We left Buena Vista on Tuesday headed for Estes Park, CO - located near the east entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park. On the advice of the RV park manager at BV, we chose the more scenic route w/ assurances that it was 'mostly downhill.' The first part of the route was not too bad. We passed through the Johnson Tunnel, cutting right through a pretty big mountain. Once on the other side, the road got a bit trickier.
As we exited I-70, the roads narrowed and we found ourselves trying to navigate back roads, small towns, and sharp turns and curves never meant for RV rigs towing a car. Once we realized this was not going to be an easy route, there was no place to turn around and get back on I-70.
So.....up, down, and back and forth we went. That new transmission of ours has certainly been getting a workout. The grade of elevation and descent was about 8% and there were times Dick could not get our speed above 20 mph going up, and the brakes were getting a heck of a workout trying to control the descent. We were certainly wondering why this route was recommended!!
The route remained consistently stressful throughout the drive, and actually got steeper and rockier as we got closer to our destination. This shot is taken about 20 minutes from Estes Park. I think we all would classify this as a 'white knuckle' drive - including Cutter. We did safely arrive in Estes Park yesterday afternoon, and promptly all crashed for a rest.
There are lots of streams rushing through the area, including one at the RV park where we are staying...Cutter is lovin' the water.
You can see one of the streams behind this totem pole....this guy must have been at least 10 feet high. The Ute Indians were among the earliest of residents in the area, followed by the Arapahos. I wonder of they are connected to the Arapahos that settled in coastal Carolina? I will have to look into that.
Today, we visited Rocky Mountain National Park and drove the Trail Ridge Road, a paved scenic byway that winds through the entire park - east to west entrances - and is the highest continuous paved road in the United States (all 40 miles of it).
The Trail Ridge Road is only open from Memorial Day until early October due to the heavy winds and snow that can produce drifts in excess of 35 feet. So, our timing was good for visiting - this is the first week it has been opened! One plague immediately noticeable is the plight of the Mountain Pine Beetles....leaving trees decimated from their infestation. The park uses 'controlled burns' to manage the dead trees, clustering them into a tee-pee fashion to help manage the fire. Dead trees, and those ready for burning are everywhere along the road.
The entire road route escorts visitors through a variety of ecosystems, depending upon the elevation. At the eastern entrance, the elevation is 8,940 feet and rises into the Alpine Tundra region at 12,110 feet where nothing can grow at all. This shot is in the lower elevations - looking over the road's edge onto meadows thick with grasses, trees and wildflowers.
Soon, we find ourselves in higher elevations where the snow drifts are still high, the winds are easily 50 mph, and the temperatures are close to freezing. We are in our shorts, freezing and shivering when outside of the car....so, most of my shots are now taken from inside the car! We did not choose to stop and walk many of the paths.
We are now at 12,000+ feet and into the Alpine Tundra. The landscape contains nothing but a battered, crusty covering with no evidence of life. The 'stick' in the middle of the photo is one of many road markers for the snow plows.
This is the Alpine Visitor's Center (11,796 feet) which marks the half-way point for Trail Ridge Road. The logs on the roof are for protection from the heavy snows that blanket the area. This center has just opened for the season, and the plumbing and pipes are still frozen. So, the restrooms were fancy outhouses. Boy, could you feel those cold drafts coming up thru the potty....yikes!!
On the way down, we crossed the marker for the Continental Divide....just one of many times we have crossed that 'wandering dividing line' in our travels. At least, at this elevation, the temps were warming, so I ventured out of the car to take this picture.
At the western end of the road, we were rewarded by the sighting of a moose. This pic is fuzzy, but not too bad for my iPhone. Following a series of enlargements, I was able to grab something you could see....sort of. Dick's pics with his fancy lenses are awesome. Once he gets them all edited and 'packaged,' I will share a link for those interested in seeing what a real photographer captures:-)
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