Rocky Mountain High

Day 2 - September 30

It was morning and time to eat! Because we were at Holiday Inn Express, we went to the breakfast room and used the nifty automatic pancake maker. Yuuuummmmm! Pancakes, we missed you!

We ate and then checked out. We knew there was a Starbucks close to the hotel so we stopped there next. We began to notice how Coloradans must really love their pets by seeing how many pet stores, spas, and restaurants allowing pets to dine that we had already seen in one day.

Dean had gotten ice at the hotel for Robin's refrigerated medicine, but wanted a thermal lunch bag to help keep it cold. We went to Target across the street and bought one. Now, we were on our way to Grand Lake, which is on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park...or so we thought. As we got about 20 minutes down the road, Dean could not find his phone. He thought he might have left it at Starbucks so we turned around and went back. Robin went in and asked, but they had not seen it. Dean parked and got out to check all around his seat. Guess what? His phone had fallen back under his seat. Mystery was solved. 

Now, we were really on our way to Grand Lake. We drove I-70 most of the way. Google Maps navigation told us that there would be a lot of construction in sections of this road. However, there aren't many options to get there. We wanted to go through the Eisenhower Tunnel again, so this was our option.

We hit the first construction roadblock before we got to the Veterans Memorial Tunnel. Traffic was backed up and we inched our way around the curve right before the entrance. Finally, the tunnel entrance was in sight. Fortunately, the tunnel was short and we were on our way.

We drove for a little while and saw some fall colors begin to show up along the roadside. This was exciting for Florida kids who only have one season.

As we drove we saw a sign saying there was Buffalo Herd Overlook exit. We didn't exit, but we looked to our left and saw a herd of bison. In Colorado, buffalo is the term used to call bison. They aren't as technical as Wyoming.

With travel delays and drinking a chia tea latte, Robin really needed to use the restroom. We finally spied a Starbucks next door to a ski shop and headed there. After using the restrooms, we explored the ski shop. We were astonished at the prices of ski gear and clothing. We did not refill at Starbucks because we knew we had construction delays ahead and didn't want to have the feeling of exploding again.

We got back on the road and drove a little ways before our journey abruptly came to a standstill. We had hit the big construction zone. This time is was quite a substantial delay. The navigation actually showed us what to expect, but we had never seen 30 minutes to go 3.0 miles before. However, we had some sights to see to make the time go faster. First, there was a ski lift up the mountain. It was not in operation, but it was interesting to see how it climbed its way up the mountain, in and out of the tree lines. Next, we watched a helicopter, carrying a large bucket, go to the top of one mountain top, drop it down, pick up something, and then fly away. We watched this for quite some time as we inched our way forward on the road. The helicopter got closer and closer and then finally, we saw it was dropping its bucket load somewhere in the construction zone. Since the load dropped below our line of sight, we assumed it was some kind of construction material, such as gravel. Traffic was at a standstill many times. Finally, we got up to the Eisenhower Johnson Tunnel and inched our way through it. It is quite a bit longer than the Veterans Memorial Tunnel.

Not long after we went through the Eisenhower Johnson Tunnel, we headed north along the Blue River until it flowed into the Colorado River below Kremmling, CO. We drove through Kremmling and a few miles north after seeing a big horn sheep viewing notation on our map. Needless to say, we didn't find any big horn sheep. We headed east along the Colorado River until we reached Grand Lake. We saw lot of fall colors, mountains, and water features along these roads, 

Of course, there was road construction occurring as well. We saw some interesting mounds leading up to the fence in these construction areas. At first we thought they were paths for machinery to cross over the fence. However, the didn't continue on the other side. We never were quite sure of their purpose but they were located all along these construction zones.

As we drove to Grand Lake, the view of several other lakes were spectacular. They looked so serene and inviting.

Upon approaching Grand Lake, we came upon the Rocky Mountain National Park sign. It was time to take photos, documenting our visit.

We drove straight to the Kawunchee Visitor Center. Dean quickly found what he wanted to buy...moose ear muffs. Robin convinced him they wouldn't be very useful in Florida, so he put them back.  We saw a Junior Ranger take her oath from a Park Ranger while her little sister watched. We looked at the exhibits until the next movie viewing. The movie we watched was a special tribute to the first hundred years of Rocky Mountains National Park. The theme of the centennial is Wilderness, Wildlife, and Wonder. 

We talked with the Park Ranger after the movie about the Park. She told us where and when we might be able to spot moose and elk. This time of year was rutting (mating) season for both elk and moose. The ranger explained that the moose are a little shy and will stay hidden in the higher elevations. However, the elk bulls aren't so shy. They make bugling calls to gather their harem of cows. They confront any other bull who comes near their harem. This could involve bugling, chasing, or even fighting. The elks would be visible in the trees and meadows, especially at dawn or dusk. Since it was early afternoon, she suggested we drive up to Milner's Pass, which is the Continental Divide. We had plenty of time and it would give us a good idea where we could possible see elk.

As we walked out of the visitor center, we noticed a memorial to a park ranger who had lost her life in the line of duty. It was very touching.

We got back in the car and entered Rocky Mountain National Park using our annual pass. What a great gift that keeps on giving. Thank you again, Safety Harbor Elementary School Staff.

We hadn't stopped to eat, but we had a plan. As we drove, Robin fixed peanut butter sandwiches from our leftover Texas Roadhouse rolls. Yum! They did the trick to tied us over until dinner.

The landscapes consisted of forests and meadows surrounded by mountains. The pavement in the Park was new and easy to drive. As we started climbing the mountain on Trail Ridge Road, we came to Farview Curve Overlook. The weather was cool and beginning to sprinkle. We got out to take pictures. The Park Ranger had told us to stop here so we could get a good look at the mountains in the distance. As we were trying to recall the name of the mountains, Dean said they were the Always Winter Mountains. He was cold so he went back to the car. Robin continued up to the information signs and started to laugh. The mountains were called the Never Summer Mountains. She thought Dean had pulled her leg with his witty humor again. She took a few more photos of the mountains and fall colors before going to the car. When she got inside, she started to rag on Dean for giving her a hard time. He confessed he really thought they were called the Always Winter Mountains. Of course, then we both had a good laugh.

We continued on to Milner's Pass. There was a pretty lake there. As we drove, we noticed tall sticks from trees stuck along the side of the road as snow gauges. It was no different at the side of the lake. We got our picture taken at the Continental Divide sign by another couple after we had taken their picture for them. We were very high up in the Rocky Mountains, thus Rocky Mountain High!

We headed back down towards Grand Lake. We decided to drive up to the Grand Lake Lodge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Outside the lodge were an antique firetruck and car. The view from the parking lot was very picturesque of the town and lake below. 

We drove into town and checked into our bed and breakfast, The Terrace Inn. It was right on the main street and had a small restaurant as well. The restaurant was only open to the guests for breakfast, but it was open to the public for dinner. There were different hours on Saturday and Sunday. Dean carried our bags up the flight of stairs to our room. It was very nice and cozy.

Before we left the bed and breakfast, we made reservations for dinner there after we did a little more exploring. We asked for directions to Adams Falls which was on the other side of the small town. It was early afternoon so we had time to go hike the .3 mile trail to this waterfall. The colors were beautiful as we walked the path. We climbed up the steps as we wound back and forth up the incline. The steps were steep and many were very tall. Finally, we reached the falls and were so glad we took the hike. There were several different sections to the waterfall. We just listened to the sound of the flowing water for awhile before taking pictures. As we started back down, we stopped at the big rocky area to take a few more pictures. It started to sprinkle so we quickly walked back to the car.

We left Adams Falls, headed back through town and then onto the Park. It was almost dusk so we wanted to go see if we could  find elk or moose. As we got closer, we saw 2 elk cows grazing. One was very close to the roadside while the other one was further back. Neither of them seemed to be spooked by the cars.

We continued on towards the Park and saw a lot of cars pulled over to the side of the road...always a good sign of animal sighting. Dean parked the car and we joined the other viewers. A Park Ranger came about the same time we did and was very calm and polite as he kept people on the road to view the wildlife. It was an elk bull and about 5-6 cows. They were back in the trees with a good-sized meadow between them and the road. The bull was in the far back and was bugling quite loudly. In the distance, there were several other bulls bugling back and forth. The bull never came out into the open where we could get a good look at all of him. However, we could see him rubbing his antlers on a big tree. We could see at least 6-7 points on at least one side, which are generally symmetrical on the other side. It was one huge bull. He was rubbing his antlers high on the tree, showing he was very tall with his antlers. The cows just stayed close by and ate the grass. As the bull got more agitated by the bugling calls, the cows started to slowly move in one direction. The bull gradually moved further back in the trees, taking his harem with him. We were able to catch a partial view of this bull on video, but not in pictures. Unfortunately, Robin needs to learn how to edit video before those can be posted. 

We got back in the car and continued into the Park. Before we got to the visitor center, Dean quickly stopped the car along the side of the road. There was a young, 2-point bull. He stared at us for a few seconds and then slowly moved along, stopping to eat along the way.

Driving on, we spied another young bull and a single cow out in a distance field. By now, it was getting dark so pictures were very hard to get. 

Heading back to the bed and breakfast, we saw a huge pine tree all lit up at the end of town. It was quite beautiful and very tall.

We got back to The Terrace Inn and were seated for dinner. It was a quaint little restaurant with only about 5-6 tables. We enjoyed our meals. It was nice to just relax and reflect on our day's activities. We planned what we were going to do for the next day and then headed up to bed. We had a heater in the room and were glad we did. The temperatures were chilly, but not freezing. It was nice to get the chill off before we went to sleep.