002 – Early snow in the rockies (Steamboat Springs part 1)

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Mid October is not the typical season to fly to Colorado. Too late for summer activities, too early for winter games. Indian summer, maybe… Not so much in 2019. Welcome to Steamboat Springs, colorado.

we Landed in Denver,  went through  Immigration, customs,  car renting, and hit the road  in less than an hour. A pretty good start. Denver airport is definitely great.

We were eager to see vibrant autumn colors , colorful aspens, and enjoy mild temperatures.  Halas,  the indian summer had been short lived, and gone were the colors. Next year, maybe 😉

Steamboat Springs  (and Clark, to be precise) is a place very dear to my heart, and each of my stays reinforced this feeling. Colorado is truly an amazing state for the traveller.

A few Hours drive from Denver, well known for its ski slopes and active ranches, Steamboat has a lot more to offer than skiing and the whole area is a feast for the eyes. Typical western town, with a true western soul, which is indeed a rare quality these days.Changing with each season, this town deserves more than one post, so you can expect to see more about it.

The very next day after our arrival, we heard a snow storm was expected and we braced for it. Temperature dropped considerably, and we were greeted with snow on the third day.

I took as much opportunity as I could to go out (very early and very late) and enjoy both the light and the scenery. 

Snow started coming on day 2 and it kept snowing for a few more days

As temperatures kept lowering, I went for sunrise at the nearby Pearl Lake. Afew days later, access was closed due to the amount of snow. In october!!

Going back home for an early breakfast, I couldn’t help stopping the car and enjoy the scenery.

After such a glorious dawn, I decided to drive around RCR 29.

At night, I decided to wear one more layer and go back to the lake to see if stars would greet me. They did…

Another snowy night, and another early wake up to bathe in the morning light. I did not regret it, although the cold (it was -30° celsius at 6 A.M) took a toll both on my fingers (yes, no gloves, my camery is virtually impossible to operate with gloves) and on the batteries. Still I had a few spare ones and coffee in the car, so it took only minutes to feel my fingers again when I thought they were going to fall down.

And then I found the horses.  Sure it was a bit chilly, but they’re enduring.

Driving back, I enjoyed this western look and feel

Then came the time to drive back to Denver and fly back home. Not without stopping for a coffe in Kremling, as usual ;-). Great coffee, great pastries, friendly people. We stop there on each and every trip from Denver to Steamboat.

Thanks for reading through.

As Usual, you can find  a few more photos of this trip here.