Scenic Drive to Grand Lake.......Monday 16th June...

We are so very pleased that we brought out with us from our static home a spare winter duvet as night-time temperatures went done to almost freezing but we are now snug as bugs.....
Today we drive the 48 miles up and over and across The Park to Grand Lake on the western side...of Rocky Mountain National Park..

Early part of the drive,  pretty flowering shrub......

Then we hit the snowline  and the temps start to dip.....very beautiful part of the drive though...

Taken from one of the numerous viewpoints and pull-outs on route....the road is to the right of the picture....

Getting colder and the wind is starting to blow.....

Stunning scenery....

This pic was taken just before we got to the highest point of 12,183 ft......I did manage to scramble out of the car and stand in a wind strong enough to almost knock me over to take this, the things I do for the blog !!!!! Yorkieman was sensible and stayed in the truck as it was sooooo brrrrr cold......but bracing and beautiful...

We are once again in the Continental Divide Area.....

The drive down to Grand Lake from The Alpine Visitor Centre at the top is really pretty and not so dramatic as the other side but there was plenty to see especially this handsome chap....and the one in the pic below....
We also saw moose, a mum and calf, but from a distance (not a bad thing as they are aggressive animals especially when with their young) 

Another reason to come over to Grand Lake today apart from the scenic drive was to meet up with Carole and Wally, folks from Wisconsin who we met in Salome, Arizona last November.. They are spending the summer at a campsite in Grand Lake and arrived this afternoon...a really nice couple of hours catching up with them and then the scenic drive back home.....
We have really enjoyed Rocky Mountain NP but tomorrow we must hitch up and drive to overnight at  Rock Springs, Wyoming....
At Grand Lake we were adjacent to The Arapaho National Forest so todays song is Hit Me by Ian Dury &The Blockheads...work that one out !!