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Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
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Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
swift6
Yoda
Offline
So, my local club does what we call the Trail Ridge Run every year on Memorial day weekend. The Saturday of this weekend is the first day of the year that the National Park service opens Trail Ridge road (highest continuous paved road in North America) for the season, that is if the weather co-operates and doesn't snow it shut again, which happens about 25% of the time. We drive from Estes Park on the eastern side of the park, over the top and down to the western side and have a BBQ at a club members cabin in Silverthorn (just south of Grandby). Initial gathering is in Loveland, CO so our starting elevation is about 5000 feet. Then we drive up the Big Thompson Canyon to the rallye point for the rest of the club, Estes Park, elevation 7522. Estes Park and Loveland are the lowests points of elevation for this event.
This is the gathering in the Estes Park Library parking lot.
This is how Rocky Mountain National Park greets you when you enter through the Fall River Road gate.
Climbing Fall River Road to where it meets Trail Ridge Road is very casual and easy.
Once on Trail Ridge Road, you quickly climb and soon encounter remaining white stuff.
There is even more as you approach the treeline.
Above tree line, the wind blows most of the snow off the tundra and settles it into nooks crannies and other low spots.
Drifts that are still pretty thick this time of year and have to be cut through to open the road.
Until you pass the highest point of the road, 12,183 feet. Then it is literally 'all downhill from there'.
Where I caught up to a Fuel Injected MGB-GT and we 'attacked' the descent at slightly faster speeds than recommended. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
To the nice easy and scenic exit of the park torwards Grand Lake...
... before heading onto Granby and Silverthorn, elevation 7939 feet.
I chose not to backtrack on the return trip. Mostly becasue I wanted to visit on of my favorite, non Fort Collins, Micro Breweries and pick up some of their Imperial Maple Nut Brown to bring home and possibly ascend Mt. Evans.
The Brewery is called TommyKnockers and is Idaho Springs. Which is in the I-70 corridor below the Esinehower tunnels. To get there, I had to go through Winter Park and over Berthoud pass, 11,315 feet. Mt.Evans has the highest paved road (non-continuous), leading to the to the highest parking lot in North America at 14,264 feet but it wasn't open all the way to the top. They were still trying to clear the snow, so I'll do that one later and post more photos when I do. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
This is the gathering in the Estes Park Library parking lot.
This is how Rocky Mountain National Park greets you when you enter through the Fall River Road gate.
Climbing Fall River Road to where it meets Trail Ridge Road is very casual and easy.
Once on Trail Ridge Road, you quickly climb and soon encounter remaining white stuff.
There is even more as you approach the treeline.
Above tree line, the wind blows most of the snow off the tundra and settles it into nooks crannies and other low spots.
Drifts that are still pretty thick this time of year and have to be cut through to open the road.
Until you pass the highest point of the road, 12,183 feet. Then it is literally 'all downhill from there'.
Where I caught up to a Fuel Injected MGB-GT and we 'attacked' the descent at slightly faster speeds than recommended. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
To the nice easy and scenic exit of the park torwards Grand Lake...
... before heading onto Granby and Silverthorn, elevation 7939 feet.
I chose not to backtrack on the return trip. Mostly becasue I wanted to visit on of my favorite, non Fort Collins, Micro Breweries and pick up some of their Imperial Maple Nut Brown to bring home and possibly ascend Mt. Evans.
The Brewery is called TommyKnockers and is Idaho Springs. Which is in the I-70 corridor below the Esinehower tunnels. To get there, I had to go through Winter Park and over Berthoud pass, 11,315 feet. Mt.Evans has the highest paved road (non-continuous), leading to the to the highest parking lot in North America at 14,264 feet but it wasn't open all the way to the top. They were still trying to clear the snow, so I'll do that one later and post more photos when I do. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
