Day 3 - Great Sand Dunes, Leadville, Blake
I took off the next morning on runway 17 Right, turned northwest and there was Pike's Peak, a 14,000 foot mountain.  Colorado Springs airport is at 6,187 foot elevation.
   
I went around Pike's Peak on the northern side.  I was heading into territory I've never seen before:  western Colorando, heart of the Rocky Mountains.  It's a little intimidating although I've kind of worked up to it over the years.
   
Once on the western side of Pike's Peak, I headed south down the Wet Mountain Valley.  Doesn't look so wet to me.  They could have filmed High Plains Drifter here.
   
Heading towards a pass through the Sangre de Cristo Range.
   
Looking north as I go through the pass.
   
An interesting cloud right at the peak.
   
I get my first glimpse of the Great Sand Dunes National Park on the other side of the Range.
   
Looking north against as I go through the pass.
   
A good picture of the Great Sand Dunes on the western side of the Sangre de Cristo Range.
   
A little closer look.
   
Those dunes look big from the air.  They must be monsters from the ground.
   
Looking back at the pass where I came through the Range.
   
The visitor's center and parking area for access to the dunes.  I could see little black people dots in a line from the parking lot to a big dune near the edge.  I imagine the rest of the national park is probably empty.  Maybe a handful of people camping out in the dunes perhaps.
   
It's amazing how the dunes just suddenly stop.
   
I left the Great Sand Dunes and headed north up the big valley.  There were a few places with color but looks like I'm late for the majority of foliage by a few weeks.   Who knew?
   
Looking west.  There are some big mountains that way.
   
I'm climbing steadily up the valley and seeing more and more snow out to the west.
   
The lake with the magnificent snow-tipped mountain background is worth another shot.
   
There is is Lake County Airport (KLXV ), field elevation 9,933 feet, highest airport in North America.  The town of Leadville is in the background.
   

Safe on deck.  The landing at high altitude didn't seem much difference than any other.

The airport had an attended FBO.  I fueled up, then borrowed the courtesy car to go into town for some Huevos Rancheros at Grizzily Pete's.
   
A little Leadville history for you.
   
I saw this storm to the south when I returned to the airport so I expedited my takeoff.  This high, I imagine there is ice and snow under that big cloud.
   
I headed northwest through Lemhi Pass.  Even though it was a pass, I still had to go up high, 13,500 to get through.  Of course, I was already at 10,000 feet when I took off so it wasn't like I had to climb that much.  The RVs climb performance was surprisingly good despite the high altitude.
   
I felt like I was flying over the top of the word at this point.
   
Very pretty.
   
 
I bet the water is a little cool in that little lake close to at the mountain summit.
   
Then I was through the pass and over the big valley.  Way down there is Aspen airport (KASE) -- elevation 7,800 feet! -- in the middle of the picture.  It's a towered airport; no doubt because of all the business/personal -- expensive -- jets that fly in.
   
There was some serious weather to the east.  I could see it on my XM Satellite weather, and of course, out the window.  Essentially, I had circled around the north side of it.  It was amazing to see blue sky, sunlight, a 14,000 foot snow-covered mountain, and a storm all in the same view.
 
Later on, a pilot who lives out here told me it is fairly common around here for storms to pop-up in the afternoon.
   
I was headed downhill now, towards my destination:  the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River.
   
The weather was still visible to the east.
   
Some pretty color in the lower altitude.
   
 
   
 
   
It was mid-afternoon, the air was bumpy, the lighting wasn mediocre, and the weather was uncertain, so I decided to call it a day and do the Black Canyon tomorrow morning.  My overnight destination was Blake Field Airport (KAJZ) in the little Colorado town of Delta.  I had researched all the potential overnight stop airports in this area and thought this one would be good.  It had self-service fuel at a good price and the all-important courtesy car.
   
Safe on deck and secured for the night at Blake Field Airport in Delta, Colorado.   An airport regular was there -- also an RV driver --and I talked with him for awhile.  He showed me where the keys to the courtesy car were, told me about a good place to eat in town, and suggested some good areas to check out from the air tomorrow.  I found a Days Inn in town for a reasonable rate and had a steak dinner at the suggested restaurant.  Felt I owed it to myself.  Good first day.
   
 
   
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