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.

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