Steep Climb

The Crater trail is a steep climb of 720 feet in less than a mile.

Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane-force winds made our stop at the top quite brief.  You could lean into the wind and have it hold you aloft.  One man lost his hat, and Timm chased it down the hill, finally catching the hat when it snagged a small bush.

The Crater

The Crater was named when it was believed to be the crater of a past volcano.  Subsequent studies determined that The Crater is actually a natural bowl, and its layers of volcanic rock erupted from another volcano that used to reside nearby.

Specimen Mountain

Theresa is walking up a side trail, with The Crater behind her, and Specimen Mountain rising high above.  The mountain sits in the Specimen Mountain Research Natural Area, one of three areas officially designated in the park by the Worldwide Biological Program.  These areas are part of a larger system of protected zones that are used for scientific and education purposes.

Broad Valley

You can see the stark difference between the clear tundra and the alpine forest in this broad valley.

Lake Twins

Rocky Mountain NP has 147 lakes of various shapes and sizes.

Reminds Us of Alaska

There are no trails in some areas of the park, so you may find yourself walking over broad expanses of open tundra, very similar to the experience in Alaska.  When hiking in tundra, spread out and don’t hike single file.  Also try to step on the rocks as much as possible, as some of the tiny tundra plants take centuries to regrow if damaged.

Next: Lake Irene >>