains transitioned into the Rocky Mountains and the upper Colorado River. We stopped in Montrose, CO in order to revisit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP.

Montrose
Montrose sets in a dry bowl-like valley, dry until 1909 when the US Bureau of Reclamation constructed a 5.8 mile long tunnel diverting water from the Gunnison River to the arid Uncompahgre Valley around Montrose. At the time of its completion, it was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world. Montrose Has another unique feature, a very large sculpture called “Bad Decision”, by Vic Payne. It is an extraordinary piece of work.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
Black Canyon of the Gunnison exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky. The total length of the canyon is 48 miles and the deepest point is 2722 feet at Warner Point.

Curecanti NRA
Curecanti National Recreation Area is a series of three reservoirs along the once wild Gunnison River. The reservoirs that make up Curecanti today are a destination for water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. Best known for salmon and trout fishing, Curecanti also offers opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, and bird watching. The National Recreation area is named after a Ute Indian sub-chief who roamed through eastern and southern Colorado from the 1860s to 1870s.

Lizard Head Pass
On the way over the divide (Colorado Route 145) to Cortez, we passed a small lake, Trout Lake, elevation just under 10,000 feet. The backdrop for the lake are many peaks at 12 and 13 thousand feet. A true photographic moment.