Boulder, Colorado
December 16, 2020
For the first time since I arrived in Boulder on December 1 I took a day trip outside of Boulder. My destination was Rocky Mountain National Park. On the way there I took the left-hand route on the map above; I returned using the more direct right-hand leg. Stunning landscape both ways.
Below is a photo of Mount Meeker enveloped in a cloud. Wild. Mount Meeker is the second highest summit in Rocky Mountain National Park after its neighbor Longs Peak, 0.7 miles to the northwest. Due to its location southeast of Longs Peak, Mount Meeker is more visually prominent along much of the northernFront Range Urban Corridor. The peak is considered more difficult to climb, technically, than Longs Peak on certain routes.
The Chapel on The Rock in Allenspark, Colorado.
Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Apparently you can be in the park without having gone through an entrance.
I'm so east coast. This pond was frozen over but I still did not want to venture out on it.
I included this photo because of the ridge in the background. But you'll notice I cut off the bottom of the ranger's shack. Rookie error - before depressing the shutter button, you gotta look all the way around the perimeter and make sure you are not cutting off things.
I was lucky I had extra layers in the truck. It was 21 degrees with 25 mph wind gusts. It was cold!
Arriving in Estes Park, Colorado. It is the closest town on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Im 95 percent sure these are elk.
I have now passed an entry gate, shown the ranger my annual pass and am driving around. My less-than-extensive planning told me I should hit the Many Parks viewpoint and Bear Lake. I had a feeling I was going to see some snow.
The Many Parks viewpoint. Obstructed by what seemed to be a combination of clouds and a little bit of snow.
This is the famous Trail Ridge Road. If I had followed it going this way, I would have driven over the Continental Divide. I was under the impression the road was closed for the winter. Perhaps it wasn't as I saw vehicles going this way. I opted to go to Bear Lake and go for a hike.
As I drove away from Many Parks, the snow really started go come down.
I apologize but this video is somewhat out of order. I strung together all my video clips from my drive and my hike.