IS TRAIL RIDGE STORE READY TO OPEN?

May 30, 2015

It's been a "WAITING WEEK."  We'd go to breakfast, and then wait to hear if today was the day to travel up the mountain on Trail Ridge Road.  The National Park Service is responsible for making the decision. Our portion of Colorado has received rain in 25 of 29 days, with the high country receiving SNOW.  We were all getting antsy to get going, as most of us had been here ready to work for two weeks.  But on Wednesday, we made our first trek to the top, CHISELING out the store - hard work.  

 

By Thursday, we were hauling merchandise into the store, and on Friday, we had readied the store to be opened today.  Thank goodness for all the younguns we have on our employee team that did most of the grunt work.  

 

Here are some of the other highlights of the week:

 

 

 

• hiked two miles (and 1000 feet gain in elevation) to Gem Lake, a spectacular subalpine lake with Teresa, Sherri, Lars and Tyler.  While there, we witnessed a proposal!  Tears of joy for them!
• toured Alluvial Fan, created by Roaring River, Fall River, and Aspenglow Campground to become familiar with RMNP.  Saw adult great-horned owl protecting two owlets (a first for me), as well as four Bighorn ewes.
• ate my first elkburger 
• walked around Lake Estes, a four mile hike
• froze my bum off, sitting on pit toilets up on the mountain top
• attended "Broadway in Estes," a musical comedy performed by local musicians
• visited by my niece, Erika, and her friend, Lindsey

 

 

It's been an exciting week, and there's more adventure that lies ahead, but right now, it's WORK.  I believe my next day off will be next Thursday.

Enjoy your spring/summer!  I'm surrounded by God's majestic creations!

Amy

SUN, WHERE ARE YOU?

Sun and warmth add up to melting snow, but Estes Parks's weather has not cooperated, nor has the rest of Colorado.  Twenty-two out of 24 days in May have produced rain, and the rivers are really flowing.  Nothing like the destructive flood of the fall of 2013. But we REALLY need melting snow weather so we can get up to the top.  In the meantime, we have made use of the free time we have been given unexpectedly.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Estes is celebrating the centennial of RMNP by creating 100 year events, so a friend and I went to the public library to see "Of Human Bondage," a movie based on a book published in 1915.  Quite a provocative theme for a hundred years ago.
• My first roommate arrived, a beautiful 19 year old.  Rachel and I drove into the park to Sprague Lake, only to be met by drenching rain.  We drove on to Bear Lake at an elevation of 9,500 feet that was totally shrouded in clouds, but we tromped around and built a snowman while singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"

  

• Several of us went to the historic Mary's Lake Lodge to hear Celtic music and try out a few of the local craft beers.
  
• Roxanne, Teresa and I ventured on Deer Mountain Trail, not getting to the summit as rain was approaching, but hiked 4.5 miles.  Wildflowers, elk and mule deer greeted us along the trail.  The vistas were amazing!
  
  
• Two free tickets were given to me to hear the adventures of a local climber @ the infamous Stanley Hotel. It was amazing to walk around the Stanley-over 100 years old! Tommy Caldwell and his partner free climbed the Dawn Wall of El Capitan @ Yosemite for 19 days.  Several of my colleagues here are climbers so it's fun to hear of their adventures.
    
  
  

• Lars, Sherri, Teresa and I hiked to Lake Bierstadt on Saturday.  What a wonderful adventure!  The day started out beautifully, going up the switchbacks, admiring the snow-covered mountains, the wildflowers, and mule deer.  Then in the higher elevations, we encountered snow, Thank goodness for the little orange tags that mark the trail.  We eventually witnessed the clear alpine lake, surrounded by ponderosa pines.  Following a different route down the mountain, we encountered grapple (pellets of snow/hail) and then a drenching rain.  We rode my first RMNP shuttle to get back to the Jeep.
  
  
  
  
  
• Teresa and I returned to Bear Lake on a sunny day and I snowshoed partway around the lake.  Hallett Peak loomed down on us, and the lake was partially ice covered.
    
• Great-horned owlets - what a treat!!  I have never seen them in the wild, and when a friend saw I was interested in the birds here, he told me of their location.  Quite a treat!  A coyote and many velvety antlered elk came a calling, too.  I drove up Trail Ridge Road to Rainbow Curve where the road is closed.  It's freaky to see snow banks higher than your Jeep along the sides of the road on one side, and a dramatic dropoff to the valley below on the other.
  
• The Estes Park Museum hosted a play about the pioneers of their city, "Impassible Paradise."  Estes Park has a colorful beginning with its homesteaders and their visitors.  Enjoyable entertainment with a very simplistic backdrop.
• Pentecost was celebrated at an ELCA church I found here, "Shepherd of the Mountains."  Later I took a 2.5 mile hike alone before a thunderstorm approached.  Then I learned Mexican Train Dominoes, a new variation, from Pat.
• We have a temporary shoveling date of tomorrow, Memorial Day.  If you get a chance, look at RMNP's site, webcam, Alpine Visitor Center to see the snow level on the store.  It's incredible.
  
• I have a moved to a different room as my original room will acquire three more youngsters in early June, so my boss suggested I move to a two-person room.  It's really cozy and I'm the only person here until mid June.  
• We're all getting to know each other and enjoying the majesty of our surroundings.  The chaos will begin soon!

SNOW, SNOW, GO AWAY!

May 17th - We're starting to get cabin fever here.  We're not making any money as we can't get to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park to the Trail Ridge Store to shovel it out. A winter storm warning has been issued for tonight for the high country. The National Park Service hasn't issued our park passes yet either for us to explore the park. We have to wait for the National Park Service to give us the okay to drive up there.  And once shoveled out, then we will need to get all the merchandise transported up there and organized.  Memorial Day is coming too early to this area this year!  We do get to watch the elk walk within 50 yards of our housing unit every day; we're waiting for the females to give birth to their white spotted calves.

Today I had orientation, but we had a couple of hours to kill before dinner.  My friend, Teresa, and I went for a hike around Lily Lake.  The clouds have been really low all day, and Lily Lake was quite shrouded.  We saw a beaver hauling lodge materials, pasqueflowers, chipmunks, pussy willows, a mountain bluejay, several ringnecked ducks (a new species for me), and an unknown wildflower emerging.  Rain is falling as I write this, and the temperature is dropping!

a shrouded Lily Lake

May 18th - SNOW! SNOW!  I woke up to snow, all day we received precipitation that fluttered between rain and snow, and now it's snowing huge moist flakes.  I worked all day counting   inventory, and marking prices on store merchandise.  The cooks here, Riley, Charlie and Carol, are feeding us great home cooked meals, and we can't get any physical exercise as the weather is a pain. After dinner, Teresa and I went to a black and white movie entitled "Of Human Bondage" at the library.  The movie is based of the book of the same title written in 1915 as Rocky Mountain National Park is celebrating its centennial.

May 19th view toward the mts

My First Few Days in Estes Park!

My stay @ The Historic Crags Lodge atop Mt. Prospect in Estes Park was very relaxing.  Upon waking up from my peaceful slumber Tuesday night, I set out to explore Estes Park. Many elk greeted me first - both the pregnant cows and the bull elks.  I checked out the visitor center, and pick up some brochures of interest. I located a couple of churches, and met the pastor of one.  The library issued me a library card, and I checked out a video on the Rockies and a book entitled, Nothing Daunted, a novel about two Eastern women who came to Colorado to teach school.  It's interesting so far. Estes Park Brewery called my name for some sampling later in the day after getting soaked by rain. Later, the lodge had an old fashioned ice cream sundae social, and visited with a couple from Nevada.

Thursday was my move in day, but had some missions to accomplish.  An oil change was badly needed, and the mechanic discovered a nail in my tire which explained why my tire was low earlier in the morning.  Glad I had some expert attention.  A hike around Lily Lake with a picnic lunch finished off my morning.  I arrived at my headquarters, which is a remodeled motel.  My room consists of two sets of bunk beds, a mini kitchen with microwave, a mini-fridge, and a sink.  A bathroom with a tub/shower and a small sitting room with a TV completes the room.  I have no roommate yet, but one is sure to come as more employees show up.  Shown below is the view out my room-I am blessed.  We had supper together, and later a small campfire. 

Friday started out with a hike gaining in elevation.  I'm not quite ready to do any major hiking hiking yet-I must be aware of the elevation adaptation I need. I gathered some good information from the rangers at one of the park's visitor centers, Beaver Meadows, and then watched a couple of videos about the park. The "Egg and I" fed me breakfast, a veggie scramble - my first meal I've purchased since leaving Amery-YUM!  Rain, followed by thunder, and then hail hit.  It melted later in the day, but not a welcome event.  Counting items for inventory for The Trail Ridge Store kept me busy most of the afternoon, followed by an excellent supper fixed by a retired elementary principal, who is my boss's wife.  

Saturday and Sunday involved more inventory counting,South Dakota.  I attended a classical trio concert with piano, violin and French horn, as well as a Sunday worship service.  Took a 2-mile walk/jog, too.  Several of us took advantage of a free day for Estes Park workers @ Open Air Adventure Park.  Quite an exciting experience!  Most of my time is spent getting to know the "characters" that I'm working with.  Official orientation begins on Monday!

Hello, Colorado!!

Can I tell time?  Not when I'm excited about experiencing new adventures!  I drove up a wild road from Boulder to Estes Park last night in the DARK.  Greeting me were 35 mph hairpin turns, switchbacks, and DEER!  Lugging my duffel tiredly up to my lodge room @ The Historic Craggs Lodge in Estes Park (found a Groupon deal!), I lay my head on my pillow after consuming a Cranberry Ginger Leinies and I was out cold.

So let me share my exciting day!  Driving south from Salida, I went thru some pretty desolate country in the San Luis Valley, with the Sangre de Christo Mts. (Blood of Christ translation) and the San Juan Mts. surrounding me. The most unique "home" I saw was a lean-to with a hippy van parked in it.  You can't believe what people are inhabitating in!  The Great Sand Dunes National Historic Site was my first stop.  How did such a unique landscape get here?  I'd offer you a geological lesson, but I know that's not what this blog is about (always a teacher/student).  I waded across Medona Creek to the dunes, and hiked partway up.  Sand pelted my skin in this wild environment.  Quite an experience.  Colorado's National Parks quarter is from this location.

Next stop was Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.  Bring along a good state map because my GPS and my atlas was worthless finding this spot.  I certainly took a roundabout "trail" to get there, but witnessed some interesting remote villages.  Thirty-five million years ago, a volcanic eruption encased redwoods that became petrified. Early treasure hunters and tourists nearly wiped out the fossils of these redwoods, plus 1700 other preserved fossils in shale before citizens of Florissant took action.  

Colorado Springs was nearby, and one of my Target friends suggested the Garden of Gods (thanks, Marcella).  I had visited in 1985, but the vistas were more breath-taking this time! A herd of bighorn sheep surprised me as I had never seen them in the wild! The hiking allowed me to get some kinks out after all the driving.

An oil change, a car wash and an Estes Park library card are on my today's agenda.  I'll be checking out the area, and see if there's some snow left to snowshoe on.  Too gloomy to post any photos.  And tomorrow my adventure with Rocky Mountain National Park begins!