Day Three, Fri, 9/6/24, Wheat Ridge to Grand Junction, 239 miles, 6 hours

It turns out that I (Jo) get very nervous--VERY NERVOUS--on mountainous roads.  I didn't know how nervous I get before this trip, especially this segment of the trip.  Although the scenery was amazing, 

Mountain pass west of Denver

Mary had to drive from Denver to Grand Junction.

Mountain driver

The Gilpin/Clear Creek area

 We stopped in Georgetown, CO briefly.

Pit stop in Georgetown, CO

What did Day Three mean to me?  I was reminded continuously of the course I took at CSU in soil science where we tracked a transect from up in the mountains west to east into the shortgrass prairie.  How the angle of the sun, the elevation, the differences in moisture, etc. determine the plant species and on which side of a hill or mountain.

Driving east to west on I-70 from the Denver Metro Area to the Grand Valley

As you drive east on I-70 our of the Denver Metro area, the slopes on the left are on the South of the road, but they face North.  The slopes on the right are on the North side of the road, but they face South.  Because the slopes to the North side, facing South, get more sunshine, the leaves remain greener longer.  Because the slopes to the South side, facing North, get less sunshine, the leaves tend to turn more quickly.  The North side, which faces South, will also be hotter and dryer, while the South side, which faces North, will receive more snow and be wetter.

What did I learn on Day Three?  That I am really scared driving on mountain roads, even interstates where there are two lanes of traffic.  I don't remember being this scared before in my travels.

What would I do differently if Mary and I were to travel in the future?  We talked about this.  We might take a more southerly approach to Denver and the Grand River Valley.