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General Categories => Non Gun Stuff => Topic started by: Famous556 on August 21, 2010, 01:58:56 AM

Title: Vacation Pics - Colorado
Post by: Famous556 on August 21, 2010, 01:58:56 AM
Hey all, first post in this section.  I wanted to share with you folks some pictures from my recent vacation to Colorado.  I went to Grand Lake, CO with the little lady and stayed for a week... it was great.  The pictures are all from either Grand Lake, Colorado or Rocky Mountain National Park just to the north. 

All of the pictures were taken from my Blackberry, so they are not top quality, but they are decent pictures either way.

Enjoy!

Caught this guy checking out some flowers on the boardwalk.

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00224-20100801-1308.jpg)

These pics were taken on an 8 mile hike through RMNP.

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00233-20100802-1251.jpg)

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00242-20100804-1332.jpg)

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00230-20100802-1248.jpg)

Beautiful Grand Lake looking to the north, I love the light contrast of the sky in this one.

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00240-20100803-1731.jpg)

This is Mt. Craig, taken from across the lake, this mountain is a favorite of the locals.

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00239-20100803-1731.jpg)

While on a drive through RMNP, we saw these two guys grazing in the field about 50 yards from the road.  Not very often that you get to see two bull moose together!

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00228-20100801-1931.jpg)

Later we were passing back through the same clearing and caught them again, this time MUCH closer to the road, only about 10 yards.

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/greg5857/IMG00229-20100801-2030.jpg)


We had an awesome time and I would definitely suggest RMNP and Grand Lake for a vacation destination for those of you thinking about visiting CO.


Thanks for looking!!!
Title: Re: Vacation Pics - Colorado
Post by: Hardwood83 on August 21, 2010, 12:39:53 PM
Beautiful pics thank you for sharing. And what monster racks on those Moose!

I rented a house near Winter Park/Fraser last year about this time, it had been a while since I'd been to the area, you forget how majestic the Mountains are. The day in RMNP was especially nice, except when one of my young daughters got car sick.... :P

I was amazed at all the dead trees in that area from the pine beetle, very sad.

Looking at your pics makes me ask again- why do I live in Nebraska?
Title: Re: Vacation Pics - Colorado
Post by: Dan W on August 21, 2010, 04:35:13 PM
RMNP is just about our families favorite place on earth. We have never viewed any moose though in our many trips.

My guess is you saw them over in Kawuneeche Valley
Title: Re: Vacation Pics - Colorado
Post by: Famous556 on August 22, 2010, 12:23:49 AM
Beautiful pics thank you for sharing. And what monster racks on those Moose!

I rented a house near Winter Park/Fraser last year about this time, it had been a while since I'd been to the area, you forget how majestic the Mountains are. The day in RMNP was especially nice, except when one of my young daughters got car sick.... :P

I was amazed at all the dead trees in that area from the pine beetle, very sad.

Looking at your pics makes me ask again- why do I live in Nebraska?
 

I know it's tempting... but the 8400ft altitude winters are definitely a deal breaker for me.

Although you do see a lot of dead timber in these pics from the beetles, compared to last year when we went, there are a ton of new sapplings in the forest.  It's all part of a natural process and that makes me think it's ok.

Did you go through Denver or did you go through RMNP on your way to Winter Park?  Trail ridge road is awesome early in the morning in the tundra, I have a picture around here from last year of 50+ elk completely shutting down the road because they were all walking across the road single file.
Title: Re: Vacation Pics - Colorado
Post by: Famous556 on August 22, 2010, 12:38:52 AM
RMNP is just about our families favorite place on earth. We have never viewed any moose though in our many trips.

My guess is you saw them over in Kawuneeche Valley


Then I must be very lucky.  Every time we went on a drive into the park we saw at least some wildlife, usually elk, but often moose also.  We were even very very fortunate to see a mama moose with a youngin' (picture pending, it's on the lady's camera).


The clearing we saw these two at can be viewed directly in the center of this image.  Immediately north of Grand Lake before you get to the Grand Lake Lodge road, on the east side of the bend of Trail Ridge Road/hwy 34.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Rocky+Mountain+National+Park&sll=40.257609,-105.836896&sspn=0.004798,0.011319&ie=UTF8&t=h&ecpose=40.25427263,-105.83677756,3257.89,-1.546,29.553,0&radius=0.36&split=1&rq=1&ev=p&hq=Rocky+Mountain+National+Park&hnear=&ll=40.257668,-105.837125&spn=0.004798,0.011319&z=17 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Rocky+Mountain+National+Park&sll=40.257609,-105.836896&sspn=0.004798,0.011319&ie=UTF8&t=h&ecpose=40.25427263,-105.83677756,3257.89,-1.546,29.553,0&radius=0.36&split=1&rq=1&ev=p&hq=Rocky+Mountain+National+Park&hnear=&ll=40.257668,-105.837125&spn=0.004798,0.011319&z=17) 
Title: Re: Vacation Pics - Colorado
Post by: Dan W on September 09, 2010, 09:15:24 PM
Looks like I will be heading back up there before the month's end. Need some R&R
Title: Re: Vacation Pics - Colorado
Post by: bkoenig on September 10, 2010, 07:15:27 AM
We just got back from RMNP.  It's a beautiful place, although the only wildlife we saw was a coyote about 10 miles out of Boulder.