Rocky Mountain National Park (Furthur Megavacation Day 7)

The teepee we slept in at Yampa River State Park, all tucked back in the trees.  It was pretty incredible.

That is me sleeping back there.   Matt took the photo through the teepee door from outside.

The view looking up from my bed.  I like it.

Isn't the sun in the grass just radiant?!

Then it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to Rocky Mountain National Park.

We'd read that autumn was one of the best times to visit Rocky Mountain NP because of all the aspen trees and the changing leaves. 

 

It surely didn't disappoint. 

This day was pure aspen heaven.  They are just everywhere and their fall transformation is really, really something.

We stopped for lunch (and juggling) and the Hobison Meadows picnic area....

 

...which made our timing just perfect to happen upon moose crossing the road.

But I mostly got shots of their rear ends.

None the less it always makes me excited to cross paths with one.  This now bumps my moose total to 11.

I blame this dorky posed photo on Matt.  It was all his idea, though Josh and I were willing participants I suppose.

 

 

The Trail Ridge Road (US34) which takes you through the park is the highest paved through road in America.   The highest point on the road is at 12,183 feet, well above the treeline and into tundra.

The Alpine Visitor Center is at 11, 796 feet in elevation.

In the valley below the visitors center there were quite a number of elk.  While the females rather contentedly grazed and bedded down in the grass the males were doing a little sparring.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess this is the above the treeline part, wouldn't you say?!

But, what goes up must come down and soon enough we were back in the aspens and then out of the park.

I am a sucker for old time candy stores.  We'd been on the look out for one at several stops on the trip prior to this.  We found a couple, but they were already closed for the season.  In Estes Park, right outside the park, I finally found one that was open.  Oddly enough my last post involving moose (which I linked above) also involved an old time candy store.  I thought that was quite the coinkeedink!

 

The boys waiting for more tunes and chatting during set break at the first night of the Furthur Red Rocks run.