Abstract Musings

Documenting the random thoughts of a cluttered mind

Day 9 — Rocky Mountain National Park, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. We spent the last few days of our vacation visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. After driving up Kawuneeche Valley on the western end of Trail Ridge Road, and then hiking and photographing Bear Lake and Horseshoe Park, I decided to get up and take some early morning photographs in the park.

Lily Lake

My first stop was Lily Lake. I was interested in photographing someplace new and as we hadn’t come here the day before, and the drive was short, Lily Lake fit my plan nicely.

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A mallard glides gracefully upon the lake.

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Day 8 — Rocky Mountain National Park, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. We spent the last few days of our vacation visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. After driving up Kawuneeche Valley on the western end of Trail Ridge Road, we then drove to the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Bear Lake

After a stop at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, we decided to drive down to Bear Lake and take a short hike out to Nymph Lake.

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This was the scene that greeted us when we arrived at the trail head.

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Day 7 — Rocky Mountain National Park, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. After our slight detour into Utah to visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, we returned to Colorado and drove the scenic Rim Rock Drive through Colorado National Monument before continuing on our way east. We planned to spend the next couple of days at Rocky Mountain National Park before heading home.

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The obligatory photo of the park sign.

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Day 6 — Canyonlands National Park, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. During our trip, we took a slight detour into Utah. After visiting Arches National Park, we decided to briefly visit Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands is divided into three separate parts by the Colorado and Green Rivers. We only had time to visit the Island in the Sky District.

Canyonlands National Park

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The park sign greeted us as we entered Canyonlands National Park.

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Day 6 — Arches National Park, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. After riding on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, we made a detour in our travel plans and drove through eastern Utah to visit Arches National Park. This was our second trip to Arches National Park; our first visit was in September 2001.

Arches National Park

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The park sign greeted us as we entered the park.

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Day 5 — Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. After visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and driving the Million Dollar Highway over the San Juan Mountains, we spent the night in Durango. And the next morning, bright and early, we boarded the train on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

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The first part of the ride is pretty uneventful—just leaving Durango. But once we were in the mountains, I left my seat in a covered car to brave the cold air of an uncovered car to take some photos of the beautiful scenery.

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Day 3 — Royal Gorge, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. After visiting Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak, we continued sightseeing on our third day in Colorado by stopping to see Royal Gorge.

Royal Gorge

Royal Gorge was carved by the Arkansas River. Unlike the broad Grand Canyon, the Arkansas River cut a very narrow and steep gorge through the rock.


We began exploring Royal Gorge with a trip down the Incline Railway. The ride takes about 5 minutes inside a rather small cage. We had plenty of time to view the walls of the gorge as we descended to the river.

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Day 3 — Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak, May 2005

In May 2005, Rachelle and I took a vacation to Colorado. We started our third day in Colorado by re-visiting Garden of the Gods and then driving to the summit of Pikes Peak.

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We started the day by re-visiting Garden of the Gods. This photo of Gray Rock and South Gateway Rock with Pikes Peak in the background was taken from the visitor center overlook. You can also view a panoramic shot of this landscape.

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