The TOP of the world!

We are in Estes Park, CO, just a short distance from Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a gorgeous spot. Yesterday (6/17) we drove Trail Ridge Road, a 48 mile stretch to Grand Lake, the highest continuous paved highway in America. Eleven miles of the road are above tree line with the highest elevation of 12,183 feet above sea level. You climb so quickly that we both were literally breathless as we were exposed to the thin air at the higher elevations. The road offers magnificent views of the Rocky Mountains. There are rest stops along the route and plenty of places to take a trail for those so inclined. The Alpine Visitor Center is the highest visitor center in any of the National Parks. There is no electricity, water, or waste treatment available so they have a diesel generator, store and process melt water and pump and truck waste daily to treatment facilities. One of the buildings still had its plumbing frozen and unusable. You really are in the heart of the Rockies here and it is magnificent. Our little Jeep performed well and we had no problems. We took a picnic with us and stopped on the east end of the Ridge Road. A couple of elk were just over the bank near a fast flowing stream. We saw lots of elk on our drive, several large bulls in velvet and a couple of herds that had to have at least a hundred animals. We also saw two moose. If more than one car was stopped along the road you knew somebody had seen something! We returned to our RV Park and Don spent the late afternoon trout fishing in a stocked pond here at the park. Don was only able to land one fish so it will take more effort before we have a fish dinner. Three elk ambled through the park during this time, coming within 50 yards of our motor home. In Colorado the animals come to you!