Barry wanted to drive from the east entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) through the park and exit through the west entrance at Grand Lake. We didn’t get started till 2pm. What a gorgeous drive it was!I Our stops along the way were amazing views, but we also learned a lot about the tundra, the the area above the tree line, via the multiple plaques along various paths. Many of these informative plaques are included throughout this blog.
Parked, and heading UP. Yes, I was cold, and very glad that I grabbed a light weight jacket for the hike up.
These wildflowers are so small and remain at ground level to remain protected from the harsh winds. Winds can be 30 mph at eye level, but only three mph near your feet!
These mushroom-shaped rocks were born of fire and water. The dark colored schist was originally sand, silt, and clay at the bottom of a sea. Magma from deep in the earth invaded the schist and gradually cooled into the lighter colored granite. Mushroom shapes formed when the granite stems eroded more quickly than the schist caps.
The many-hued lichens are not plants, but rather an alliance between algae and fungi. The fungus creates a thallus, or body, that houses both while the alga transforms sunlight into shared food.
Back down is always easier breathing.
Below is the beautiful view that includes Sadie in the parking area. Being able to back into parking spaces where the backend with the bike rack can hang over beyond the pavement allows us to fit in more standard parking areas. People ask if we towed a separate small vehicle or would consider doing that. NO way. That would defeat our purpose of downsizing from our class A motorhome to this very comfortable class B (24′).
Various alpine lakes were cool to see.
We fully appreciated the nimbleness of Sadie as we encountered the various small, crowded parking areas that came up quickly. Sadie is about as big as you could be to stop and park. It’s always nice to have your own bathroom and food. Below is a scenic view that includes the parking area east of the bathroom as we make on our way back down to Sadie (parked west of the bathroom). This section had more spaces, but was a bit more congested due to pull-in parking with a handful of parallel parking opposite it.
The parallel sites were not an option for us. Not only were they full, but you’d need to be traveling from the west entrance instead of east entrance as we were.
The highest point on the road was 12,183 feet!
We made a significant stop at the Alpine Visitor Center. This was our last pullover stop that we made. There was a sign at the rather small parking lot entrance that said the lot was full, but luckily we found a spot where Sadie fit! We let a weather front with rain/sleet + a little hail pass through. Mountain weather can change very quickly.
This is a good reason why starting earlier for such a drive is a good idea, but you need a timed entry to enter RMNP between 9am – 2pm. These sell out fast.
After the system passed through, we hiked from 11,796 ft at the Alpine Visitor Center to a view point at 12,005 ft!! The hike was 100% “up”, but was a paved path. Below is just a view from part way up!
Pausing along the way was important even for the younger visitors! Breathing while climbing at this altitude is not easy.
Quite a few people turned back before making it to the top. If you don’t rush and take frequent breathing stops- even really short ones, it won’t be that bad.
CHANGING TIMES–It may not sound like much, but the increase of 3-4 degrees over the last century. It has caused the earlier onset of spring snowmelt that really affects those living there…
The logs on the roof were interesting to see. They help handle the winter snow falls.
We would NOT have been able to stop at any of the pullouts we stopped at today if we were still traveling in Vinny+TJ. Even the Alpine Visitor Center would not have worked. Instead, we would have had to stay an extra day to drive in the Jeep from the east entrance to west entrance AND back to Vinny at the campground. We are thrilled that this trip is proving to be all that we hoped it would be when we downsized!
As we came around curve just prior to exiting RMNP, we saw a beautiful bull elk on the opposite side of the road! I wasn’t able to capture a picture.
Beautiful scenery outside RMNP (west side). On our way to the Stillwater Federal Campground where we spent the night. What a quiet and spacious, multi-level site with a view of Granby Lake. It had a lot of privacy. It even had a fire ring that was OK to use tonight, so we did! Perfect ending to a wonderful day throughout Rocky Mountain National Park!
It was a quiet, beautiful night with a full moon!
In the morning we enjoyed the peaceful view with our morning coffee. We took our time and then headed onto Denver.
