Fantastic Waterfall and Ute Indians

Location: Black Canyon KOA; Montrose, Colorado (elev. 5,825 feet)

all pictures taken with Nokia Lumia Icon 929 cell phone

Thru stop # 7

It was a short tow from Elk Creek and I arrived here at Montrose a little before 11:00 a.m. which happened to be the check-in/check-out time. The timing was good and my campsite was empty. KOA's are more expensive than most campgrounds and I use them only when I get frustrated at not being able to find a different campground that takes my fancy. This one is in excellent condition and the pride the workers have in maintaining it shines through. I also have cable TV, which is nice. Except when I have cable, I rely on over-the-air channels to see any TV. Usually I don't watch any TV so this cable is an overload for me. 

The last view of Blue Mesa Reservoir and Elk Creek Campground

A look out the side window at mostly pasture land. I guess the price of beef is down because a lot of the pastures were empty or only a few head.

It was a nice day for a tow with perfect weather. There were a couple of steep grades but everything went fine.

Campsite at KOA (luxury living)

This is also the first time in a while I have been near a decent sized city to try out some different restaurants. I read about a deli named Heidi's so I went there in my continuing search for a perfect Reuben sandwich. To me, a classic reuben is corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and russian dressing on rye bread,,, all toasted until the cheese melts and the sandwich is hot. There are lots of modifications, but to me, that is the basics. The sandwich I got from Heidi's had the basic ingredients right but was very poor in terms of quality. I'm not even sure the corned beef was corned beef. Oh well, my search continues. 

This stop at Montrose was suppose to be a way to see more of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in case I wanted to make a second visit. But, since I saw it earlier and didn't want to see any more of it, I had to find something else to explore. That something else turned out to be a fantastic waterfall in a town about 30 miles away named Ouray. Actually it isn't a classic waterfall. The water is shooting out of a fissure in the side of the mountain with such force that it creates a "roaring" sound. I was blown away with it. The problem is it's hard to get a good picture of it that shows exactly what it is like being so close to it. When I first stepped on the open-grate catwalk and looked down, I quickly stepped back because I wasn't expecting it. After a just a little bit, I walked on. You can go down a few flights of stairs to get down to the bottom which puts you at the edge of the water. Water mist is flying everywhere. I was alone when I was at the bottom which gave another type of surreal feeling. It was a great stop and cheap too,,,,only $5.00.

On the way to Ouray. The mountains in the background seemed to be creating the clouds.

The clouds were adding to the scenery

I found a back-less bench on the way down to the waterfall.

The open-grate catwalk leading to the waterfall. The water down below is rushing very fast.

This is the only good picture I have to show where the water is coming out. The little waterfall in the middle is after the water is shot out against the smooth rock.

More of the catwalk with the waterfall in the lower bottom.

Duck your head because no hardhats were issued. Safety isn't first with us. :)

Another stop on the way back to the KOA was to visit the Ute Indian Museum. It was interesting and worth the stop. The Ute's original territory covered all of Colorado plus parts of the adjoining states. The most interesting thing I learned is the Ute's are the only Indian nation in the country that does NOT have a migration story. All of the other tribes, except the Utes, started in another part of the country and moved somewhere else. The Ute's have been in the Colorado area for 10,000 years or more. They have an oral history that has been handed down through the generations about the Utes hunting Mammoths. The museum was pretty good, but the Indian Museum in the Smoky Mountains is still the best I've visited. 

Entrance to the museum

Suppose to be authentic tepees.

Tomorrow is moving day and I'll be entering the state of Utah. I have reservations for two nights at Green River State Park in Green River, Utah. There isn't anything special that I have planned for the stop so I'll be on the look-out for something to explore. Another storm is getting ready to blow in here at the KOA. We got a pretty good one last night. It seems the evening is the time the storms start to fire up so I'll have to remember that when and if I pass through here again.  

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.