Summer 2013 Road Trip Day 7: Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)

Our next adventure was in the Rocky Mountain National Park.  The boys just wanted to be out exploring the wilderness and catching fish, but I insisted that we drive through as much of the park as possible.  What impressed me most about the park were all the different ecosystems.  As you enter the park you are in the Montane ecosystem – a land of pine forests and beautiful mountain meadows. 

 

 

The subalpine ecosystem lies between 9,000-11,400 feet.  Long, cold winters, short, cool summers and high annual precipitation -30 inches or more-characterize this climate.  It is the highest, windiest and snowiest forest.

 

 

 

Alpine tundra occurs at 11,400 feet, above the treeline where the climate is extremely harsh.  Fierce drying winds, bitter cold, intense ultraviolet light, thin soil and a brief growing season let only specialized plants and animals survive.

 

 

 

We were able to experience all these ecosystems as we drove from the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, along highway 36 to highway 34.  Highway 34 holds the title for highest major highway in North America topping out at 12,183 feet.  We curved around the mountains with the road as we went higher and higher.  I stopped all along the way to look (ooh, aah) and take pictures.  Every time I thought, “This is so amazing and beautiful,” we would turn a corner and see something else just as amazing and beautiful.  We finally made it to the Alpine Visitors Center which sits about 11,800 feet. 

 

 

 

At the Alpine Visitor Center we could see the road we had just driven and what felt like the whole park.  It was beautiful!  Carsen was super brave and even got in a couple of pictures for me. We continued exploring as we headed back down the mountain highway 34.  On our way down we saw a heard of elk feeding.  That was the extent of wildlife we saw on day 1. 

 

 

When the highway made a sharp northwest turn, we followed it to exit the park at the Fall River Visitor Center. We made a quick stop for ice cream and a few more souvenirs before we followed the beautiful Fall River into Estes Park.  We did not stop again until we arrived at Estes Lake where the boys got out to fish. 

   

While in Estes Park, picking up our picnic, Sydney and I had to make a very quick pit stop at the famous, supposedly haunted, Stanley Hotel.  The Stanley Hotel hosted the horror novelist Stephen King, inspiring him to write The Shining.  We didn't see any ghosts while we were there!

 

We had a yummy Taco Bell picnic dinner and the boys fished until dark.  Derek caught his first yellow perch and he was so excited!  When it was too dark to see, I drove us all back to Westminster along a very dark and windy road.