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Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado
Descriptive:
Amid majestic peaks locked in ice, reaching as high as 14,000 feet into the sky, alpine meadows and sparkling lakes dot the lower elevations, giving Rocky Mountain National Park a varied array of raw scenic beauty. The panoramic views of the Park's spectacular stony peaks, eighty-four of which exceed 11,000 feet, capture one's spirit with breathtaking views.
Wildflowers, such as the Rocky mountain iris, wild rose, penstemon, black-eyed Susan and the pasqueflower, spread in luxurious carpets over forest floors below snow level, as well as the mysterious blue Colorado columbine. Willow, alder, cottonwood and birch cluster around valley streams. Junipers, boulder raspberry, currants and black chokecherry prefer the drier, rockier areas of the Park.
Douglas fir, the lofty Engelmann spruce, the ponderosa pine and the gnarled limber pine forest the mountainside in cool, dark ranges. More characteristic of the Arctic, sweeping expanses of grasses grow close to the ground. This vast tundra is an adaptable necessity of plants in the Alpine Zone, which begins at the timber line and is subject to strong wind.
The mule deer and the American elk migrate to the tundra during the summer for grazing but return to the lowlands during winter to avoid the winter storms.
Vegetation:
Rocky mountain iris
Wild rose
Penstemon
Black-eyed Susan
Pasqueflower
Colorado columbine
Willow
Alder
Cottonwood
Birch
Juniper
Boulder raspberry
Currants
Black chokecherry
Douglas fir
Engelmann spruce
Ponderosa pine
Limber pine
Wildlife:
Mule deer
American elk
Black bear
Cougar
Bobcat
Coyote
Beaver
Yellow-bellied marmot
Brown trout
Brook trout
Cutthroat trout
Rainbow trout
Key locations:
The highest continuous automobile road in the United States, the Trail Ridge Loop follows an old Indian trail through the mountains. The highest point on the road is between Lava Cliffs and Fall River Pass at 12,183 feet; this is the highest access for motorists in any of the National Parks in the United States, and stays at this approximate level for about four miles.
From Deer Ridge Junction, Trail Ridge Road drops into Hidden Valley before climbing again. At Many Parks Curve, a stunning view is had across numerous mountain-enclosed meadows and the snow-covered Mummy Range to the North. At Rock Cut, see a spectacular view of glacial-carved peaks along the Continental Divide. Hike in via the Tundra Trail about two miles to Iceberg Lake, which is surrounded by contrasting cliffs, reddish in color. A sweeping view to the west is Never Summer Range, almost sixty miles away.
A hike up Long's Peak is a favorite, although it is a strenuous hike to the tallest peak in the Park, at 14, 256 feet. If going on this hike, it is good to remember that the body needs time to adjust to changing altitudes and thinning air. It is wise to rest at various points on the way up, as well as on the way down; this helps to reduce the feeling of being short of breath.
At Milner Pass, you cross the Continental Divide.
Bear Lake, also accessible by car, is a starting point for a popular hike to several smaller Lakes: Nymph Lake, a shallow pond filled with lilies, and Dream Lake.
Activities:
Mountain climbing
Fishing
Boating
Horseback riding
Geology:
The glaciers responsible for carving the cliffs and incising the valleys are all but gone. That is, with the exception of several which still remain sheltered away at higher elevations. After a strenuous hike, two of these can be seen: Andrews and Tyndall Glaciers, remnants of a different era where great rivers of ice and recrystallized snow, slowly flowed across the land's surface.
