Joe and Nancy

Joe and Nancy
Our Home on Wheels (Click on image above for our web albums.)

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Rocky Mountain National Park Day 3

Day three found us going to Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to take in the video on the Park, then driving over to Horseshoe Camp and the Alluvial Fan that resulted as a result of a dam break in 1982.
 
From Wiki:  Lawn Lake Dam was an earthen dam in RMNP that failed on July 15, 1982 at about 6 a.m. It is known as the flood of 1982. The sudden release of 30 million cubic foot (849,000 m³) of water resulted in a flash flood that killed three people camping in the park and caused $31 million in damage to the town of Estes Park, Colorado and other downstream areas.
Here is a pic I borrowed from the Loveland Reporter online.  It is Estes Park, CO after the dam break/flood.
While we were at the Alluvial Fan area, storm clouds were forming and thunder was rumbling through the mountains.  It had been storming the previous two nights, and more were coming, this morning.
And it finally came.  Hail too, and lightning & heavy rain.  Wow!
These two pics were from Lily Lake above Estes Park and there was a large group of kids there picnicking & hiking up the hillside. 
Once thought to be extinct, Colorado's famed greenback cutthroat trout is in the process of making a remarkable comeback. There are now over 50 waters along the Colorado Front Range where fisher-men can experience the thrill of catching this beautiful fish.  This lake is stocked with nothing but the Greenback trout.
Storm clouds
The Alpine Visitor building...the logs on top help hold the roof on due to high winds occasionally, over 100mph at times.  And below, at the visitor center.
Below, an exhibit in the visitor center.
Check the snow bank out below...
Here I am standing beside the headwaters of the mighty Colorado River, high up in mountains.
As we close out our visit to the RMNP, enjoy a few more "Kodak Moments".
Above, Rock Cut Pass at 12,000 feet near Alpine VC.
Note the near 90 year old man walking to the visitor center.  He did make it, but very slowly.  Also note the pole markers for the snow removal folks.  That's a lot of snow.
We were just amazed at beautiful scenery, no matter where we went these three days.  Only Glacier National Park rivals the wonderful beauty of this park.
These were the views from our campground.  Awesome!
So, our visit comes to an end.  :-(  ..but, we must keep the wagon pointed west towards Idaho.  So, from Billings, MT on July 4th, RVing Beach Bums celebrating our National Independence.  Happy Fourth!  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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