Monday, May 30, 2022
This Memorial Day got off to a rough start. I woke up with a sore throat and head congestion, probably a bug I contracted at the crowded restaurant last night. Additionally, the weather was overcast and the rain continuing. Conditions had only slightly improved when Stephanie arrived (~ 11 am) at our campsite ready to escort us to, and around, Rocky Mountain National Park in her SUV.
After a scenic 40-minute drive west along Big Thompson River and through a deep canyon, we arrived at Estes Park, a bustling tourist town on the eastern edge of the park. Steph weaved us through the throngs of tourists meandering around the myriad shops and restaurants. Meanwhile, the precipitation had changed to snow flurries and throughout the day while we were at these higher elevations, the weather continuously cycled from clear blue skies to snow flurries to snow squalls with high winds.
We accidentally passed Fall River Visitor Center, then as the road split into three lanes with gates and booths, we waited for about 20 minutes for our turn to enter the park. We were about an hour ahead of our designated entry time but were welcomed into the park and my NP Senior Pass saved us the $30 entry fee.
Highway 34 assumes the moniker Trail Ridge Road in the park and is the main park thoroughfare as it winds for 40 miles from Estes Park where it enters on the east side to Grand Lake where it emerges from the park on the west side. Today, as through much of the winter, only the first eight-mile length of Trail Ridge Road was open due to the snowy conditions.
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| Blue Skies (left) with Snow (right) |
Steph drove us around the park as we gawked at the beautiful scenery, sometimes with a bright blue-skied background, sometimes with gray skies and falling snow. We and other visitors stopped to observe the plentiful wildlife along the way, elk, mule deer, squirrels and various bird species. We turned off of Trail Ridge Road onto Hwy 36, were refused entry to the Bear Lake area (wrong pass), then briefly stopped at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to use the restrooms and visit the park store before driving out of the park after about an hour-long visit.
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| Mule Deer were Plentiful |
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| Elk were also Plentiful |
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| Reclining Elk |
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| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel |
We decided to return and so looped back to the park’s entry, this time stopping at the Fall River Visitor Center and getting through the entry gate quickly. On this second loop through the park, we turned off Trail Ridge Road onto the Alluvial Fan spur and parked the car for a short hike, or “stroll” as the park literature referred to it. The flurries were lessening and the skies turned blue as we approached the rocky fall and bridge crossing the clear-watered creek.
We then returned to Trail Ridge Road and stopped at Hidden Valley for another stroll. This paved loop trail took us up one side of the creek crossed it on a bridge and returned on the other side. There was considerable accumulated snow under the shade of the conifers. Our stroll started with snow falling and ended with clear blue skies.
From there we proceeded to Many Parks Curve, the end of permitted travel on Trail Ridge Road. We parked and joined fellow visitors admiring the panoramic scenery the overlook provided. When we first arrived, it was blustery and snowy to the west but clear blue skies to the east. Before our eyes, the entire viewscaped slowly cleared. We lingered awhile, climbing a rock outcrop for a different view, then wound back through the park on the lookout for more beautiful views and wildlife.
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| Jane & Steph strolling along the Alluvial Fan Trail |
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| Alluvial Fan Trail Falls |
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| Hidden Valley Stroll |
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| View from Many Parks Curve Overlook |
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| Enjoying the Pleasant Weather at Many Parks Curve |
Back in Estes Park, Stephanie drove us by Estes Lake and on the way back to the campground took us on a byway through a scenic Devil’s Gulch. We chatted some in the motorhome then took both cars into Loveland and had a tasty dinner at Himalayan Curry & Kebob. The food was great and plentiful so we had leftovers for future meals. From the restaurant parking lot, we thanked Steph for a wonderful day and she departed for home. My sore throat and stuffed up head had been bothering me all day so we stopped by the pharmacy on the way back to our motorhome. I’m hoping that I’ll feel better tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.
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| We had a Tasty and Plentiful Dinner in Loveland |