Rocky Mountain National Park

I have been asked to be a member of a project team on a new product for work and got to attend the first training on the product in Denver in December. My boss was nice enough to allow me to tack on the little bit of airfare to have a stopover in Dallas. I was able to visit my parents and see their new house or what seems like a mansion to me. I guess I have been in Europe to long. I forget how big a typical US house is now.

It was great seeing all of the family and I really enjoying meeting everyone in Dallas for BBQ.

The training was interesting but being able to come out of the office with a view of the Rockies was great. I also meet some guys one evening for diner I went to high school with and had not seen in 20 years. It was interesting catching up.

I got one free day while I was in Colorado and decided to use it to visit Rocky Mountain national park.

It was lightly snowing and really overcast when I left Denver but once I got to Estes Park the clouds went away and the sun came out and turned into a glories Colorado day. I stopped at a park in Estes Park and took a couple of pictures and then headed to the national park. Just at the edge of Estes Park I came across a herd of bighorn sheep grazing on the side of the road. They did not seem too scared of cars but when I stopped and got out to take a picture they turned camera shy and took off running down the road.

I drove around a bit in the park but a lot of the roads in the park where closed due to the snow. I think I cover all of the roads that were open in the part of the park next to Estes Park. I enjoyed coming across a herd of elk in a meadow next to one of the roads through the park but found it more interesting to see some elk that were across a steam in the middle of the woods. I tried to get a good picture but my camera is not really good for wildlife pictures. I think this one is the best that I got.

At one of the parking lots in the park I saw a number of people that used snow shoes and seemed to walk some of the park’s trails in the winter. This is something I have never done and wonder if it is a lot of work walking with those big things on your feet?

I headed out of the park back through Estes Park and noticed a large herd of elk just at the edge of the town. I drove back to Denver going through Big Thompson Canyon which I blog about back in 2009 at ”Good Day” .

Not really many good places to stop and take pictures so you will just have to believe me Big Thompson Canyon makes for a pretty drive. I think it would be a great drive with a convertible where you could get a better view of the canyon.

The following day it was time for the long flight back to Amsterdam and the cold.