Wednesday 9-7 Lower Cascade Falls Trail & Bike Ride

Bike ride

When we went to bed it was still warm but it cooled down. We started out with just a sheet covering us but then we put on a light blanket. In the morning the temperature was in the low 60s.

I woke up about 7:30 and made pancakes, not the pre-made ones. They came out good. Afterwards we got ready to go hiking. We went on a 3 mile hike for about an hour and a half. We walked to the overlook and took pictures of Ouray. Then we took the Interpreter trail to the day area where we met a guy who had the same motorcycle as we have except his was a couple years newer. We talked with him a bit. We crossed the street to the trailhead. If we went to the right you could get to the Higher Cascade Falls trailhead .4 mile up the mountainside. We went to the left, which took us to the Lower Cascade Falls. We hiked .4 miles down the mountainside towards Ouray. The trail was narrow and steep and had loose sand. We saw the Lower cascade Falls from the trail. They were beautiful. We saw people on the other side at the observation bridge. We got to where the trail met up with the City of Ouray Perimeter Trail which loops up and down around the entire town. We hiked part of the trail to the main road. As we were hiking towards the road we met a couple who had started at the Baby Bath Tub trailhead and was hiking to Lower Cascade Falls. We had to rest now and then to catch our breath and see the scenery. We're not use to trails that are this steep. Once at the road we hiked back to the campground. As we were hiking the road a lady and her dog came by. We visited with her a bit, she was a local and said there are so many loops around here for you to take with your dogs. She was in better shape then me. She climbed up the road very easily. I guess if we lived in the area we may be in better shape. As we hiked the curvy mountain road to the campground we had to stop occasionally to rest. We had to make a decision either take the trail back to the overlook or take the road to the campground. We decided on the road, the campground wasn't that far away. When we got to the gate we saw a few people and their dog starting to hike the upper falls trail. We found a rock and decided to rest again. After our rest we continued the rest of the way back. By the time we got back we were tired and a little hot. It was starting to get warm. It was a great hike through the trees.

Lower Cascade Falls

Part of the mountain range that surrounds Ouray

 

Ouray from the overlook

After resting a bit we took the motorcycle off it's carrier. It was dusty because of the dirt road we went on yesterday. Once it was off the carrier we wiped it down.

For lunch we tried a new salad from Taylor Farm called Pumpkin Spice, it was very good.

After lunch we went on an hour motorcycle ride. This was our first motorcycle ride of the trip, the bike started right up and ran great. We drove down the mountain to Ouray. We drove around Ouray to see what it had to offer. If you're into shopping it had shops, restaurants, Hot Springs pools, a visitor center and other touristy stuff. We didn't stop we just drove around. It was a nice small town and the homes were cute. 

After driving around town we went to the edge of town, where there was a road that went to other campgrounds. The road was gravel and curvy so we didn't drive it, we parked the bike and stretched our legs. Where we parked was a gravel lot where people park and hike the trails. We saw a few people doing just that. One trail was Box Canyon, it goes into the canyon and back out. There was another one that takes you to a bridge and goes over Box Canyon. You can hike down into the canyon from there. I learned this through a hiker, who was telling a couple of hikers. 

After our rest we drove up the curvy mountain highway and through the entrance tunnel. We stopped at a point of interest to look at the scenery and take pictures. The point of interest had signs telling you the history of the area. Lynx had been hunted out and so they reintroduced them. Big Horn Sheep are native to the area and returned after the mining industry went away. The Bear Creek Falls were there, they were gorgeous. I took a couple from Tennessee picture there. Then we continued up the highway not to another point of interest. We turned around and went back to the campground. It was a great ride.

Bear Creek Falls

When we got back Larry moved the solar panels to get the sun. He stayed outside and read. I went inside and took a nap.

While we were relaxing we saw a couple of grouse walking through our site.

A grouse in the campground

I barbecued hamburgers for dinner. Then I walked around the table to get some of my steps. While I was resting Larry decided to load the motorcycle on it's carrier and I helped him. He had to go up hill so he needed my help to push the bike. Afterwards Larry covered it up. Now it's ready to go to our next destination. Then we walked around the campground for 20 minutes. While we were at the overlook a couple and their English bull dog (Willie) showed up. We visited with them for a few minutes. When we got back to the Minnie I finished doing my steps. I ended up doing 27,500 steps, which put me in 4th place in my group. 

We saw a lot of hikers even though the temperatures were in the 80s. We had a wonderful day.