{"id":10424,"date":"2018-03-05T11:27:37","date_gmt":"2018-03-05T16:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traun-photo.com\/dan\/?p=10424"},"modified":"2020-06-20T10:19:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-20T15:19:28","slug":"trail-ridge-road-rmnp-rockymountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/traun-photo.com\/dan\/trail-ridge-road-rmnp-rockymountains\/","title":{"rendered":"TRAIL RIDGE ROAD \u2013 RMNP \u2013 #rockymountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

TRAIL RIDGE ROAD<\/h1>\n

Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park’s heavily traveled highway to the sky.\u00a0 It inspired awe before the first motorist ever traveled it. “It is hard to describe what a sensation this new road is going to make,” predicted Horace Albright, director of the National Park Service, in 1931 during the road’s construction. “You will have the whole sweep of the Rockies before you in all directions.” ~National Park Service<\/p>\n

From Kawuneeche Visitor Center at the park’s\u00a0Grand Lake<\/a>\u00a0Entrance, Trail Ridge Road follows the North Fork of the\u00a0Colorado River\u00a0north through the\u00a0Kawuneeche Valley. There are several trailheads along this section of the road, notably the Colorado River Trailhead, which is the western terminus of the road segment closed during the winter.<\/p>\n

The road crosses the\u00a0Continental Divide\u00a0at\u00a0Milner Pass\u00a0(elev. 10,758\u00a0ft or 3,279\u00a0m) and reaches a maximum elevation of 12,183\u00a0ft (3,713\u00a0m), near\u00a0Fall River Pass\u00a0(elev. 11,796\u00a0ft or 3,595\u00a0m). Near the highest point on the road is another pass, Iceberg Pass (elev. 11,827\u00a0ft or 3,605\u00a0m).<\/p>\n

\"Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

Trail Ridge is a high flat spur range extending east from the main range of the Rockies between Fall River in the North and the\u00a0Big Thompson River\u00a0in the South. The road follows Trail Ridge from the Fall River Pass near Alpine Visitor Center to the Deer Ridge Junction. ~wikipedia<\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rocky Mountain National Park<\/h2>\n

The map below indicate the location of where the photos below were taken.\u00a0 GPS coordinates from you smart phone photos are very handy when you return from a trip.\u00a0 You can load your smartphone photos into Lightroom and plot out your whole trip.\u00a0 This is exactly why I try to take a photo with my phone every time we stop.\u00a0 Even if there really isn’t anything picturesque…it still plots the course.<\/p>\n

\"Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

We entered RMNP from the east at Estes Park.\u00a0 The photos will flow in order from east to west; A-H.\u00a0 I have yet to travel Old Fall River Road (see video below); it’s on my list for the next visit to CO and RMNP.<\/p>\n

A – Deer Ridge Junction<\/h3>\n

\"Deer<\/a><\/p>\n

B – Rainbow Curve Overlook<\/h3>\n
\"Rainbow <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Rainbow <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

C – Sundance Creek Overlook<\/h3>\n
\"Sundance <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Sundance <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

D – Forest Canyon Overlook<\/h3>\n
\"Forest <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Forest <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Forest <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Forest <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Forest <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Forest <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Forest <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

E – Mushroom Rocks Area<\/h3>\n

\"Mushroom<\/a><\/p>\n

F – Lava Cliffs Overlook<\/h3>\n
\"Lava <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Lava <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

G – Alpine Visitor Center Overlook<\/h3>\n
\"Alpine <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Alpine <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

H – Lake Irene<\/h3>\n
\"Lake <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Lake <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

EXTRA<\/h2>\n