We were up before the sun rose. Not, as it turned out, because we needed to be. Our sleep requirements don't always agree with our plans, and our plans don't always accomodate a full cycle of sleep. We knew we had alot of driving to do, we underestimated though how little we would stop. Just when I was beginning to believe the Rocky Mountains were not so rocky afterall, today proved to be full of great views and yes, lots of craggy rocks. Driving the eastern portion of the Rockies we found no time restrictions as this area is construction free.
The rise of the mountains are gradual and smooth so when we were almost 12,000 above sea level it took me by suprise. The vantage point at the crest of the mountain allows a beautiful panoramic view of the rocks and valley below. Sadly a beetle is wreaking havok on our National Parks, at least the western ones and has destroyed countless trees, literally draining the life from them. It certainly makes the view a little less enjoyable and though we have come across the damage in virtually every park we've been in, here it seemed most severe.
Now our next stop may make some question our sense of direction, but it's actually much easier to just hop back over the border to see Cheyenne than having gone completely out of our way to see it when we were first in WY. Since Cheyenne does not have a Walmart we were exiled to Laramie. The upside is we watched the Hunger Games and ate a tub of icecream. What an upside it was!
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
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