Friday July 1, 2011

The first day we were in Boulder Dad and I traveled back to Rollins Pass Road to try and visit Yankee Doodle Lake. On the way Dad told me a story. I guess when he was about 10 years old and lived in Golden Colorado with his Mom, Dad, his sister Lynn and his brother Mark the family went on a picnic and drive in the mountains in their 1959 Pontiac station wagon. They drove through Rollinsville, down Rollins Pass Road to the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel and then up the road to Rollins Pass. Rollins Pass is the old railbed of the Denver/Salt Lake Railway that was abandonded in 1928 with the opening of the Moffat Tunnel. The Pass is at 11,660 feet. As his family drove to the pass they visited several small alpine lakes. One that has stuck in Dad’s mind ever since is Yankee Doodle Lake (10,715 feet). Also making that trip memorable was what happened next. His Dad decided to continue past the lakes to Needle’s Eye Tunnel, a short high altitude railroad natural rock tunnel. On that beautiful sunny day they drove through the Needle to find blizzard like conditions on the other side. The narrow dirt road was covered with ice and snow and visibility was limited. Dad remembers the next hour as quite stressful. Some arguing and a decision to turn the car around on the narrow slippy road. His Mom would not stay in the car. All ended safe but a memory was created.

In 1990 the Needle Eye Tunnel was closed after a rock fell from the ceiling injuring a Denver firefighter. Since then Rollins Pass Road has been closed as a passage from Rollinsville to Winter Park. This leaves the road unmaintained and hard to drive. But Dad was determined so off we went.

We drove from Boulder to Rollinsville and then down Rollins Pass Road to the Moffat Tunnel Portal. There our adventure began.

A sign at the start of our up hill trek.

This was the bumpiest road I have ever been on. Pot holes, rocks and all uphill. My teeth rattled all the way.

As we went up the scenery looking back down on Rollins Pass Road below us was spectacular.

Up we go.

Bumpity bump and up and up.

Here we think the road ends and we will end up on foot. Dad and I get out to look and find a way around the snow bank.

But I got to play in the snow!!! How fun is this?

Another mile up the road it really does end. So we park the car, grab some food and water and set out on foot.

The road is pretty open after we were blocked and wished we had not gotten held up by the ruts, snow and rocks. It was cold though.

Not far and we found the road blocked by snow. We hiked over the snow drifts. I should say Dad hiked, I played and ran and just had fun in the snow!

Along the way we saw where rivers and lakes are made. The water from the run off was cold but I got a drink, playing in the snow makes you thirsty.

We hiked for about an hour and as we come around a bend there is Yankee Doodle Lake!!!

Dad sure seemed happy to have made it. I could tell he felt a sense of accomplishment.

Dad being happy made me happy but I am still not sure what all the hoopla was about - a frozen lake you can't even swim in. I guess maybe I will have fond memories of my childhood too.

On the way back down we saw the train coming from the Moffat Tunnel, how cool!

We got back to the car and Dad fed me a little and shared water. All in all a great adventure. I will never forget playing in the snow.

We drove back to Boulder stopping in a little restaurant in Nederlands on the way for lunch (I got to sit on the patio with Dad). I am glad Dad shared this hike with me.