Bear Lake

Bear Lake sits at the end of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.  It's one of the most popular spots in the park.  A short half mile loop around the lake affords some spectacular views of Longs Peak.

I figured today would be a short trip out since there was rain in the forecast.  Once again the Elk delayed my start.  This was good since I arrived just in time for a guided Ranger walk.  I've said many times and I'll say it again, the U.S.A.'s National Parks and its forests are the best well spent taxes.  The benefits far exceed the costs, unlike healthcare, military and education where hundreds of billions of dollars get pissed away.

The reflection is nicer than the actual picture of the peak

The Ranger giving us the scoop about Rocky Mountain National Park

Today I learned the difference of the evergreens.  When looking at the needles, if they are bunched it's a pine.  If the needles are single, then it's a Fir or Spruce.  Balsam Firs have flat needles that are difficult to roll in your fingers, while the spruce are square and easy to roll between your fingers.

I also learned a bit about the geology, though it's still so quite hard to fathom all that goes on.  At one point the land was under water.  Now it rises over 10,000 feet.  Glaciers still play a roll here.  This was a bit eye-opening since I did not think glaciers existed outside the Pacific Northwest and the Cascades.  Though small, Colorado does have its glaciers and they are impacting the land underneath.