Rocky Mountain National Park, Part 1

Apologies for the sporadic posting lately. As you saw from our last blurb, we haven’t had any wifi or even phone service for a few days. We did finally stay at a hotel with wifi the other night, but both computers were dead and there were no three-pronged outlets to power them up. 

We left Kansas a few days ago and finally came upon the beauty of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. So far on this trip, Rocky Mountain National Park is my favorite. It is absolutely breathtaking! The song “My Country Tis of Thee” kept running through my head as we went though the park - we went from amber waves of grain to purple mountains majesty. This is such a diverse and amazing country and I’m so fortunate to be able to explore it. 

We lucked out and booked a really great lodge/motel for a few nights. We loved it so much that we used one our floating days and stayed a third night. We had our own little patio with table and chairs, coffee pot and toaster (perfect for breakfast), and were steps away from the pool and hot tub. As you saw from Marshall’s post, we saw an elk on our first night in town. Apparently, he hangs out along that road and is well-known by the locals. He also got into someone’s Christmas lights and is now quite festive. We nicknamed him Elwood, and were on Elwood Watch every time drove around.

Old Fall River Road

We set off early the first morning, hoping to catch some animals. We decided to drive up Old Fall River Road, which is an 11-mile, one-way dirt road full of twisty turns and no guard rails. It was a really neat way to see the park, but a little unnerving with the steep sides. We often pulled off to the side to let the speed demons pass; we were there to see the sights and also be safe. The Tahoe did a marvelous job too! We also stopped often to walk around, explore a few paths, and play with the camera.

We ended up at Fall River Pass, which is 11, 796 feet above sea level. Marshall and I both have problems with altitude sickness so we didn’t stay long. We were feeling light-headed and out-of-breath (and my sinuses have been a mess). Thankfully we felt better as we descended. We got a few pictures but didn’t dawdle longer than a quick lunch on the back of the truck. It is gorgeous though, and really worth the time to get up there. 

At the Alpine Visitor's Center

Wild Turkeys

Our animal sightings were sparse that morning, but we saw a few: wild turkeys and yellow-bellied marmots. The turkeys were right by the front gate of the park. The marmots are one of the few animals living in the highest ecosystem. We saw a pika (small rodent) but it was too fast to snap a picture. However, you will see in the next post, we finally saw some bigger animals. :)

Yellow-Bellied Marmot