Rocky Mountain High
Trip Start
Nov 22, 2007
1
51
55
Trip End
Dec 01, 2008
Loveland,
Colorado,
United States
Thursday, September 25, 2008
There are beautiful mountain views throughout the United States, but the sight of the Rockies' highest peaks in autumn when the aspen are turning is unrivaled. The "fourteeners" (this is what they call mountains with peaks over 14 thousand feet) are a layered mosaic with their white snow caps fading to gray, black and brown of the alpine tundra, followed by the deep green pines, giving way to the golden aspen, looking like a wildfire without the smoke. The richness of the color palette is difficult to capture on film, but is indelible in memory.
We spent about a week in Loveland, Colorado-about 30 miles outside of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). The weather was great and we put a lot of miles on the motorcycles in this lovely area. When we arrived in Loveland, the elk rutting season was in full swing.
001 Colorado Mosaic
It was not uncommon, we were told, to see elk on in the area parks and streets, and to hear the bugling of the male elks for hours. Well, I don't know if you have ever heard an elk bugle-we had not, but I would say that "bugle" is a kind descriptor. It's more like a cross between a donkey bray and a child's scream! However, it is amazing to see so many of these creatures and to hear this call of the wild! The way to RMNP from our campground led through Big Thompson Canyon and along the Big Thompson River. The road twisted through the sheer rock walls of the canyon like a maze-rough-hewn cliffs on all sides but the road ahead, which itself disappeared around the next bend. After Big Thompson, the horizon opens up to Estes Park where the river dumps into a large lake surrounded by the aspens, which, at this time of year, look like gold leaf pressed into the edge of the valley and up the sides of the mountains that surround it.
The main scenic road in RMNP is the Trail Ridge Road (aka Route 34), which is just under 50 miles long, climbs 4,800 feet, and cuts across the park. The first 25 miles winds up Trail Ridge peak to over 12,000 feet-this is the highest continuous paved highway in the world! After about 35 miles and across the continental divide, the park changes to valleys and grassland. We spent all day on this ride, and hiked at the top of Trail Ridge peak in the alpine tundra
002 Big Thompson canyon
. The air is very thin (comparatively) in these elevations and the effect is unmistakable. We had to stop and catch our breath a few times in the short (1/4 mile) hike, and definitely felt a bit woozy! There is much truth to John Denver's song, "Rocky Mountain High." Of course this is part of the experience, but you would be breathless just looking at the views from atop the peak, surrounded as you are by white-topped mountains, alpine lakes, pines, tundra, sharp cliffs, rock formations, and aspen in gold and red. We also explored the southeastern part of the park. We rode to the Bear Lake trailhead and hike to Aurora Falls and Mills Lake. The 9-mile drive to Bear Lake was beautiful. The trail led through golden aspen gateways, through tall pines and along the water's edge to Aurora Falls. Another couple of hours through forests and up hillsides to Mills Lake-a large alpine lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Really lovely.
We also too a road trip to Horsetooth Mountain and reservoir. This is a nice back road ride, north of RMNP, past a llama farm and lots of cattle and horses, small towns, and beautiful canyons. Bob saw a snake crossing the road and stopped to catch it-a bull snake that was about 5+ feet long. Check out the pics!
