Rocky Mountain [Colorado] National Park Part 2

FAUNA AND FLORA

The national park is a sanctuary for wildlife. Animals and birds are protected from hunting. Living trees may not be cut or injured. Flowers may not be picked. The cooperation of visitors is requested, in order that the wildlife of the park may be protected, that the flowers may continue in their present abundance, and that the forests of the park may not suffer injury from fire or other cause.

ANIMALS

The lofty rocks are the natural home of the celebrated Rocky Mountain sheep, or bighorn. This animal is much larger than any domestic sheep.

It is powerful and wonderfully agile. When fleeing from enemies these sheep, even the lambs, make remarkable descents down seemingly impossible slopes. They do not land on their curved horns, as many persons declare, but upon their four feet held closely together. Landing on some nearby ledge, which breaks their fall, they immediately plunge downward again to another ledge, and so on till they reach good footing in the valley below. They also ascend slopes surprisingly steep. They are more agile even than the celebrated chamois of the Swiss Alps, and are larger, more powerful, and much handsomer. A flock of a dozen or more mountain sheep making their way along the volcanic flow which const.i.tutes Specimen Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park is an unforgettable sight.

The beaver, whose dams and other structures, both old and new, found along most streams at middle alt.i.tudes, are rarely seen except at night or very early morning. Elk occur in numerous places, and deer which are widely distributed are commonly seen. Coyotes and brown or black bear are occasionally seen, but these, like the mountain lion, bobcat, and small carnivorous animals, are not only rare, but so wary that they are seldom seen by visitors.

Among smaller animals, the most familiar are the marmot or woodchuck, Freemont or pine squirrel, three kinds of chipmunks, and the interesting little cony or pika, which lives among the rocks on high mountains and is more often heard than seen. In all, over 60 species of mammals live in the park.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ELK HERD GRAZING IN PARK MEADOW]

BIRDS

The commonest species are the western robin, the beautiful mountain bluebird, and, at middle elevations, the chickadee and junco. The hermit thrush and the solitaire, generally cla.s.sed among the finest songbirds in the world, are both fairly common in suitable localities; and but little inferior to these in musical performance are the purple finch, ruby-crowned kinglet, western meadowlark, and rock and canyon wrens. The graceful violet-green swallow is unsurpa.s.sed in beauty of form and color, and the crested jay, magpie, and nutcracker are conspicuous for their handsome appearance and vigorous flight. Among birds particularly interesting because of curious and unusual habits are the broadtailed hummingbird, water ouzel, campbird, nuthatch, nighthawk, and the ptarmigan, pipit, and rosy finch of the high peaks.

Although widely distributed through the park, birds are more numerous along streams and near open marshes and meadows than in the dense forests.

About 100 species are found regularly in summer, and nearly 150 have been recorded during the whole year.

FLOWERS

This park is especially notable for the presence of the blue columbine and many beautiful flowers of the gentian and primrose families; for the profusion of dwarf alpine plants on the meadows above timberline; and for the brilliance of certain species found in moist glades of the subalpine zone. Striking examples of the latter are the tall blue larkspur and monkshood, of many vivid hues, and the curious little red elephant.

Conspicuous and characteristic flowers of the lower alt.i.tudes are the mariposa lily, iris, wallflower, gaillardia, and numerous species of cinquefoil, pentstemon, and evening primrose. Among the less common groups, several delicate species of orchid, pyrola, violet, and anemone will delight the botanist. Over 700 distinct species of flowering plants have been collected within the park, and doubtless many more await discovery and identification by the careful student.

TREES

The princ.i.p.al trees are the Engelmann spruce, which forms extensive primeval forests in the subalpine region, the lodgepole pine, the prevailing tree of middle elevation, very common in second growth, and the ponderosa pine, a large spreading tree, occurring mainly in the lower valleys and foothills. The limber pine is frequent in high rocky places, a.s.suming picturesque forms at timberline, and the Douglas fir, or false hemlock, is widely distributed, while the blue spruce and alpine fir are confined to moist stream banks. In addition to the coniferous trees, there are three species of poplar, of which the commonest is the well-known quaking aspen, growing in scattered groves throughout the park.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ICEBERG LAKE FROM TRAIL RIDGE ROAD]

_Clatworthy photo._

AUTOMOBILE TRIPS

DENVER CIRCLE TRIP

The Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, offers a grand circuit of Colorado's beauties that forms one of the most attractive and impressive of the scenic automobile trips of our country.

The trip starts from Denver, crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pa.s.s in Rocky Mountain National Park, reaches Grand Lake, crosses the Continental Divide again at Berthoud Pa.s.s, traverses the Denver Mountain Parks, and returns to Denver, having completed without any duplication 240 miles of comfortable travel through magnificent country, full of interest and variety; the trip can be made in 2 days or it can be prolonged to suit individual time and inclination. It combines in one trip half a dozen features, any one of which by itself would be worth the journey. The Rocky Mountain Parks Transportation Co. operates daily scheduled trips over this route during the summer season.

On leaving Denver the road leads out Federal Boulevard, crosses Westminster Heights, from which point there is an extensive view of the Great Plains to the east and a panorama of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to the west, stretching out before the eye from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak, a rampart of mighty mountains, 125 miles from end to end.

The road then pa.s.ses through a farming section, where irrigation has turned what was once an arid plain into a richly productive district.

Fields of deep green alfalfa alternate with the waving wheat, and in the fall of the year the harvesting and thres.h.i.+ng add new life to the landscape. Next is the town of Lafayette, where coal mining is the princ.i.p.al industry, and then the road traverses a sugar-beet country.

Colorado is the sugar bowl of the United States, and here is one of the regions where the beets are most successfully grown. At Longmont and Loveland are large factories, where sugar is extracted from the beets and refined for table use. At Loveland the road turns westward and soon plunges into the precipitous canyon of the Thompson River, where it follows the turns of the das.h.i.+ng stream, walled in by towering cliffs.

Then comes the village of Estes Park at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park and half surrounded by it. From the green of the meadowland the eye follows the slope, up, up, up, over timbered hills and rocky cliffs, past timberline to the crest of the Continental Divide where snow lingers, and to Longs Peak.

Continuing the journey, two routes lie open to the motorist. One of these follows up the valley of Fall River, 2 miles beyond the Fall River gateway, and then turns left over a portion of the Highdrive to the beginning of the new Trail Ridge Road.

The other road leads past the Government museum and information office to Moraine Park and Deer Ridge, with a magnificent view of Longs Peak and the Continental Divide.

The Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous automobile road in America. Its 4-mile section over 12,000 feet in alt.i.tude is probably the longest stretch of road ever built at such a height. The trip to Grand Lake on this road is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. The road climbs to the very crest of the range and then follows the ridge. Valleys and parks lie thousands of feet below, rivers look like tiny silver threads, and automobiles on the highways of the floor of the valley resemble minute moving dots.

To the south an unexcelled view of the most rugged portion of the Front Range is spread out, while to the north, across Fall River Valley, the view is dominated by the majestic Mummy Range, and the course of the old Fall River Road may be traced as it zigzags up the slope of Mount Chapin toward Fall River Pa.s.s. Over a 350-foot cliff one may look into fascinating Iceberg Lake, a rock-bound crystal pool on which float blocks of ice.

A short distance beyond Iceberg Lake the highest point on the road is reached, 12,183 feet above sea level; the road descending to Fall River Pa.s.s, elevation 11,797 feet, which divides the waters of the Thompson River from those of the Cache la Poudre. The view from this point is unsurpa.s.sed. Below lie streams, valleys, forested slopes, and the realms of civilization. All around are mountains and peaks, no longer towering above but close at hand or seen across some mighty valley. One can easily trace the work done by the glaciers during the ice age on these mountain ranges; the broad U-shaped valleys and precipitous amphitheaters or cirques at the head of the streams are the typical glacial signs, written in bold letters on the landscape. To the south is Trail Ridge. Iceberg Lake, walled in by cliffs, is only a mile distant, though not in sight. To the west is Specimen Mountain, interesting because of the variety of color in its volcanic rocks, geodes lined with crystalline material, volcanic gla.s.s, and other curious formations. It is also the home of the mountain sheep.

Farther to the west lies the Medicine Bow Range, or, as the Indians so picturesquely named it, the "Never Summer" range. Of its many peaks the most prominent are Bowen, Nimbus, Red, c.u.mulus, Howard, Lead, and, highest of all in this range, Mount Richthofen, 12,953 feet in elevation. Strange as it may seem, Milner Pa.s.s lies below, and one descends in order to cross the Continental Divide. The road drops down into the forest zone, pa.s.ses Poudre Lakes, and crosses Milner Pa.s.s at an elevation of 10,759 feet. The Atlantic slope lies behind and, crossing the backbone of the continent, one travels down the Pacific slope to the headwaters of the Colorado River. The valley of the North Fork is hemmed in by mountains. The Continental Divide makes a loop here and blocks progress to the west, north, and east. The valley opens to the south, however, and the road proceeds down the north fork of the Colorado River.

Grand Lake, the sapphire gem on the western edge of the national park, is one of the largest and most beautifully situated lakes in the State.

It is a mile and a half in length and nearly a mile in width. Its clear, cold water is of great depth. The lake lies at an elevation of 8,369 feet and claims the highest yacht club in the world. The annual regatta is an event of much interest. At the head of the lake Mount Craig rises to a height of 12,005 feet, while Shadow Mountain, Bryant, Wescott, and Mount Enentah are nearby.

This is a point of concentration for park visitors where nearly everybody spends at least one night. Fis.h.i.+ng, boating, horseback riding, and mountain climbing are some of the outdoor attractions.

Leaving the lake, the road follows down the Colorado River, pa.s.ses the town of Granby, and commences the climb up a beautifully timbered valley to Berthoud Pa.s.s. Here, close to timberline, the watershed between the two oceans is again crossed. The road approaches near Georgetown, famed for its railroad loop, and then pa.s.ses through Idaho Springs, with its hot springs and medicinal baths. Soon the valley of Clear Creek is left behind and the climb to Bergen Park is made where the Denver Mountain Parks are entered. In this region is Lookout Mountain, where Colonel Cody, "Buffalo Bill", is buried, overlooking the plains he knew so well.

From Wildcat Point there is a splendid view of foothills and plains, with Denver some 12 or 14 miles away.

BEAR LAKE ROAD

The Bear Lake Road pa.s.ses the Glacier Basin public campground, 7 miles from Estes Park, and then follows up the valley of Glacier Creek, pa.s.sing near Sprague's Lodge, and ends at Bear Lake, 12 miles from Estes Park. This is one of the best roads within the park boundaries. Bear Lake Lodge, on the eastern sh.o.r.e of the lake, offers good accommodations. The trail to Loch Vale starts from the Bear Lake Road, about 10 miles from Estes Park. From this trail or from Bear Lake the hiker can reach some beautiful and scenic country, including Glacier Gorge, Loch Vale, Dream Lake, and Tyndall Gorge. The trail to Fern Lake and the Flattop Trail to Grand Lake may be conveniently reached from Bear Lake. North Longs Peak Trail also leaves the road at this point.

LOOP TRIP

One may combine portions of several roads by taking what is known as the loop trip. Starting from Estes Park, the route follows the Fall River Road up to Chasm Falls and back to Horseshoe Park, then over Deer Ridge to Beaver and Moraine Parks, then a side trip up the Bear Lake Road and back, returning to Estes Park by the Moraine Park Road. This loop trip takes one by many of the hotels and other points of interest and offers scenic views. The circuit of the Highdrive is 17 miles. Including the trip to Bear Lake and other points, the distance is about 40 miles.

LONGS PEAK AND WILD BASIN TRIP

The main road to the Longs Peak district comes in just east of the village of Estes Park, skirting the east boundary of the park to its south-east corner. It pa.s.ses between Longs Peak and the Twin Sisters, a detached area of the park on which a fire lookout is stationed, and several of the finest foot trips in the park are accessible from this road.

Continuing in a southerly direction, the road skirts the eastern boundary of the park and leads to Copeland Lodge on North St. Vrain Creek. From this point a trail leads into Wild Basin, a very attractive though less frequented portion of the park.

The road continues to Allens Park, thence to Ward, Nederland, and Boulder; another road leads down the South St. Vrain to Lyons.