Today we set alarms and headed north to Granby, Colorado to drive the Trail Ridge Road through the Rocky Mountain National Park. Normally there is a $30/day fee to visit the park as well as a requirement to get a timed entry ticket between 9am and 2pm. We made the park gate by 8:30, but with the government shutdown, they were waving everyone through the gate without requiring a park fee. It was a long day in the car. We made the drive through the park and exited at Estes Park, Colorado in time for lunch. We then took the nearly 3-hour drive back around the park along a very scenic state roads through Allenspark and Nederland, bypassing Boulder.
We really enjoyed the views from above treeline, and Aster and I hiked the Alpine Ridge Trail, a short trail leading up from the Alpine Visitor’s Center. The trail topped the ridge at just over 12,000 feet above sea level. Izzy wasn’t up for the walk, so stayed in the car and waited.
