RV Mountain Adventure, Part 5 - Rocky Mountain National Park: Trail Ridge Road

Each day of this trip was a new highlight, but this final adventure was my ultimate highlight. Trail Ridge Road winds its way across RMNP, from Estes Park to Grand Lake. The road climbs up through pine forests, along cliffs, and eventually above the tree line for a stretch. Grant captained the RV on the beautiful yet stressful drive to the Continental Divide.





We attempted to embark on an epic hike from Milner Pass up the ridge and on to the peak of Mount Ida. We were bummed out when the slopes were covered in deep snow and ice (in June!) and too steep to get very far.





We had some fun, but soon aborted mission and headed back to the Alpine Visitor Center. It ended up being a blessing about the snow because the dreary skies quickly transformed into a violent thunderstorm. We waited out the storm in the visitor center, but before it completely cleared we chanced death (from lightening, like I needed that again - heart was thumping) by scrambling up to the peak of the highest hill around.





With some great luck the clouds dissipated in front of our eyes, so we took off from the visitor center on a hike. This views here were simply jaw-dropping - panoramic views of snow-capped mountains around us and a pine-covered valley below us. We could see the origins of the Cache la Poudre River, which is the river where we previously had a tremendously memorable time whitewater rafting. This epic view is exactly what I was hoping to see by coming to the Rockies. No matter how nerdy it is; I couldn’t help but wish we were in The Lord of the Rings on a quest through Middle-Earth. I want to see mountains, Gandalf. Mountains! I took tons 'o pics up there and this is the best I could do to cut down to my favorites. I eventually want to group some of these into panoramas.

















To cap the whole trip off, see the mighty, squarish Long's Peak (the highest peak in RMNP) in the background of the final photo taken during the drive back to the campground.