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From Montrose we headed north to Delta, where we turned east. We'd heard that the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway--a route that runs from Interstate 70, just east of Grand Junction, to Cedaredge, northeast of Delta--was supposed to be a great drive for aspen. Dad also recalled that on the first trip the family made to Colorado to visit Bob and Laura, sometime in the late Forties, they'd made a daylong outing to the mesa's top. We were also curious about the road up to Carbondale, further east, which the map denoted a scenic route. Since it was already midafternoon, we decided to leave Grand Mesa for the next day and drive to Carbondale for the night. As it turned out, the scenery was beautiful, but not high enough in elevation for aspen or even spruce for that matter. A bit bored after our adventures earlier in the day, we became intrigued by an unimproved road the map showed we were approaching, which led east over Kebler Pass to Crested Butte. By the time we arrived at the turnoff it was half-past four, with the sun already starting to sink. Our decision to proceed was once again serendipitous, since the next 30 miles immersed us ever more deeply in autumn beauty. |
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