Monday, July 22, 2013

More of Our Colorado Visit

We left Durango and drove over multiple passes on our way to Denver: Wolf Creek, Monarch, Trout Creek, and finally Kenosha - all just beautiful. In spite of the fact that there wasn't as much snow as normal this past winter, there has been a lot of rain, and all the rivers and streams are running, the wildflowers are spectacular, and almost everywhere is very green in the Colorado Rockies.

We spent one lovely evening in Salida, CO. We walked around the town, saw the river rafting, tubing, kayaking and body surfing on the Arkansas River which runs right through Salida. The restaurant where we had dinner had a great view of all the activity.

I liked this building which has been turned into a little museum and a theater.

We drove on to Aurora, CO, a suburb of Denver, where we camped at Cherry Creek State Park. There is a large reservoir there, miles and miles of bike trails, and a very nice campground. It was a good place to stay, given that we were going to leave the RV there for a few days while we went up to "The Cabin". We did have one hot but nice run on some of the trails.

When my brother and I were growing up, we spent nearly every summer weekend and sometimes a week at a time up at the cabin which is up Colorado Highway 72 (Coal Creek Canyon). At Wondervu, the road winds down the hill to the turn-off for the cabin which overlooks the South Boulder River and the railroad where freight trains are still frequent (several trains per day) and the California Zephyr which passes twice daily (up and down the canyon). This cabin was built by my brother John's, and my great grandfather and grandmother in the late 1800's. It was homesteaded and built before there were any roads. It has lots of family history recorded in many log books that were signed by every visitor and so record the history. When John and I first went there as kids, there was no electricity, no hot water, no indoor toilet, only cold running water from a nearby spring. Over the years my dad and mom, who inherited the property, improved the cabin gradually, until today it has all of the above facilities. It never did have a road to it. Everything had to be carried down or up the hill - furniture, food, everything.

John and my sister-in-law Nancy, who now own the cabin, maintained the property for many years and they and friends used it over the years. Several years ago John and Nancy decided to build a new cabin above the old one. But a decision was made to maintain the old cabin which is now a Gilpin County Historical Landmark.

Just last year John and Nancy decided to take off the multiple old layers of roofing which were so heavy, especially in the winter, and re-roof the cabin. It is just beautiful! Oh, by the way, all the roofing material had to be hauled UP the hill by some means other than a truck!

Here is The Wee Haus which also got a new roof.

We had a wonderful time with the family at the new cabin, and a visit and hike down to the old one. We met one new great nephew at the cabin (Jacob)

Saw another one again (great niece Alyson) - this was taken on the deck of the new cabin

Saw niece Amy and her husband Joel again

Had a great visit with John and Nancy

And finally, back in Denver, met another great nephew, Oliver, and saw his dad, my nephew John Michael.

 

It was a wonderful time. Thanks to Nancy for some of these photos, which she shared with me. Hope to see everyone again soon!!