the 2005 8th Annual RMM Rendevous, June 24th - 26th, 2005, day 3
The following morning the wind was blowing pretty hard. I crawled out of the sack about 6:00 a.m. and wandered around enjoying the sunrise and views as the
high valley started to wake up. This knarled tree with the moon just above, stood taller than any of the surrounding trees.
Looking back up toward the mountain above the Santiago Mine, you can see our trucks at the edge of the meadow (2-15). To the north of the mine you can
just see the cut in the hillside of the old railroad grade over which traveled the tourist train to the top of McClellan Mountain from 1906 to 1920.
Bistort (2-17) and...
..Alpine Forget-Me-Not's (2-18) greet the morning sun.
After a breakfast of oatmeal, OJ, fried eggs and toast, we packed up and headed down the valley back to Georgetown, and then on down the frontage road
to the I-25/US-40 junction. This must have been some sort of rallye weekend. Between Georgetown and Empire we passed about 80 of those bicycles that you lie
flat on your back and pedal. I would think you'd get an awful stiff neck trying to hold your head up on one of those things. Then, as we merged onto
US-40 up to Empire, we were passed by a long line of Mini Coopers heading up to Winter Park.
From Empire, we started up the Bard Creek Road, which skims along a ridge looking straight down on I-70 from Empire Pass. After about 1/2 mile there was a
Forest Service sign that pointed to a narrow road, saying Democrat Mountain, Republican Mountain. We figured, what the heck and headed up. I'm not sure what
I expected, but it definitely different than any other mountain road I've ever been on. We went up, and up, and up, and up, for about an hour.
The road was so narrow that there were only two or three places in the entire length where where head-on vehicles might be able to pass one another.
Most roads have switchbacks. This road had some, but there was one stretch of 1.7 miles where we gained 1,370 feet without a single switchback. 1st or 2nd gear
all the way. I'm sure glad we didn't meet anyone, either on the way up, or the way down..
We finally got to timberline, near the summit of Democrat Mountain..
..and had a great view to the mountains north of us.
Top of the mountain.
In the valley below, we could see the little town of Empire 2,900' below us, (center of picture) and I-70 stretching toward Denver off to the east..
More alpine flowers were in full bloom in the shade of the windblown pines..
We ventured a little further and stopped for lunch at the edge of a mine dump, where we had a clear view of Saxon Mountain to the south.
It was hard to believe we'd stood on top of that mountain the previous morning, and decended the switchback road, center left of the picture, on our way
down to Georgetown..
After lunch, we headed back down the steep road, which didn't seem quite so steep on the way down, but still requred being in at least 2nd gear to keep the trucks
from running away from us. Once on I-70, we joined the gridlock of weekenders heading back to Denver. Ron split off at the base of the mountains for Boulder,
and I continued on my way back to Wyoming.
This completed the seventh annual Rocky Mountain Moggers June gathering. Those of us who were there had a great time. We hope you'll join us next year.
Respectfully submitted,
Kent Drummond
1963 404 Hardcab
1971 Haflinger 700 AP
Trip Report by Kent Drummond photos by Kent Drummond and Ron DePugh
v2.4 Last modified Monday, January 09, 2006 10:03:15
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