Ramah Reservoir State Wildlife Area

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Roger

Ramah Reservoir is a big puddle in the middle of nowhere about 40 miles east of the mountains. I stopped by briefly on April 2, but I didn’t have my scope. There were a lot of birds that were too far off to i.d.

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I went back on April 23, with my scope this time. From a distance, it didn’t look like much was going on. But when I set up my scope … In this photo there are (approximately) 12 American Coots, 3 American Wigeon, 4 Gadwall, and one each Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, Wilson’s Phalarope and Eared Grebe. The rest of the lake was much the same. 

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I walked down to the shore and scanned back and forth, trying to count and see everything. A Snowy Egret and White-faced Ibis were keeping company along the shore. I took these photos by holding my phone up to my scope. 

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Other highlights during the two visits included: Cinnamon Teal, Northern Harrier, Loggerhead Shrike, American White Pelican, Redhead, Western Grebe, and Franklin’s Gull.

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Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Roger

It’s hard to know exactly what’s what at this place. The cliff dwelling isn’t an original, but the story goes that much of the material was scrounged from actual cliff dwelling ruins elsewhere in the state. The bricks were brought here and assembled to look like a representational cliff dwelling. It’s all held together by cement.

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I was surprised to discover that some of the structure was built in 1898 and that it’s been a tourist spot since 1907. Until 1984, Indians lived in it, or at least pretended to.

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The holes are doorways into rooms that are maybe five feet by five feet. Each room housed a family (or would have if it had been real). The round tower is thought to be for grain storage “because it looks like a silo.”

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Here’s a view into someone’s home.

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One thing I learned. The dwellings were built under overhanging cliffs, but they weren’t attached to the rock. I always figured the back wall was the hill, but there is a space between the back walls and the rock where stuff was stored or tossed and where bodies were kept until they mummified, which in the dry air didn’t take long.

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This is a cliff-top hut used as a lookout post.

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There was also a pueblo built to resemble the structures the Indians built after they gave up cliff dwelling. The pueblo was built in 1898, I believe.

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The inside was 20% museum and 80% gift shop. I wasn’t even sure if the artifacts in the museum were authentic.

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There were also displays on the history of the site as a tourist attraction.

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It rained off an on while we were there, and the view of the mountains across Ute Pass was a lot more beautiful than this photo makes it look.

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I went because I’m doing posts on the attractions in the area. But because we didn’t have high expectations, it was actually fairly enjoyable. Having said that, I don’t need to go back again.

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The Airplane Restaurant

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Roger

The Boeing KC-97 first flew in 1944. It was mostly used as an in-flight refueling tanker. The one at the restaurant operated from 1953 to 1976 with the Texas Air National Guard.

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We were given a choice of eating in the airplane or in the “hanger.” We chose the airplane. As we walked through the building, we could see one wing of the craft with one of the engines protruding into the building.

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We sat at a booth inside the fuselage. It filled up soon after we arrived. Most of the other diners were accompanied by small children.

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The servers wore pilots uniforms and talked as though they were giving us in-flight service. While we waited for our food, I walked up to the cockpit. We were allowed to pretend we were flying the plane, but a long line of kids beat me to it. You can’t see him in this photo, but there was a young lad in the left-hand seat that didn’t plan to leave in this lifetime.

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We could look through plexiglass into the tail of the plane. There was a mannequin back there portraying the crew member who operated the boom. This person extended the boom and guided the pilot of the locking airplanes so they could connect and refuel.

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We didn’t go there expecting gourmet food, but my cheeseburger and fries were just fine.

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It was raining when we left, but we walked around and got a shot of the outside.

The experience was enjoyable enough that we might return if we’re in the area around lunchtime, although next visit we’ll probably sit in the hanger with the adults.

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Air Show (?)

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Roger

The news went around that the French Air Force would put on a brief air show to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United State’s entry into World War I. The show would take place over the Air Force Academy, which is just west of CBS.

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My drive to work at 7:30 in the morning was complicated by the long line of cars waiting to get onto the Academy grounds. The drivers were hoping to get good places from which to watch the performance. At 11:25, most of the people from work filed onto the patio. We waited. And waited. 

Finally, we saw them coming. We watched expectantly as they did this:

 

And then we waited some more. Were they going to turn around to the north and make another pass? Were they circling behind the mountains? We they about to come over the roof our our building?

None of the above. After about 10 minutes, we went back inside. Here’s a couple screen captures from the video.

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It was a very windy day. Someone surmised that it may have been too gusty near the mountains for formation flying. I don’t know. Maybe. They did say it was going to be a brief show. I’m glad I didn’t take the day off work to go wait at the Academy for four hours. 

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Idaho Springs

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Roger

We braved the terror that is I-70 and headed east. For much of the way, the lane markings had been worn off by snow plowing. That, coupled with some insane drivers (like the guy who slowed down to 20 mph in the center lane to merge into the fast lane), frequent sharp turns, distracting views, and tunnels made for an adventure.

We pulled off in Idaho Springs and parked downtown. A trial led under the interstate to Clear Creek and Bridal Veil Falls.

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The giant wheel was used in gold mining by a local eccentric named Charlie Tayler, who “never kissed women or took baths.” There may be a connection between the two.

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We walked through this town too, but by now all the stores were beginning to look familiar.

An old narrow-gauge trail sat in a park along the highway.

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I took a photo down the length of the passenger car.

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We ate dinner at Smokin’ Yards (which my GPS pronounced “Smock … In Yards). I ordered a combo plate with St. Louis ribs and brisket. I do believe it was the best barbecue I’ve ever had.

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