Not Grand But Rocky

Rocky Mountain National Park

Fall Preview

Though there isn't much fall color in this picture, there is fresh snow on what is probably Chief's Head Peak. In the early morning hours a storm left a mantle of white on this 13,579' alp. The tree line begins just about where the snow is the palest.

Panorama

If the internet allowed it, this would be a 20 mile wide panorama. A few of the big peaks can be seen at right. Colorado has over 700 peaks over 13,000' and of that number, 54 are over 14,000'.

Fall On The Ground

One of the reason that there wasn't much color to see in the upper altitudes was that leaf peeper season in Colorado in general was early this year. There were plenty of seasonal shades on the valley and canyon floors.

Contrast

Not only color but animal behavior was on display in the valleys,. Rocky Mountain National Park is home to a specie that takes on the name of the area: Rocky Mountain Elk. Bigger in rack size than its more westerly cousin the Roosevelt Elk, the bulls use these Aspen trees to shed their velvet in the Fall. Most every tree in this grove was marked.