Storm Clouds Over Colorado
August 2007
We continued on I-70 through Glenwood Canyon, called the most beautiful segment of this highway with good reason! We stopped at one of the several rest areas that have been developed to make the most of the canyon’s attributes. It’s called No Name, and if you are going that way, bring your bike, your horse, or your swimming gear, because you can use them all! Even your river raft, if you have one! Or you can hike, picnic, and go to the bathroom… that’s what rest stops are for, after all! Nice clean facilities at this one!
The clouds were building over Colorado. After lunch (Starvin’ Arvin’s in Fruita–don’t miss it when you’re in the area! It is right there by the highway and the Dinosaur Museum, and the entry to Colorado National Monument–another geologic wonder of red rocks, canyons and cliffs.)
Where was I?
Oh, yes–after lunch, we got back on the road and were noticing a large build-up of clouds that looked something like a big cauliflower over the mountains. There was an ‘anvil’ developing, so we knew it was going to be raining with dramatics somewhere later in the day.
As we continued, it became more and more evident that that particular cloud was building over the direction we were headed. By the time we drove over Breckenridge (passes around 10-12,000 ft in this area) on Hwy 9, and south to Hwy 24, there were storms to the west of us, and that mound of clouds growing and growing to the east.https://flic.kr/p/rD538J (go here, click to the right to see it as we saw it growing as we traveled towards it.)
In fact, the main mass of this wonder of a cloud was over our destination: Colorado Springs was under the southern edge of it, and we arrived as the rain began. About 30 miles north there were a couple of tornadoes spawned out of it that evening!
LOOSELY SPEAKING... 