When I think of Colorado, of course I think of the Rocky Mountains, and I wanted to spend some time getting immersed in them before I moved on to another state.  So instead of travelling directly east to Denver, I turned a bit north to visit Rocky Mountain National Park.  My good weather luck continued, and it was a stunning day.  The snowy mountain tops looked crystalline and pristine in the distance as I passed Lake Granby.

And of course, mountain driving is always fun.  This is what my GPS screen looked like as I gained altitude.

And it only got more beautiful looking out from higher altitude across the tree lined valleys.

This is Lake Irene, where I stopped for a bit of a hike in the snow, primarily because it reminded me of my friend Irene in Australia!  (Hi Irene!!!)  It was crisp and peaceful there, with the only sound the crunching of my boots in the snow.

But.  Then the unexpected happened.  It turns out that it snowed a bit early this year, and so the road through the pass to Estes Park was closed already.  I talked to the ranger there, and he said that the only way around was to go back and follow a FOUR HOUR detour around the mountains.

Since I had already driven several hours that morning, I was just a smidge less than fully pleased at this news.  Here’s a little snowman I build to help me feel better about it.  We chatted for a while about options, but he didn’t have much to offer, except that every detour is an opportunity for adventure.  It was cold comfort…

But true, nevertheless.  I didn’t get to see what I wanted to see this time, didn’t get to drive the road I had intended through the higher mountain passes.  I was compelled to take the road more travelled.  But it still had it’s beauties.

And when I stop for a break and this is the scene that surrounds me, I really can’t complain too much, no matter how tired I am.

So there’s another place added to my list of places to return to… in the summer next time.  I wonder if my little snowman is still standing where I left him?  How long will it be before he disappears under a blanket of snow for the winter?  I think I’ll name him Dave.  Fare thee well Dave.  Be cool.