Rocky Mountain N.P. (Oct. 8)

Where's the guard rail???

We awoke at the Bighorn Lodge (Americas Best Value Inn) in Grand Lake, CO on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. We called the Park to confirm that the Trail Ridge Road was still open, and to our delight, it was. It was 42* F upon entering the Park at 0945. It was cloudy, so we held our breath as we passed each of the gates that would determine if we could finish our trek through the park, or if we would turn around and return to Grand Lake. Here was one of our best views of the day at Fairview Curve.

As we continued our journey, we climbed up to over 12,000 feet, and the landscape wasn't the only thing that changed. The climate changed nearly as rapidly.


At 1100 the temperature was 28* F, and we got snowed on for the first time in 2006. The landscape was again, beautiful. There is something quiet... peaceful about the land when the plants are covered with frost and a gentle snow falls. There were no guardrails in the park, which is great if you want a great view, but in freezing rain and snow, they may have been nice for peace of mind.

That afternoon, we found a laundromat in Estes Park, CO (7,522 ft) and claimed the only 2 industrial sized machines for ourselves! Check that project off the list! We also realized that upon entering cities in Colorado, the signs do not tell population of the city, they list the elevation! Neat.

Our last goal of the day was to hear the elk bugling. If you haven't been around elk much, October is the end of mating season, and the male elk have a rather irritating but entertaining screech that attracts the females. This one we got a photo of bugling in the middle of town. There is a small piece of road in the lower right of the photo showing how close to the road he is. He is in front of a restaurant that most likely offers elk burgers on the menu. See the video above to hear a "bugle".