Rocky Mountain National Park

[BrightKnight]

Never Summer Mountains





Bighorn Sheep



Tundra





Elk



Copyright 2008, All rights reserved

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Rocky Mountain National Park is still very beautiful.

It is too bad that the bark beetles have killed so many of the trees. I spent a few days backpacking on the west side of the park. I hiked for hours through areas near Grand Lake with nearly 100% tree kill. It was very depressing and I nearly turned around before I reached a forrest with some of densest and largest ancient growth trees I have ever seen. They reminded me a little of old growth rain forrest trees in Washington State. I hiked through several areas like that. If the Park Service does not spray them I am sure these remaining old growth jewels will be dead in a few years.



Dead Tree Forest



Hanging My Pack in the Dead Tree Forest

[Maestro]

1. Wow!

Nice photos but number 3 really stands out...great comp!

[JeffR]

2. Great photos!

I especially love the first one, and a little "never summer" would be nice right now...

[BrightKnight]

6. Dallas had 100 degree days in early June.

In early June I spent a week backpacking in the Ozarks and the heat was unbearable. It felt like I was hiking in an oven bag.

By mid June I needed to find someplace cool. I probably would have chosen Denali if I were not afraid of backpacking in Grizzly territory.

“Never Summer Mountains” is actually the name of the range and the area in the picture is called the “Never Summer Wilderness Area.“ I definately found the cool alpine wilderness that I was looking for. Unfortunately many of the back country sites were still snow covered and getting permits for trips more than a few days was almost impossible.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

3. that's really sad what the bark beetles have done.....jays'us

I didn't realize how bad they were until you posted your photos.

Great photos!!

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Beautiful!

I remember going to Rocky Mountain National Park when I was a kid. It's really a gorgeous place.

Too bad about the bark beetles. We've had quite a problem with them up here, too, as I mentioned in my Gull Rock/Hope photos, but one thing I did notice is that when the trees fall it opens the area up for all kinds of new growth, which maybe isn't a bad thing in the long run, kind of like the vegetation that springs up after a fire.

There's nothing so certain as change.

[chitty]

5. I really like the second shot.

They almost look fake.