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Scotts Bluff National Monument
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Prior to arriving in Scotts Bluff, I had never read about it - it's too far east to fit in a standard Southwest trip, and too insignificant to warrant a major detour; and as such not many European tourists make it their destination (and write about it).
Scotts Bluff - the natural landmark, not the city - used to be the first large-scale obstacle of many for people coming in on their Western migration on the Oregon Trail. The park reminds you of that by showcasing a covered wagon and pointing to some wagon tracks in dried mud that apparently still persist. I didn't really find those tracks, even though I looked for them by following a short trail from the visitor center; but instead all that looking at the ground meant I saw a turtle - my first wild one, and it moved away from the trail faster than the clichés will make you believe. After returning to the car, I then drove up to the top of the bluffs - which are the remnants of an ancient high plain - took some more pictures overlooking the city and the plains to the East, and then decided I should be on my way towards Colorado.
The drive towards Rocky Mountain National Park wasn't very eventful; and after a two-hour stop in Estes Park to do laundry, I entered the national park. Almost straight away, I chanced upon some deer grazing on the hillside along the road, and then crossing the road. It was pretty hazy in the valleys, but once I reached higher elevations there was an increasing cloud cover; but at least it wasn't raining like the last time I'd visited this park.
I took Old Fall River Road, a one-way dirt road leading up to Fall River Pass. The sky was only half-covered in clouds by this time, so there still were some sunny moments. I took a short hike up to a mountain top that proudly proclaimed "12,005 feet - 2.3 miles above sea level", regretting that once more my knees wouldn't allow me to do extensive hikes. With sunlight fading and temperatures dropping - I was at 3600m of elevation after all - I left the area of the Alpine Visitor Center behind, and turned back east to descent on Trail Ridge Road. I briefly stopped at Lava Cliffs, but by then most of the scenery around me was already in shade. At least I no longer had to worry about finding a place to sleep, since I had already reserved a camp site when entering the park.
Miles driven: 261mi (420km)
Accommodation: Rocky Mountain National Park (-): $20
Nebraska part written August 11th 2008 in the bus to work, finished August 12th during my lunch break.