August 3-4

 

The Ghost train left the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO and headed for the Rocky Mountain National Park. Our route for the day took us through the park and over the Trail Ridge Road. The road climbed almost 5,000’ out of Estes Park to the peak at 12,183’. The road provided an amazing view of the Rocky Mountains from an up-close perspective. We passed snow on the mountainside and through the clouds. The temperature dropped from about 85 degrees at the base to about 55 degrees at the top. The wind was blowing and it was a bit cool in an open car since the wind chill factor was around the freezing point.

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David and Rosie Robson of the U.K. at the Alpine Visitors’ Center
on the Trail Ridge Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
(1912 L&E tourer – 2079)

The Ghosts ran great on the long trip up the mountain. All the Ghosts went across the mountain and passed the Continental Divide shortly after the peak. It’s amazing seeing the pre-war (pre WWI) Ghosts gliding around the sharp turns and easily climbing the mountain passes.

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Kon and Nayda Keogh of Perth, W. Australia driving their 1921 L to E tourer (106HG) in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After leaving the park’s western side, the terrain was much drier than what we had experienced in the lush mountain meadows. Just as we were getting used to the high desert west of the park, we crossed over Rabbit Ears Pass at about 10,000’ and caught sight of the green valley that surrounds beautiful Steamboat Springs, our destination for the evening.

 

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Marco and Sue Stoffel of Scarsdale, NY on the descent of Trail Ridge
Road in the Rocky Mountain National Park in their 1912 Rois des Belges
tourer (1905E).

We started out for Vernal, UT on a cool 50 degree morning and headed west on Rt 40 for the whole trip. It was one of the best driving days of the journey with long runs near the Yampa River with beautiful green meadows that are flourishing under the higher than normal rainfalls this summer. The unobstructed view provided by top-down touring allowed us to spot herds of mule deer and antelope along the route. We also glimpsed cowboys herding cattle through one of the valleys.

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Jim and DeeGee Bannon of Arlington, TX in their 1924 tourer (36TM) on descent into Steamboat Springs, CO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the Ghosts stopped at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah to see the mountainside excavations. It was a beautiful 7 mile drive from the main highway and worth the trip. We have almost 30 Ghosts on the tour and all are running strong. Of the 20 Ghosts doing the whole trip, we have completed over 54,000 cumulative miles. We are due in Monterey, CA in a little over a week and 1,000 miles to go.

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Bill Kennedy in 1926 Piccadilly (S385RL) crossing the
high desert road in western Colorado.

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Randall Andrae from Missouri in 1925 limousine (S387RK)
passing through Dinosaur, CO.

Continue to August 6-7, 2004

Return to Ghosts to Coast Journal

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