The leaves have been changing and dropping. The wool sweaters and fleece pull-overs have returned to our selection of favorite clothes. There has been snow in the mountains. We haven't had a freeze at our house yet, but certainly it's getting close.
Hubba and I got to talking about Trail Ridge Road and how two summers are now gone and we had not taken that trip yet.
Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous road in the country. It passes through Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) from Estes Park to Grand Lake, Colorado. The road is closed in the winter.
On Saturday, I checked to see that the road was open. We knew it wouldn't be for long, so we seized the day and went for it.
We were hoping to see some wildlife, but only saw a herd of elk lounging at an overlook with a whole lot of people taking photos of them.
The road winds through the park reaching an elevation of 12,183 ft. That's more than two miles above sea-level and the views are incredible all along the way.
Once we reached Grand Lake about 80 miles and 2 hours from our house, we took the more conventional way home through Grandby, Winter Park, Berthoud Pass, Idaho Springs and Denver. The conventional route was a four-hour trip.
We're happy we took the trip because there's a lot more snow in the mountains today and the east side of Trail Ridge Road is now closed.
Wow, what timing! I've heard the "traditional" route can be a *very* long one. Though I'm surprised it was already since ski resorts aren't open yet, are they?
ReplyDeleteNo Winter Park was not open yet. I think A Basin and Loveland are getting close.
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't much traffic, it's just that far when you go the traditional way.