Friday, July 24, 2009

A Trip Up Trail Ridge Road



We made it up Trail Ridge Road today in Rocky Mountain National Park.  It is the highest continuous, paved motor way in the United States.  It's closed most of the year (October through June) due to crazy amounts of snow.  It crosses the Continental Divide at an elevation of 10,758 feet and reaches its highest point at elevation 12,183 feet.  I don't mean to bash on the state of Utah because I love it there... but Utah's highest mountain peak, Kings Peak, is only 13, 520 feet - not quite equal to the fourteeners of the Colorado Rocky Mountains!
Me! at 12,000 feet! Trail Ridge Road - Rocky Mountain National Park
I mentioned after my last trip to Rocky Mountain National Park that I was too afraid to make the drive over Trail Ridge Road on my own (I'm sooooo afraid of heights), but the view is totally worth the fear and the shiver up your back that you get when you look over the edge.  LUCKILY, my aunt Ellen - also moving to FoCo - offered to drive for us ...  I had to switch which side of the car I was sitting on to move farthest away from the ledge.  I seriously need to do something to get over this fear.  There are some views I think I must be missing out on!
This does not accurately portray the scariness of the drive, but you get the idea.
Trail Ridge Road is covered in snow most of the year.  It takes you up past the treeline into the tundra where growth is limited due to extreme weather conditions.  In fact, there is still snow up there as of July 24th...
SNOW! July 24th Trail Ridge Road - Rocky Mountain National Park
I love Trail Ridge Road... and in spite of my complaints it is much safer (and less scary) then the Old Fall River Road which used to be the only way to travel through the park.  Old Fall River Road is still around... maybe, just maybe, when I'm feeling really brave, we'll catch those views.  If they are anything like what you see on Trail Ridge, it is definitely worth that drive!  Come to Colorado! See Rocky Mountain National Park!  It is so awesomely beautiful!!!

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