Help! Estes Park Vacation cancelled.
 

Because of the flooding in the Estes Park RMNP area our vacation plans must be changed. Our vacation house rental is inaccessible so not only have we lost our deposit but we have nowhere to stay and our itinerary is now null and void. We will be flying into Denver in two weeks but what we will do after that is still a mystery. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have to add that even though we are disappointed and even out some money our heart goes out to the people who are having to live through this devastation and loss. Our prayers are with you.

The devastation is terrible, and it is also terrible that you miss your vacation.

What to do depends on what you like to do. I looked at the Colorado web site for road closures and it looked like i-70 was open and the roads south were too. So if you want mountains and hiking, head west and try any of the areas on that side of the storm.

If you want to visit NPs, go west then south to Mesa Verde, or west to Moab for Arches and Canyonlands or west then north to Dinosaur.

I think you should get your deposit back, but I guess the contract will rule on that. Look for lodging asap.

I-70 West didn't have a problem, except for a rockslide which was cleared quickly. You can go to any of the areas that direction: Winter Park, Steamboat, Summit County, Vail, Aspen.

I hope (and think you should) get your deposit back!

Summit County, which includes Breckenridge, Dillon & Frisco is a short drive.

Glenwood Springs can be included with Aspen and Vail.

In addition to Mesa Verde, other NP's in Colorado include Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the Great Sand Dunes.

http://www.colorado.com/articles/qui...national-parks

Many places to see!

The vacation house you rented might be terribly damaged, with expensive repairs on the horizon for the owners. The last thing they need now is to worry about returning a deposit. Their rental income has been eliminated. I'd write off the deposit.

I would NOT write off the deposit since <B>we have not been told</B> if this deposit was sent to an agency or to a homeowner directly. And all we DO know is that the "house in inaccessible."

Now why someone has to give up a deposit because of that I have no idea. Is it the OP's fault that the place is inaccessible? Did the OP default in some way?

I"d probably write it off, also, although I would think legally the owners probably owe it to you and it should be part of their insurance.

I love the West, I'd go to Durango, that is a great area. I spent a whole week there once. I haven't heard about big flood problems way down there, but maybe I missed them. And you could easily go down to New Mexico and spend some time in Santa Fe. I know there was some flooding in the southern part of NM around Albuquerque, though.

If the weather holds out, the Colorado Springs area might be a good option. There's Garden of the Gods, the Naval Academy, Manitou Springs, Cripple Creek and Victor, with lots of great history everywhere.

Regarding the deposit, the rental might be inaccessible due to road closures, not damage to the property. Regardless, there is certainly nothing wrong with asking about a refund.

Ooops, Air Force Academy. Sorry about that!

I'm not talking about whose fault it is. It's no one's.
Flooding is an 'act of God', which many insurance policies do not cover.

Easy for me to say, and I don't know how much your deposit was, but I'd try to consider the human suffering and chalk up my deposit to "I should have bought travel insurance".

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I appreciate your concern about my deposit. The agency had told me they would send me the insurance information with the rental agreement and I could send them both back. None of it ever got here because apparently the weather had already started getting bad and they lost power. I would be more upset about it if I didn't feel so sorry for the people in that area and what they are having to deal with right now. We are still determined to make the best of our week in Colorado. I will check out the areas you all suggested. Durango might be a little far for us to go and we were just there a few years ago.

comp1, you will have plenty of options still in CO. Another poster is doing a loop: Denver- Leadville- Independence Pass- Aspen- Glenwood Springs- Vail/Breckenridge- Denver.

Would that suit you?

We are scheduled to arrive in Denver on Sept 23rd and have had to also cancel the Estes Park part of our trip. We are still gong to Colorado Springs (can still cancel this hotel up until the 22nd) and have a hotel in Denver for 2 days (we can't cancel). Taking in a Rockies/Red Sox night game and plan to do day trips. Have family in Windsor and as long as we can get there we'll will spend our last day with them. If not we'll just wing it. Have been planning our vacation since Feb and still hope to see as much of the great state of Colorado that we can while there. Good luck on your trip.

I've done loops in CO many times. If I were in your shoes, I'd head down to Alamosa and see Great Sand Dunes NP. Over to Durango for a couple of nights and be sure to go to Mesa Verde NP. Take the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railway. The area around Ouray (Little Switzerland) is gorgeous. Then you could head back up stopping at points along the way to Denver. Not sure how long your trip is for, but I'd head over into AZ and see some of the desert - Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, even over to the Grand Canyon before heading back into Colorado. If that's too much driving or you don't have that much time, then head to Gunnison and pick a ski resort town and hang out there for a couple of days.

I don't understand why they wouldn't return your deposit or why that would even be a discussion. Of course you should get your deposit back. A lot can happen in two weeks to change conditions and what is accessible. Have the owners/agency cancelled your rental?

Not sure of the roads, but I do love Gunni and Crested Butte.

Such a tragedy for many.

The Great Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde are every bit as awesome as RMNP--I like starrs ideas.

Mesa Verde!! I consider it a wonder of the world on many levels.
I am not a great fan of the CO Springs area, vis a vis the rest of Colorado as a possibility. The Leadville loop many suggest would be a second choice (to MV) to me.

I wouldn't be so quick to write off the deposit as lost, nor think that the house will be inaccessible in 2 weeks. I believe Estes Park itself is fairly inaccessible right now, but I would expect (hope?) that they get some roads cleared and open soon. It really depends on where the house is, it could very well be undamaged and sitting high above everything.

I would hope the owner has insurance to cover the loss of income if they are truly running it as a business. So they may very well be covered and you should't just expect your deposit to be a donation to their rebuilding fund (as I said, the house may very well be undamaged anyway). At the very least, inquire as to the status of the property when things have settled down a bit - but before you leave for your trip to avoid a no-show.

....they get some roads cleared and open soon..... It would be nice if they was a road that you could clear by pushing some mud and rocks off. But the big problem is that the road is not there. There is one stretch of road into E Park when 17 miles of the road is gone. Just bed rock. No asphalt, no road file, no guard rails - just bare, well washed rocks.

The other road in is damaged with huge wash outs but not as extensive. The hope is to get it open so that some of the fall tourist business can be saved. But it could be a week before a time table is established.

The photos from those washed out sections of highway 34 are astounding. The raised part in the narrows, built after the '76 flood with intent to withstand another 100-year flood is shattered. Unbelievable.

It seems like Boulder Canyon wasn't hit as hard as 34 or the two roads out of Lyons. If that opens first then people could get to Estes along the Peak-to-Peak from Nederland. But as you say, time will tell.

It will likely take weeks if not months for things to get back to normal in Estes Park. People have lost homes and their businesses, and I certainly wouldn't assume that many would necessarily be able to or especially concerned with communicating with someone trying to get a deposit refund. They have more important things to worry about.

That's what I'm saying, too, historytraveler.

They were reporting yesterday that 50 bridges are flooded up there: 30 are completely gone, 20 are structurally unsafe. All bridges need testing. 'New' rivers have den formed.

Many homes, schools and businesses still don't have power or water. All three schools are heavily damaged.

I understand about your deposit, but people are devastated right now. Everyone there is affected.

been formed

I'd definitely keep chasing the deposit. Steamboat is a nice, laid back place to visit, if you're heading west toward Glenwood Springs. If you're up for a longer but pleasant drive, the trip to Durango/Ouray/Telluride can make a great vacation and can include the Million Dollar Highway, Mesa Verde and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

If I read your posting correctly, you won't be flying into Denver until next week? Estes Park is open for business and portions of Rocky Mountain National Park are accessible. Trail Ridge Road - the scenic drive which connects east and west sides of the park is also open. The elk rut will be in fully swing along with the aspens turning yellow. I'm sure there will be a LOT of accommodations there who would love your business and probably give you a discount just to get your business since everyone seems to think the town is shut down. Help support these small business who have been devastated by this horrible flood. Here's more information on the status of the town and park:

http://www.visitestespark.com/

The only way into Estes right now on the east side is I70 (or US6, an alternative from Golden)to 119 (through Nederland), north to 72 to 7.
Trail Ridge road could be closed at any time due to weather. There are MANY road closures within Rocky Mountain National Park.
There was a lot of traffic on this route, for obvious reasons, the past couple of days (there was such a bad delay on 6 (Clear Creek Canyon) that people were backtracking to I70). It's also the only route out for Estes, Nederland, etc.
I would avoid RMNP for the near future.
From the website http://www.estesparknews.com/?p=10991
"please limit your travel as much as possible to allow road crews..."

I agree with avoiding RMNP. Trail Ridge has been closed twice since the flooding due to snow and more is forecast for tomorrow night. It was closed yesterday and again today for a time to allow heavy equipment caravans into Estes Park for road repairs.

More roads and trails are opening today in RMNP, but getting there is still a challenge. I would love to get up there and support the town but considering only one road on the east side is open I feel it is contributing to a potential traffic nightmare. Leave the road open for those that really need to be there.

There's so much great stuff to see in Colorado that I wouldn't despair about finding other accommodations. I think there will also be cancellations in the Estes Park area, so you can probably find something else near the park if you want, but you can also head out in a completely different direction from Denver. I would start looking for alternative accommodations soon, so formulate a plan and see what you can set up.

I could not agree more with Doug. Colorado is a wonderland of things to do, and if you want to go to the Park, you may still be able to.
But there is ALL the rest of the state--it's like a HUGE "park".
Do you all like to fish? Think about THAT for a day!!

Find alternate accommodation, check with http://cotrip.org/ to make sure you get there from Denver, and enjoy the vacation.
The only way at this time to get to Estes Park (34 and 36 are closed, 119 Boulder Canyon is closed), is to drive on the I70 to Idaho Springs, pick up highway 119 to highway 7.
It will take you maybe three to four hours from the airport, but it's worth it - such a beautiful place! The park is mostly accessible again. Estes Park is open for business as much as possible, so give them your business.

It may or may not be worth giving Estes Park your business--and if it is another week, maybe even moreso. I am all for it--but it IS your vacation. And there is a lot to see in a lot of places without dealing with closures.
Do what is best for your time--and desires.

Thanks for all of the advice. We found a great house not far from Fairplay, CO - much cheaper than Estes Park. It was a perfect base for day trips to Great Sand Dune National Park (awesome!), Georgetown Railroad (beautiful drive and great Aspen views), ski resorts (Breckenridge, Vail). All in all it was a great week even though our itinerary wasn't what we had planned. We had decided to drive up to RMNP one day but it just wasn't meant to be for us. Government Shutdown happened before we could get there.

Glad it worked out.
Great Sand Dunes doesn't get a lot of attention, but we camped there years ago and I fell in love with it.

The Medano Pass Primitive Road in the Great Sand Dunes is spectacular(4 wheel drive high clearance vehicle required). I've only driven it in spring, when the creek was flowing. I hear it is one of the very best places in Colorado for fall color/aspens, I hope to try it in the fall sometime.

Be sure and see Great Sand Dunes again, as it is really neat and a little busier when the creek is flowing. This is usually the end of May or first of June. It hasn't flowed much the past couple of years, not enough snowmelt.