Monday, June 08, 2009
High-In-The-Sky Thrill Ride!
This day was spent largely crossing Northern Colorado via Rt. 40, and then the enjoyment of our trip across The Rocky Mountain National Park to Estes Park, CO. We were into the park by only about a mile when we spotted this magnificent Bull Elk laying on the grass.
If one wondered why the bull was needing rest, they only had to drive on a few hundred yards to see the object(s) of his affection/exhaustion! An entire herd of female Elk.
The 48 mile drive across the park is a variety of scenes, views, and climbs. Switchbacks, loops, and narrow winding roads. Near the top...The Continental Divide...
The divide is not, of course, the actual top of the mountains...It is the place where rivers flow East on one side and West on the other. We climbed on, and on, and on...Clouds descended, rain then snow and sleet began to fall and visibility dropped to a couple hundred feet...all this along a road with small boulders as the only buffer keeping one from driving off into the drop of thousands of feet. Our top out....12,200 feet above sea level. The "Roadhouse" was down to 16 miles per hour on the final steep climb. Scary drive...and no view because of the clouds.
When we topped out and descended we stopped for the night in Estes Park, CO at Mary's Lake RV Resort still at 8,000 feet.
As twilight settled on the campground, Duchess looked out the window and found 5 yearling bull elks feeding on the grass beside our coach.
It was a wonderful day...in spite of some anxious moments atop the Rockies.
Duke
|
If one wondered why the bull was needing rest, they only had to drive on a few hundred yards to see the object(s) of his affection/exhaustion! An entire herd of female Elk.
The 48 mile drive across the park is a variety of scenes, views, and climbs. Switchbacks, loops, and narrow winding roads. Near the top...The Continental Divide...
The divide is not, of course, the actual top of the mountains...It is the place where rivers flow East on one side and West on the other. We climbed on, and on, and on...Clouds descended, rain then snow and sleet began to fall and visibility dropped to a couple hundred feet...all this along a road with small boulders as the only buffer keeping one from driving off into the drop of thousands of feet. Our top out....12,200 feet above sea level. The "Roadhouse" was down to 16 miles per hour on the final steep climb. Scary drive...and no view because of the clouds.
When we topped out and descended we stopped for the night in Estes Park, CO at Mary's Lake RV Resort still at 8,000 feet.
As twilight settled on the campground, Duchess looked out the window and found 5 yearling bull elks feeding on the grass beside our coach.
It was a wonderful day...in spite of some anxious moments atop the Rockies.Duke
