ABOVE THE TREES

The alpine tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park is a world of delicate tundra plants, solitary animals, and expansive views. During summer, this world above the trees explodes in color and bathes in sunshine, as the normally harsh weather relents for a few short months. On this weekend visit to RMNP in mid-July of 2009, I focused on the tundra with several hikes and scenic drives. Starting my weekend with a pre-dawn hike up the Longs Peak Trail, I watched the sunrise at Chasm Lake before spending the morning exploring that gorgeous area. That night I watched an amazing sunset from Trail Ridge Road. Day two involved a short early morning hike up Sundance Mountain, which I shared with an elk herd and curious marmot. The final day I hit the trail up Flattop Mountain, Taylor Peak and Otis Peak, which I detail in a separate report and photo gallery found here. If you prefer to browse by thumbnails, please see below, otherwise proceed to the high-resolution images.

Images Copyright 2009, Spirit of the Rockies Inc. (Mike Amfahr) - captured with a Canon 5D camera - all images single exposure