On the Road - St. George to Grand Junction, CO 05-17-11

Oh, my goodness!  What a lot of wide open country - glorious views and open road - I'm in my element.  How I have missed Road Trips over the past four years - I know I have already said that, but I am having such a wonderful trip I have to say it again.  Not much traffic, especially not many trucks, only a few showers and a little wind. As you can see it was mostly cloudy, but the sun peeked through enough to set off the red rocks and those glowering dark mesas.

Then, all of a sudden, around a curve up pops a little settlement - way out in the middle of nowhere.  I wonder what these people do out here, although there is some agriculture and occasional herds of horses or cows.  This little village is well established, but I didn't catch a name.  Beyond the next curve, more of the vastness of the western high desert plains.

At 6000+ feet the fresh snow was visible all around on the even higher mountains.  Temperature was about 40F here.

It was clear if one looked straight up when I turned east on I-70 - this is where it begins off of I-15 and it goes all the way to Baltimore, MD.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_70  It was the first Interstate project started in the US. 

I actually continued north on I-15 about two miles beyond the I-70 turnoff so I could get gas at Cave Fort, UT.  Some years ago I was driving west on I-70, just tooling along admiring the scenery, and turned south on I-15.   As soon as I did my fuel light came on - with nary a sign of any civilization.  I didn't know what to do, so I started looking for a turn off that showed some sign of human beings and not far along I saw a water tanker truck refilling at a construction site.  I found my way in and asked the driver where the closest gas could be found.  He directed me north again to Cave Fort.  Fortunately, once I got to the turn off,  the highway off ramp and along the short distance to the Chevron station is all downhill, so I sort of coasted into the pump.  I'm sure I was running on fumes (in the Dodge Caravan).  In the Lexus when the electronic trip page says one has ZERO miles to go I have always been able to make it to a station.  This time I still had about a hundred miles left, but stopped and filled up at $4.09 for old times sake.  I don't know where the next closest station might be, but it was probably further than I could have gone on that previous trip.   I've decided I am not ready for the funny farm - I remembered this adventure from 2007 and also where to find an Arco station in north Las Vegas and I think it was about six years ago when I stopped there last.  But there is the question of what I had for breakfast.  Dunno!  

About seventy miles into Colorado there were several heavy showers.  You can see them ahead in the center of the picture - long streaks from the clouds to the ground.  There are just a few early raindrops on my windshield.  It was very dark and 41F. 

 
But before too many miles went by the clouds were higher and thinner and some sunshine came through.  There are lots of "View Areas" along the way - no facilities - so motorists can stop to see the rock formations and the wide vistas in every direction.  I didn't stop at any this trip, but I have many times before and they are worth the time.  Frequently there are signs and images explaining the topography and history.

 
This is that fabulous pass that goes down, down, down (when heading east) at a rate of about 6% grade.  Narrow and twisting, it lets out into the folds of a massive escarpment and the highway shoots straight across to another distant range of hills.  The rocks are much redder, but, as in all these pictures, it was gloomy enough to mute the values. 
Grand Junction tonight and on to Denver tomorrow.  It is only about 250 miles, but most of that is through the Rocky Mountains, going to a high altitude and with much winding roadway.  However, it is all at least two lanes in each direction, divided, so, barring snow, it should be an easy drive.