Omayra Acevedo, Peak to Peak. C.S. Lewis once said, “There are far better things ahead than the ones we leave behind.” So, a friend and I got in the truck and headed out on the open road. I know that we are all experiencing change like we’ve never imagined we would; unlike a lot of people, I tend to handle change fairly well.

However, even I have times when change can have an abnormal effect on me. It is during these moments that I find myself craving escape and things I’ve never experienced before. Since running away is not an option I offer myself, I turn to the one place where I feel most comforted: nature. 

As I mentally waved goodbye in the rearview mirror, I felt excitement about the unknown adventure ahead. Where did we end up? Many places actually, one of which was Cache la Poudre Canyon. If you haven’t been, please add it to your scenic drive bucket list. Depending which direction you decide to go, it will take you anywhere from two hours to just under three to get there from the Peak to Peak Highway. Being the nature lover that I am, we took the scenic route through Estes Park, heading East on Highway 34 and then North on Co Rd 27 all the way up to Highway 14 (Poudre Canyon Road). 

Did you know that The Poudre is Colorado’s only nationally designated wild and scenic river? Colorado Highway 14, which follows much of the river, is on the list of Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways. Poudre Canyon Road is approximately 88 miles and runs between Highway 287 from North Fort Collins to the remote town of Walden, Colorado - I’ll write more about Walden in an upcoming column. For such a tiny town, there’s lot to say about it. The canyon offers ample places to pull over, have a picnic, take photos or simply watch and hear the river dance in front of you. Poudre River itself is 126 miles long. 

Driving through the mountains and spending a short time by the river was just what I needed to satisfy my need to feel free and relieved of my personal quandaries. Between the breath-taking rock formations, captivating cliffs, a handful of does and fawns, and a river that drops 7,000 feet from the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, it’s a drive that’s well worth the adventure. Thomas Jefferson once said, “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” And that day, we did. 

(Originally published in the August 13, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)