Foray

Our goal for the 2 weeks we are parked in Longmont, CO is to explore Rocky Mountain National Park.  For our first trip we accessed US 36 (the same one we drove often when we lived in Ohio) and rode the bike west toward the Never Summer Mountains.

Our road followed Falls River

curving up through the mountains

and rolling through valleys, gradually gaining altitude and trading grassy meadows

for pine, fir, and aspen clad mountainsides.

At Falls River Visitors Center we stopped for a break.  Inside I stamped my National Parks Passport and found a pressed penny machine.  We collected a map of the park and hiking information. 

Further down the road we showed our National Parks Pass and entered the park.  We decided to ride the road to Bear Lake for our turnaround point.  We saw a panoramic view of the Never Summer Mountains.  These seventeen peaks form the continental divide between the headwaters of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park to the east and the upper basin of the North Platte River to the west.  The divide makes a loop in these mountains.  Most of the peaks are over 12,000'

 

The Bear Lake Road took us up to about 9500'.

 Bear Lake was formed during the ice age by a glacier. An easy 1/2 mile nature trail circles the lake.

Always on the lookout for wildlife, we saw snow!  We thought that was pretty wild!

We watched a Rocky Mountain Ground Squirrel searching for crumbs

and a pair of Mallards.

After our stroll we were ready to head back down the mountain.

At one point Duane pulled off the road to let traffic pass.  I turned my head and happened to see this young elk.

We had been looking for elk on our rides and hikes in New Mexico, and finally found one in Colorado.

On down we went with the river for company.  

In Estes Park, the gateway town to the park, we stopped for lunch before we rode the last 30 miles home.

Tomorrow we're planning to visit the activities at the fairgrounds.

Louise and Duane