Woke up a bit later than normal and, just as I was doing my final “don’t wanna get out of bed” stretch I pulled my calf muscle. I hate that! As the hotel we were staying in did not have free breakfast we packed, checked out, and headed to good ol’ McDonald’s. Next we gassed up and a woman responded to my “how are you?” with “another fine day in the boat!” We later heard Steamboat Springs referred to as “the boat” on the radio so that was good to get cleared up.
Headed east on US-40 over a very pretty pass called Rabbit Ears Pass just east of Steamboat and then settled into a nicely wooded valley for quite a few miles. That eventually gave way to a canyon of the Colorado River (sourced just twenty miles or so from there) with steep dusty brown rock walls and a railroad line clinging on for dear life. Turning left onto US-34 we passed both Lake Granby and Grand Lake. Both lakes convinced us of the great need for our country to protect natural wonders (through National Parks and the like) — while the lakes were beautiful the amount of build-up on the shores, both low- and high-dollar, really impacted the place. As with all things it is a balance between allowing people to enjoy the nature around them and protecting it, I suppose.
Lake Granby, Colorado
Shortly passed into Rocky Mountain National Park and visited the visitor center to pick up our customary magnet. I knew we wouldn’t be in the park long so we just picked up a guide to the one thing we’d be doing that day — driving along the amazing forty miles of Trail Ridge Road.
The road starts out flat enough, traversing through lowlands with willows that moose supposedly love to hang out in. No, I didn’t see a moose today — the streak continues. It soon starts gaining elevation and there is a series of five or so hairpin turns. The birches and aspen give way to evergreen give way to tundra. Trail Ridge Road is the highest through road in the United States with a peak elevation of 12,183 feet.
Western lowlands, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Lowlands from up on high, RMNP, Colorado
We stopped by the Alpine Visitor Center at well over 11,000 feet. There we did some quick shopping (bought nothing) and ate a pretty decent lunch of hot dogs, chips, and a cookie. We learned that the road is only open four to five months a year. It takes six weeks to clear it after the winter as it is not uncommon to have 35 foot drifts! All along the road were lodge pole pine trunks that help the clearing crew find the extent of the road under all of that snow. The visitor center is located at the head of an ancient glacial cirque and, even today, there was quite a bit of snow up there in the shadier areas. In addition to snow we also saw a herd of elk grazing on the tundra plants. Also we saw a wall of cooled lava with snow at the bottom. The lava was the result of an explosion about 28 million years ago.
Cache la Poudre river valley, RMNP, Colorado
View of the cirque near the Alpine Visitor Center, RMNP, Colorado
Snow in the cirque, RMNP, Colorado
Alpine Visitor Center, RMNP, Colorado
Lava wall with snow below, RMNP, Colorado
Elk lying on the tundra, RMNP, Colorado
Shortly after we started the descent in low gear. We got decent views of Longs Peak, at 14,259 the tallest peak in the National Park and the only “fourteener” (mountains over 14,000 feet) in the park — Colorado has 54 fourteeners in all. Descended further and back beneath the timber line and eventually the grade lessened. I took a short walk into another low-lying stream bed hoping to see moose but no dice. Did have a conversation with a nice older lady who had been hiking for a week in the park looking for wildflowers. She informed me that moose just aren’t seen on the east side of the park despite conditions being decent for them. Oh well.
Lowlands in the eastern part of the park, RMNP, Colorado
Headed out of the park on US-36 through Estes Park. I had hoped to see the Stanley Hotel, the hotel that Stephen King stayed in that inspired The Shining, but was unable to find it and time was running out. Note that the hotel used in the movie was not the Stanley but rather one built on the lot in England (though some secondary footage of a hotel in Oregon was also used as needed). The mini-series, however, did use the hotel. We next passed through Lyons, a town that was hosting Rockygrass, a bluegrass festival, over the weekend. All sorts of interesting characters including a neat bus.
Bus near Rockygrass bluegrass festival, Lyons, Colorado
Hit Boulder and Denver at rush hour but eventually got to our hotel shortly after 6 PM. I spent the better part of an hour emptying the car of all of the trash and stuff while Michelle took the bags to the room and started preparing for departure tomorrow by re-packing them more efficiently. We decided to go to Outback that night to celebrate the end of this long trip.
On the way our constant companion through most of this trip, the Rockies, decided to grace us with the sight of the sun setting behind them, standing stark blue to black against the reddish-orange sky. We’ll miss them, but we decided it was time to move on.
Route for July 23, 2010