Rocky mountain National park, CO:

For the last several days we tried to get in one more trip to the Rocky Mountain National Park however the weather did not cooperate. Today, while the weather was not perfect, it was good enough for us to head 'up the mountain' into the RMNP.


The last couple days of rain at our location translated into snow at the higher elevations in the Rockies. We went through sunshine, rain, fog, more rain, clouds, and then more sunshine. The only weather we didn't hit today was snow.

The tops of the mountain were covered in snow starting at ~ 9000 feet of elevation. At times the peaks were surrounded by clouds, at times we were in the clouds and at times we were above the clouds. MLA said at one point about how dense the fog was and then realized it was not fog; she realized we were in the middle of the clouds. In another moment we were in the sunshine that was lighting the top of the clouds. Amazing.





At the highest point on the road to Grand Lake, slightly above 12,000 feet elevation, we stopped to take a few pictures. This is way above the tree line; as a matter of fact, at this part of the mountain the temperature is below freezing for five months of the year. Plus the winds are frequently over 100 mph. Today, in the middle of August, there was a good breeze and a temperature around 44 degrees at the warmest part of the day.





The best word to describe the appearance of the Rocky Mountains today is surreal. Snow covered peaks, large dark clouds swirling up, over, and around the mountains, with brief moments of sunshine highlighting a small portion of the dark clouds. Occasionally we were treated to a glimpse of blue sky however that was very rare.

We were treated to sightings of several animals including golden cheeked ground squirrels, elk, mountain goats, and a wide variety of birds. Incredibly abundant wildlife that is willing to stay close to roads and traffic. Everyone we saw obeyed the regulations about not feeding the wildlife however the squirrels and birds were far too abundant & close to people at the major overlooks for that to be the case all of the time; clearly some animals are being fed, at least occasionally.





Really exciting and tiring day. The elevation change from 6500 feet to just over 12,000 feet and then back down to 6500 feet really puts some pressure on your body. Both MLA and I got a little light headed at the Visitor's Center located at 12,090 feet.





Since we leave tomorrow for South Dakota this was our last chance to get another day at RMNP,, and we were pleased it worked out. However, we were really excited when we realized (for the 100th time) we could simply delay our departure; there's no rush for us to go or do anything. Wow! What a feeling...





See Ya!