Change of location, chaning view point as well
Posted by: Rich in Notes from Gadget, On the road, airstreamI’ve got to say, I wasn’t thrilled in CO Springs the first day. The area felt packed in, full of detours, more road construction than I’ve seen in any other city (I’m not kidding), and a park that was a little too touristy for me.
Not saying Garden of the Gods campground was bad. It just wasn’t for me. If you’re looking for a location near CO Springs, right next to Garden of the Gods park, and with amenities like swimming pools, it’s probably the right place for you.
Personally, I like spots that are a little more out of the way. A more private feeling. No road noise. Lacking people buzzing around on golf carts all day. I think you get the gist!
So, I moved to Woodland Park. Only 16 miles away. And such a small difference in distance means all the world to me. Quiet park, haven’t seen a single staff member in a golf cart, no pool, but a whole lot to offer. Pulling out of the park I’m quickly treated to an amazing up close view of Pike’s Peak. I’ll trade a pool for a view any day!
After settling in and catching my breath (more than 2000 feet higher than my last site) I set about touring the town. First I stopped by AngleTech. Turns out, Woodland park has a fantastic recumbent and trike cycle shop. These are bicycles that are non-standard. I’ve scheduled test rides for Saturday morning at 10. Always wanted a recumbent or trike, and I finally get to try several out. The owner spends 2 hours letting you test out the different styles to see what feels right! Really nice guy.
After the bike shop I hit the local fly fishing shop. In answer to your next question, No, I don’t fly fish. But my friend Kesley does and she’s thinking about coming out again for some fishing. The shop owner directed me to many great spots in the area, both rivers and lakes. Ah yes, there is water here in Colorado (sorry, teasing my friends in AZ…you’re getting your monsoons now).
Loaded with a ton of information, I e-mailed my friend all that I had learned. Also a few photos of the shop, and the white boards noting what’s good in the area right now. Lunch got whipped together, and I was off again.
The next destination was 11 Mile Canyon. That was one of the shop owner’s suggestions. Not just for fishing, but he also told me that many super cool cliffs were in there. My mission was pretty simple. Check out the road, check out the river (and send Kesley photos to torture her in the office), and see about climbing possibilities in the area.
The drive out from Woodland Park to Lake George too about 20 minutes. The entrance to the canyon road was well marked, and I zipped right up it to the ranger station. That’s where I had a rude surprise. The ranger would not accept my new National Forests park pass. He didn’t think they were valid for his area. So, rather than argue I paid the $5 entrance fee and drove in to look around. But the park pass issue bothered me. I’ll continue the story on that further along, as I think it’s something travelers should know about.
As I began the climb up along 11 Mile Canyon Road I could see why it is a popular spot. Beautiful river along the road side. Stunning cliffs, twists and turns, and a rough wash board road. Extremely pretty the whole ride in.
The truck was parked multiple times as I ran out with the camera and snapped a few shots of the river. I also captured a few interesting rock formations and potential climbs. Now I’ve got to find some guide information for climbing around here!!!
In addition to many recreation opportunities, 11 Mile Canyon Road also has several camping areas. And many will fit sizable RVs. So, if you don’t mind rattling your RV a little on a washboard road, this would be a great spot to visit! I’ll probably bring there Airstream there in the very near future. Maybe Kesley will even come along to fish! 
Sorry, had to tease ya Kesley!
As I made my way along a thunder storm popped up, and it looked to be a rough one. While I’m writing this, it’s blowing hard outside and the rain is pouring down.
The trip along the road and river was cut short due to weather. No sense trying to photograph things in a downpour!
On my way down I pulled off to take a few more shots, and read more about my National Parks Pass. The inability to use it here bothered me, and I thought the ranger was wrong. Turns out he was! Even so, I didn’t get my $5 back, but that’s ok.
So, what’s the deal with the new parks passes?
Last year I picked up a National Parks Pass. It was a cute little card that was valid for 1 year, and it allowed entrance to all of the National Parks. Pretty good deal.
This year the Parks Service updated the passes, and created a new, more expensive pass. But it did a lot more than the old pass. With the new pass it granted access to more items:
” The Annual Passcovers Entrance Fees or Standard Amenity Fees at sites managed by NPS, USDA FS, USFWS, BLM and Reclamation.”
Now, it turned out 11 Mile Canyon is a USDA Forest Service area. So, the parks pass is in fact good there. On my way out I let the ranger know, showed him the brochure that came with my pass, showed him the pass and car tag again. Next time I won’t need to pay the $5. Already paid with the pass.
If you’re on the road a lot, or seeing the country, I’d strongly recommend getting the latest pass. It’s called “America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass.”
Here’s what it looks like:
For $80, the pass goes a long way! And be sure you know what type of park you’re going into, that way you want have to pay extra. Clearly not all parks staff have been brought up to speed on the new program.
Well, that’s it for today. Time to whip up some rice, soy, & broccoli for the evening, and watch Cartoon Network (oh yeah, this park has cable and free WiFi).
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Wow…amazing, did you see those clouds? And all that water? sigh.
Excited to see more of the town and hear about the bikes…that is, if you can stop being a couch potato
[...] As you’ll recall, a similar situation arose only a few days ago. Eleven Mile Canyon Road required a $5 entrance fee as well. The gate attendant there had never heard of the pass, and issued me a $5 pass. The pass stated that the area was managed on behalf of the USDA Forest Service. I later explained to him, with the pass brochure in hand, that the annual pass covered USDA Forest Service sites. [...]