Rocky Mountain National Park

Although it is beautiful at Chambers Lake, and we would love to stay longer, it is now time to move on. We've had a few days to acclimatize to 9,200 feet, so now we're ready to tackle the rest of this high elevation state! The next leg of our journey is an 81 mile drive west, then south, then east to the southern entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park.

The drive is a bit of a shock. The forest at Chambers Lake was beautiful and full of gold and green from the trees. As we progress further into the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests, the devastation from the pine bark beetle becomes obvious. One-third to one-half of the pine trees in the forest are dead, so very sad to see. We stop just outside the Park entrance at Elk Creek Campground & RV Park in Grand Lake, CO (elev. 7540 ft.).

The campground has willows all around and is just a nice rustic setting. Apparently, willow is a favorite food of moose. The first day there, we met one of our neighbors who said he had a couple of run-ins with moose (including a face-to-face in the dark) in the campground. Although we kept an eye out, we did not see or meet any moose in the campground.






The day after our arrival, we check out a couple of other campgrounds, including Timber Creek Campground inside the park, as possible base camps. When we reach Timber Creek Campground, it's a little barren. Unfortunately, all of the trees in the campground have had to be cut down due to the pine bark beetle infestation. This and the fact that our RV is too large for any of the campsites, makes staying at Elk Creek Campground a much better option.

Another to do item is a drive on the Old Fall River Road. On entering the park for the drive, there are a lot of cars stopped along the roadside. This can only mean one thing, wildlife! It's a herd of elk in the meadow.

Our first chance to see them up close. There's a buck with a full set of antlers too. We get to hear him bugle; what a treat.

To get to Old Fall River Road, we must drive the Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest paved road in any National Park, cresting at 12,183 feet, to the opposite side of the park.

It was darn cold and very windy... for Wendy at the summit

The Old Fall River Road is the original auto road into Rocky Mountain National Park. It was opened in 1920 and the Park Service calls it "a motor nature trail." It is a one-way, uphill, gravel road that twists and turns and exits at the Alpine Visitors Center.

The next day is an easy hike through Coyote Valley, where we hope to see moose.

Someone on the trail sets us on to a bull, cow and calf he had seen down the road. We go down the road and find the moose resting. We do get a few so-so pictures before we are chased off by a park volunteer.



On the way off the trail from seeing the moose, Wendy twists her knee and can't even walk to the car. This means a visit to the emergency room and rest for the next couple of days of our stay.

Fortunately for Tom, he's not confined to the RV while Wendy recoups. He finds there is pickleball in Grand Lake and it's just up the road from our campground. As usual, he makes new friends who want him to stay, but we've got to be on our way.