BTW # 25 Back to the West Journey
Sunday July 15, 2012
Rocky Mtn Nat Pk , Colorado
Timber Creek camp ... Drive to the peak
From Timber Creek camp on the west side of RMNP, head east on hwy 34 -- the ONLY road through the RMNP. West to East... the best way/ drive.
Timber Creek camp ... Drive to the peak
From Timber Creek camp on the west side of RMNP, head east on hwy 34 -- the ONLY road through the RMNP. West to East... the best way/ drive.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
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coffee and oat gruel. a walk down to the headwaters of the Colorado River.... it starts here!!! Wetlands meadows. The Colorado river is 6" to 1' here ; no trout fishing here.... maybe downstream.
Leave out from Timber Creek camp... we're at 9,000' elev now. a couple of miles of great scenic drive of pristine forest. and the ascent starts. Up.... and I mean up. 6% grade up. 15mph at times. Switchback curves in places. Amazing rock strata in some of the road cuts.
Stop at scenic overlook.... the Timber Creek camp and Colorado river headwaters valley below... really scenic. A great view.
On, up, up , up... mountain road... up , climbing.... scenic forest. Cool, thin air. Come to the 2 mile mark. a marker stating that we're at 10, 480'.... = 2 miles above sea level.
On another couple of miles of switchback / hairpin curves in places and come to Pass -- THE Continental Divide. 12,000 ' to the east is a meadow and small lake. The meadow to the west has 4 huge elk grazing. 2 have huge antler racks.
On, up mountains to the west have snowpack. A few miles and come to a clearing. Coming from sub - alpine forest now.... there is "Tuckamore" = pine trees that are growing bent... leaning over... branches leaning how the wind blows. "Tuckamore" was the term the rangers --Ranger Hank-- in Newfoundland used to describe these wind leaning trees.
we're at treeline now. The northern edge of sub- alpine forest has given way to alpine tundra = NO trees above "Treeline". Trees won't grow / survive above this 11,000' level. It's just Alpine meadow / tundra grass now.
We are touching the heavens now; my god this is beautiful beyond description. Thank you for allowing me to see this today.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
StoneBearTracks Copyright MMXV ALL blog posts and photographs ALL Rights reserved
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