Sunday, February 23, 2025

Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter

 

When my friend Rosemary visited us for a few days from New York early last March, my husband and I were excited to show her a few of our favorite local Colorado sights, We began with Red Rocks Amphitheater, then a drive of the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, and today I'm showing our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park.



The weather was cold and windy, but the sky was bright blue except over the snowy mountains.

Mountains produce clouds and we certainly saw that scientific fact in action on the day of our visit.




We drove up Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest continuous road in the United States, but it does not stay open towards its highest elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m). That portion is usually closed from October to May.


We had a good view of Longs Peak - the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, at 14,256 feet (4345.22 m).



More clouds were being made!



We usually visit RMNP in the fall, but the snow of late winter defined the shape of the mountains and the vast forests so beautifully! 




We drove along Trail Ridge Road as far as we were able.


We stopped to take photos at different pull-outs along the way




Please click on the photo to enlarge it to read the placard.



Rosemary was excited to see her first Black Billed Magpie, who perched on a pole to rest. 
Surprisingly, we did not see any other wildlife during our visit. In the past, we often saw deer, elk, and an occasional moose or black bear.



The mountain views were so majestic!





We finally reached the giant snowplows and the end of the passable road, as the rest would be too treacherous a drive until it was opened in late Spring.




We drove to a few lake areas but the trails around them were too snow-covered to hike.



Please click on the photo above to enlarge it to read the placard.


After a few more stops in the park, we decided we were hungry and it was time to drive into the nearby town of Estes Park where we stopped at one of my favorite places -- Smokin Dave's BBQ, where we had a delicious dinner and then headed back to our home.

25 comments:

Shiju Sugunan said...

Sounds like a fantastic Colorado adventure! Beautiful photos and a great itinerary.

eileeninmd said...

Beautiful views and photos of the Rocky Mountain NP.
Hubby and I loved our visit, we were there years ago in September and had a snowy day on our last day. Smokin Dave's was one of our favorite restaurants. Take care, have a wonderful week!

EricaSta said...

The Mountains are impressive. The landscape around is stunning too.

It's Monday afternoon, my time to write comments. And I'm looking forward to another week of wonderful posts for MosaicMonday.

Thank you for your participation, dear blog friend.
... interesting to read, it´s a great pleasure!
Greetings from Heidrun

ellen b. said...

Those mountain view are something else. Thanks for sharing all this beauty with us. Happy last week of February to you!

Joanne said...

Wow, wow, wow! These mountain photos are just stunning.

Tom said...

...the mountains are gorgeous and clearing the road of snow is herculean task!!!

Jeanne said...

Lovely post! I hope to see this park someday, (but probably in Summer...)

Jeanie said...

Your country is so impressive with those magnificent mountains, blue skies and wonderful clouds. I'll bet Rosemary was impressed -- I sure would be! That's one gorgeous national park!

Barbara said...

Beautiful photos, as always, Pat, of the state I called home for many years. One thing I never could get a real handle on while living there was how to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie. My baking is much more successful here at sea level, in spite of how hard I tried to perfect it with High Altitude Instructions in my Colorado days. With that said, I feel sure you figured all that out shortly after arriving in Colorado.

Lydia C. Lee said...

Absolutely stunning. Very sad what's going on with the Park Rangers at the moment. Terrible stuff. #MCoW

Nanda kumar said...

Fantastic nature. Well maintained park

magiceye said...

Splendid photography!

roentare said...

The sceneries are just incredible

Tom said...

...Pat, thanks for showing me around God's country, it was gorgeous. Have a marvelous March.

Light and Voices said...

Lovely, just lovely area.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

OMGoodness, Pat, thank you for taking me on that beautiful adventure to places I cannot go (altitude issues). Wonderful photos!

Leslie's Garden said...

All of thee photos are stunning! I would love to visit that area some day. It's so beautiful.

Lowcarb team member said...

Those mountain views are majestic.

All the best Jan

Anonymous said...

The mountain views are majestic.

All the best Jan
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Pat,
I love the Magpies, they are pretty birds.
Beautiful scenic views of the RMP, your photos are stunning.
Thank you for your critter post and sharing your link! Take care, have a wonderful week ahead. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

Penelope Notes said...

I can almost smell the fresh air through your pictures. What a great place to visit and forget our cares.

Mae Travels said...

The National Parks are a treasure. I love your photos, but it makes me sad to know how much is at risk when so many of the staff are being fired for spite (or whatever pretend reasons are being given). People say they would love to visit: I hope this will still be possible and that the parks won’t be destroyed or sold off to private interests.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Michelle said...

This park is so beautiful. A must see for anyone. Your photos show it in the best way. I was there several years ago and it certainly left an impression on me. Thank you for linking up.

Rambling Woods said...

wow....stunning scenery.....Michelle

Jennifer at Shoreline Journeys said...

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