Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park

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June 12 – Wednesday morning - I'm at the Macdonald's in Estes Park having breakfast. I had a good, although a bit challenging drive up here yesterday as I came up on the "Peak to Peak Hwy” instead of the more usual (and advertised so tourist can take full advantage of shopping and restaurants), route though Bolder or Golden. I camped overnight at the Longs Peak campground and drove from there this morning. When I arrived at the main intersection of Hwy 34 and 36 in Estes Park the the MacDonald’s, Safeway, Visitor Center, a Shell station that had gas for $3.59 a gallon and etc were all there. As usual I took advantage of the cheap coffee and free internet at the MacDonalds. They have Wi-Fi and several tables with electrical plugs next to them. The Shell station with the $3.59 gas is across the parking lot from the MacDonalds and the Safeway is up the hill of the parking lot.

Across Hwy 34 from the MacDonalds is the Visitor Center. It has ample parking and free Internet as well although there are no tables and convenient plugs for using a laptop. There are some plugs if one doesn’t mind the indignity of sitting on the floor of a crowded visitor center to use them. They do have a free Estes Park Visitor Guide which I found to have the most useful maps for getting around Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park in the back of the magazine. There is also a description of a couple of scenic drives from Estes Park which looked interesting. www.visitestespark.com

The plan for today is to head up into Rocky Mountain National Park. Hopefully I will find a campground on the East side. If not I will cross over the Trail Ridge Road to the other side and get a campground on the West side of the Park near Lake Granby. Everyone says to get reservations this time of year but I don't do reservations and like to keep my options open, so there it is.

Wednesday Evening – I had a very long day today. After I finished catching up on email’s etc. at the MacDonalds I went up the hill a bit to the Safeway and stocked up on some groceries. I don’t expect to be having anywhere to shop in the park.

Then I went down the hill and across the street to the Estes Park Visitor Center. They had a sign that said there were no spaces left in the Aspenglen Campground. I told them I would go check and see. I did get a free map they had there of Estes Park and the Estes Park Area as well as Rocky Mountain National park. I found the ones in the visitors guide more useful however.

I then topped up my gas tank and drove thru Estes Park going through town instead of using the Hwy 34 bypass. I drove slow and careful so as to look things over as well as not run over any tourist or their kids who were crowding the sidewalks and trying to cross the street constantly. I noted the locations of a few places I would visit tomorrow or the next day.

I then drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park with a quick stop at the Fall River visitor center. They told me there were no spaces left at Aspenglen Campground. I told them I would go check.

I then went into the park through the Fall River entrance and 50 yards after going past the gate I turned left onto the road that went to Aspenglen Campground. I stopped at the entrance to the campground and rented a campsite for 2 days Wednesday and Thursday.

So I went to my site and backed my truck in and put all my food, cooking utensils and anything else that would possibly attract a bear to my site into a bear safe storage bin. Basically they want anything that a bear would eat in bear proof containers except me. What they want is for You to be the only food source not locked up if a bear invades the camp.

Actually I can’t say I am too worried about the bears. I’m more concerned that someone would steal all my food and stuff out of the unlocked bear proof bins while I am gone.

After I put my stuff away I drove further into the park on Hwy 34 and stopped to let the bighorn sheep cross the road at Sheep Lakes. They have crossing guards there to stop traffic. The bighorn sheep cross the road here to get to the mineral rich lakes so they can get necessary minerals in their diet. From what I understand they suck on the mud to get the minerals in the mud. So they are “mud sucking sheep” : )

I then proceeded on and turned onto the Old Fall River Road to a go to a place called Alluvial Fan which is the site of a huge flood a few years back. It has a large waterfall there surrounded by the boulders washed down by the flood. The waterfall was very impressive and I walked up a trail to it and spent almost an hour admiring the view.

Getting there when I drove down the Old Fall River Road I came to a bridge going over the rapids coming down the hill and then in about 50 yards there was a parking lot/picnic area where I could park to walk up the trail to the falls.

After checking out the waterfall for a bit I drove back to Hwy 34 and went south on it again. After a bit there was a turnout with a spectacular view of Horseshoe Park and the mountains behind. Very impressive.

I then continued on and at Deer Ridge Junction where instead of going right onto Trail Ridge Road I continued on straight onto Hwy 36 to the turnoff to Moraine Park visitor center and Bear Lake. It was closed but there is quite a good view of Beaver Meadows from it. There is a shuttle that will take you to Bear Lake if you wish. It is possible to drive to Bear Lake but the times and etc. are severely restricted. I have been to Bear Lake before and while it is quite nice I don't think it is worth all the trouble to get to it now.

From the visitors center I drove out towards Moraine Park Campground mainly to enjoy the view of Beaver Meadows closer up. The road went down to next to the Big Thompson River and continued up a bit and before getting to the Moraine Park campground I turned off on the road towards the source of the Big Thompson River. All along this route I saw large groups of Elk grazing.

I came to the little road that goes to the trailhead for the lake that is the source of the Big Thompson River. Fern Lake is the lake that is the source of the Big Thompson River. The sign by the smaller road said no vehicles over 25 ft. Well I don’t know how long my truck is but was thinking it would be crazy for me to go down that little road not knowing what it was like, especially this late in the day…..so after thinking it over a bit I headed down the road. The road was narrow but like in narrow roads in Ireland when vehicles met the one that had a bit wider spot pulled over onto it and let the other vehicle go by slowly. So I went down the road for a couple of miles and finally came to a total wilderness area that had a parking lot and a trailhead to the source of the Big Thomson River. So that was a bit anticlimactic. I had expected to get to a lake and all I got to was a trailhead to the lake. I certainly didn’t feel like hiking up to the lake this late in the day, or at this altitude.

So I headed back out to 36 and out of the Park and into Estes Park looking for something to eat. I ate a disappointing meal at a Mexican Restaurant I found and then walked down and then back up Elkhorn Avenue which is the shopping/restaurant area of Estes Park. I also walked along the path that runs along the Big Thompson River in Estes park and checked out the confluence of The Big Thompson River and Fall River where they meet in downtown Estes Park. I can’t say I would be too comfortable living in a town where two flood prone rivers meet.

In any case I walked from one end of town to the other and back again then got back into my truck to drive to the MacDonalds to get on the internet and send out an email of today’s events. I got a senior coffee to justify using their tables, electric plugs, and Internet (although I have never been challenged on it when I didn’t buy anything because the line was too long).

After finishing up on the Internet I took the Hwy 34 bypass around Estes Park to the Falls River entrance and back to the Aspenglen Campground.

It had been a tiring but very good day.

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Photos

Heading up into the park
Heading up into Rocky Mountain National park from the Fall River entrance.

Coming into Estes Park
Coming into Estes Park on the Peak to Peak Hwy.

My campsite at Aspenglen Campground
My campsite at Aspenglen Campground. It had a tent site, picnic table, and bear proof bin, so that I would be the only food source at the campsite available to the bears.

Bear Proof Bin
Everything but me was safely locked away from the bears.

Heading into the Park
Heading into the park from the Fall River entrance using Hwy 34. From Hwy 34 you can detour off onto the Old Fall River Road to check out the Alluvial Fan or continue on Hwy 34 over the Trail Ridge Road. Or at Deer Ridge Jct you can get on Hwy 36 to take to a detour to Moraine Park and Beaver Meadows or continue on Hwy 36 back into Estes Park.

The Alluvial Fan
Heading down Old Fall River Road after going over a small bridge there is a parking lot with a small picnic area where you can park and check out this beautiful waterfall.

Horseshoe Park
Horseshoe Park with the mountains for a background. Very scenic

The confluence of The Big Thompson and Fall River
The confluence of the Big Thompson and Fall River is in downtown Estes Park

Mexican food ??!
This passes for Mexican food. Now seriously folks......wild rice with Mexican food.

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

One of our favorite parts of the country
Scenic stunning and natural....so many ways to describe this little piece of serenity. What is the deal with the wild rice. They might get shot for that in Texas! Hope you are having fun.

[Sojourner1208]

no wild rice
No, wild rice just wouldn't cut it in Texas. Yes I'm having a great and unhurried time here in Colorado. : )