Rocky Mountain National Park

Friday, July 24, 2015    Happy Anniversary Dan and Jen!
Our travels today took us to Rocky Mountain National Park. We drove north from Golden first passing through Arapaho National Forest where we stopped to take in the beauty of Lake Granby (this is just a very small cove of a huge lake)

We then stopped at Kawuneeche Visitor Center - first of five visitor centers in the park.  There we enjoyed a film about the park and the displays including a model of the park itself.

In the park we began to climb higher and higher on very twisty turny roads filled with switchbacks and hairpin curves stopping first at an area called Beaver Ponds.  We didn't see any ponds but did enjoy the views of the mountains and meadow in front of them

From there we continued our climb to higher elevations next stopping at the hiking trail to the headwaters of the Colorado River.  We were on the Continental Divide ridge where waters head to the west.  The walk to the headwaters turned out to be about 4 miles so instead, I (Ken, Frank and Bette opted to stay at the car)took a narrow path from the parking lot

 to a view of the Colorado River as just a small stream (near its head)

A little further up the road we stopped at an overview of the Never Summer Mountains (loved the name) 

Our next stop was a Milner Pass - a point we where 10,758 feet in the air and it was still quite warm outside (the prediction was 93 in Denver-it was in the 80s at this point)

We could see Poudre Lake 

We continued to climb higher till we were above the tree line and stopped at Medicine Bow Curve which is a wicked turn in the road (there just wasn't a good place to stand to take a picture and show the hairpin curve here but you can see the road passing itself at a higher elevation)

Here we got a great view of the mountains and some valley area (look at all the snow even though it is late July)

But the best view was when we turned around and realized several elk were on the hill behind us

A short distance further was the Alpine Visitor Center where they served food as well as provided a variety of displays.  Unfortunately the traffic was so heavy we couldn't even turn into the parking lot.  There was a long line of people trying to get in and obviously no parking.  So continued around the curve to the highest point on the road 12,183 feet AND the overlook for the Lava Cliffs

If you look closely, you'll see an arch in the snow to the left - that is water(beautiful glacial water) Unfortunately the camera did not pick up the beautiful blue green of the water.

A few more twists and turns brought us to another turn out where lots and lots of people were standing along the road.  We got a glimpse of the attraction - a bighorn sheep just below the edge of the road.  But by the time we parked and walked over it had moved out of sight in the rocks.  Still we could get yet another view of the mountains and tundra

Not far from this Rock Cut view was the overlook of Forest Canyon. 

The signage admonished people to please stay off the tundra as it takes many many years to grow the tiny flowers and other greens due to the lack of much of a growing season at this elevation.  It does have a beauty of its own from the tiny but colorful flowers and rocks strewn about.

By this time it was mid afternoon and we were all quite hungry so we decided to tackle the very steep and winding road downhill and leave the park so we could find a restaurant.  That took quite a while but we did eventually find ourselves in Estes Park where we stopped at a Chinese place for lunch.

From there we drove to Boulder following more winding and scenic roads to the town itself and Sleeptime Drive that took us to Celestial Seasonings.

We arrived at the tour desk just as they were announcing the final tour of the day!!! And we were able to join it.  This included a film about the company that showed some of the processes they go through in creating their products - primarily tea.  Then we all had to put on hair nets before going into the factory itself.  It is the only one they have.  It can produce a million tea bags in a day including boxing, wrapping and putting them in cartons and then into cases for shipping.  They make over 100 flavors of tea but today were only producing a peach passion tea.

Once we were done walking around, smelling all the wonderful smells, and watching the tea being boxed, we returned to the tea shop where we could taste any of the teas we wished.  Sleeptime is their most popular flavor - thus pictures of the sleeping bear symbol was all over including this bear

Bette and I had fun picking out some different teas to buy as well as looking at all of the other items they had for sale in their gift shop before heading back out to the car and our trip home - a challenge because of all the going home traffic.  

It was a long but beautiful day.  The weather was rapidly changing with strong winds and dark clouds and by the time we got back rain was in the air.  A good time to just come in and rest.