At Milner Pass the Continental Divide runs right across the road, and a modest sign says so. The elevation is 10,758 feet, which is lower than the high ridge of the road but still above most of the Rockies' passes, and the setting is a quiet mountain lake, Poudre Lake, with a boardwalk, a pine forest and a trail climbing to the Divide. It is a spot where you can stand on a line that decides the fate of rain: water falling on the east side finds its way to the Atlantic by way of the Mississippi, while that on the west joins the Colorado River and ends up in the Pacific, or at least tries to.
The origin of the Colorado is not far off. Just to the west, in the Kawuneeche Valley, the river starts as a small stream, and by the time it reaches Grand Lake it is already a respectable creek. The Never Summer Mountains, a jagged volcanic range, line the western horizon, with snowfields that live up to the name. The Lava Cliffs, a short way east along the road, are an exposed wall of volcanic rock from an eruption some twenty-eight million years ago.
The descent west from the high ridge is long and impressive. The road drops in steady bends through spruce and fir forest, with wide views of the Kawuneeche Valley below, where moose wade in the willows and elk graze in the meadows at dusk. The surface is good, though rough in patches after winter, and traffic is lighter on this side. A rider with a few hours to spare will find it an easy, relaxing descent after the strain of the high tundra.
The nearest stations are in Grand Lake, about twenty-nine kilometres to the south, and in Estes Park on the east side. Water is available at the visitor centres, and a toilet building stands at the pass. The wind can be cold, even in July, so bring a warm layer.
In September the aspens on the lower slopes turn gold, and the moose become more visible. The view from the boardwalk, with the lake still and the divide above, is worth the stop. Take a quiet moment before moving on.