Most drivers heading west from Denver on I-70 can't help but notice the beautiful view as they pass under the Genesee Bridge at interchange 254. The photo below shows a typical scene:
The view is even better if you exit the freeway and cross the bridge. The shot below was taken from the top:
Note the bison herd at right, and the scenic pullout one can use for a closer view. If I'm not mistaken, their ranch is actually on the left side of the freeway - they have their own exclusive underpass.
I usually hear people refer to those snow-covered mountains in the background simply as "the Continental Divide". While it's true that the Divide does follow the crest of those mountains, I'd like to be a little more specific, since the Continental Divide runs across, um... well, the entire continent. But that's not an easy task: according to the USGS there is no official name for that particular range. Some locals might call it "the Front Range", which is an unofficial yet common term among Coloradoans. But that's confusing too, because usually that refers not specifically to a mountain range, but rather to the urban corridor which lies at the foot of the mountains (more about that here).
So, here it is: we're looking northwest, roughly along the crest that separates the Clear Creek and North Clear Creek watersheds. This ridge also forms the boundary between Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, and it climaxes at the snowy Continental Divide on the horizon. On the far side lies Grand County and Winter Park. While the range itself doesn't have a name, the individual peaks do: the two tallest are Parry Peak (on the left, at 13,391') and James Peak (right, at 13,294'). At far left, the range veers back to the west (away from the camera); that's where US 40 crosses the Divide (via Berthoud Pass, at 11,315').
Why is the view from this particular spot better than any other along this stretch of I-70? Partly because the Genesee Bridge is itself built on the crest of a divide. In other words, this is a minor "pass" for I-70, with Clear Creek watershed to the west (via Beaver Brook) and Bear Creek drainage to the east (via Mount Vernon Canyon).
The view heading the opposite direction is good, too - although it's frequently obscured by haze and/or smog. It's virtually all downhill from here to Denver, and quite steep at times... making for an interesting drive, which you can read about here.
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