From thunder to tundra

After the presentations today, Dolberry headed northeast to Rocky Mountain National Park. Just like last year, there was a little bit of squally sun-rain heading out of Boulder, but by the time I hit Estes Park, it was basically broad blue sky.

Drove up the Trail Ridge road to the Tundra Nature Trail. It starts at 12, 115 feet and climbs another 250 feet on the 1 mile walk. Wow, the air is thin up that high. Hard to breathe and walk at the same time sort of thin. And despite being pre-hydrated to past flood stage, I had a bit of a headache as well getting started. Thankfully they have little information signs every 50 yards or so that you can stop and read (e.g., "lichen is a fascinating example of tundra adaptation") ... while not betraying you would have had to stop to catch your breath anyway. It was a wee bit chilly up there ... maybe mid-50's and breezy. Unlike the other trail folk, Dolberry was dressed uncomfortably in a t-shirt and shorts.

I'm not sure if it was the oxygen-deficit or natural goofiness, but I did the last stages of the "out" portion of the trail as Gollum ... cursing the nasty hobbitses while searching for my precious. You had to be there. At the end, you can climb up these rocks and cast a near-sunset shadow about a quarter of a mile down and maybe 200 yards long.

Sitting up there ... saw a herd of elk cross the road and head across the snowfields below me. Beautiful glacier lakes, humorous-looking marmots, and even higher mountain tops shining in the sun were no match for the best sight of all ... the restrooms at the trailhead. I probably peed for 3 minutes.

Anyway, great day. Wish you guys were there as well. Am guessing that Dolberry was the only person in a 50-mile radius w/o a camera, but these ones off the interwebs were pretty much what it looked like (except w/o the hunched over hobbit-like creature skulking up the trail). Thanks to the photographer at the interwebs for making them available.