At the Top of the World in Rocky Mountain National Park!

Fall yellows in Rocky Mountain National Park beckon the spirit.

Even though our mid-80 temps each day would confuse one into thinking that summer continues, it is, in fact, autumn in God's Country.

The High Country is under no illusion that it is still summer.  It is most definitely autumn, just a cold gust of wind away from the first tastes of winter.

It is an annual pilgrimage to make one's way into the mountains to breath in the crisp fall air and behold the colors of aspen in all their stunning beauty.  Bringing my cameras is mandatory.

We like to start our journey with a stop in Estes Park, enjoying lunch at the historic and haunted Stanley Hotel.  Views from the front balcony will take your breath away.

  
It is a short drive to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Even though we went last Tuesday afternoon, all three gates were staffed with Park personnel and traffic was consistent and strong.

We are frequent visitors to the park and have favorite photo stops.  This is our first one.  In the winter it's not unusual to see this park filled with elk.  Today it was filled with color.

On this day we were rewarded when we got to our first dramatic viewing area--the road was still open to continue further into the park!!  You might laugh at this, but I've not been "further into the park"-- last year it was closed due to flooding, the year before because of wildfires and we were chained to box busting our first summer here.  It is always closed in winter.  So, seeing the road open, my heart sang and we continued up in elevation!!

The scenery begins to transform as one gets higher in elevation.  You know you're getting near the tree line when you see the deformed and stunted krummholz trees clinging to the rocky sides of steep inclines.  They are favorites of mine, because they find a way to grow despite the altitude, the ferocious winds and arctic temperatures.  

The weather was so changeable providing dramatic ominous clouds, bursts of sunbeams, squalls of cold rain, freezing wind and it was all ideal for a trek to the top of the world!!

Ken and I chided each other since we had considered bringing our gloves but since it was mid-80s at home we decided (foolishly,) how cold could it get?

Actually, pretty darn cold with the wind chill.  We know better, of course, but even the weather veterans can get lulled into under packing for a trip to the High Country!

We stopped for breathtaking views of the mountain ranges and quickly headed back to the car to warm up and continue going up.

We were amused to snap a photo of the Marmot and a description of this sub-alpine animal, never expecting to actually see one.

But, as we drove up the two-lane highway near some rocks there was a Marmot scampering out onto the road!  Of course everyone came to a stop until it decided to make its way back to the safety of the rocks!

As the cold air thinned due to our increase in elevation, we noticed that even our short walks to scenic view points took more breath.  It's odd to realize how much altitude affects the body.

As we continued our climb, I should point out that if you are at all nervous about driving on roads in which the drop-off is a sheer cliff, this might not be the trip for you.  

I read that this is the highest paved highway in America and it's easy to see why it has this distinction as one keeps going up.

It's about at this point in the trip that we are at 12,000 feet elevation.  The vertical stick in the top photo on the right hand side by the way is a marker familiar to areas in which the snow gets so deep that one loses all sense of the road.  Trying to make one's way during the height of winter could get very scary without markers to at least hint at the way,

One comes down from the rocky top to reach this remote and wonderful visitor center and gift shop!!!  Honestly, it was packed with visitors from all over the world.

(I confess I had to have my souvenirs, too.)

The building sits rugged and sturdy on the edge of what seems like a big crater that still has snow in its basin. It is solar powered, runs off a generator and has water brought to it.  The outhouses are water-less, as one might expect at that altitude and location.

This is fragile sub-alpine tundra at this elevation.  We're way above timber line and what manages to grow is low to the ground and resilient in ways I can only imagine.

Finally, it's time to head back down, through the mountains, saying goodbye to a splendid and serendipitous adventure of seeing the fall colors AND traveling to the top of the world!!