Our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park: Involving Bighorn Sheep!

Day 2 down in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado and it’s been cool, colorful, and refreshing.

This morning, Brandon, mom, and I went to Sheep Lakes to watch a Ranger show about Bighorn sheep.

Sheep Lakes are two low-lying lakes at the bottom of a meadow and were formed by glaciers that melted over 10,000 years ago.

Behind us you can see the two lakes and the ridge that used to be a road cutting through the middle.

The lakes are filled by rainwater, and as the water evaporates, minerals are left behind in the mud.  Something in the Bighorn sheep tells them they need to consume these minerals, so they come down to the lakes every week in the summer from their usual abode at 14,000 feet to literally eat dirt.

Hence the name, “Sheep Lakes.”

Check out those horns!

Danielle told us about what the park had done to restore their population and conserve their habitat.

My brother arrived from California in time for a trout lunch in town.  Afterwards, we took a drive up Trail Ridge Road, which traverses up the mountains. It is a gorgeous drive and one you must take during your life.

In the picture above, white streak on the right is Trail Ridge Road and the larger white streak on the left is the Alluvial Fan. In 1982, a dam in a remote area of the mountains failed during a period of excessive rain and washed out debris across the park.  It’s amazing that you can still see the effects to this day.

After the lookout where I snapped that photo, the road took us up past treeline, where we had the most stunning views of the park.

At 11,000 feet, we reached the Alpine Visitors Center, where there are restrooms, a gift shop, and a coffee shop.

It wasn’t bad walking around with a hot beverage and enjoying this breathtaking view.

We are still seriously hoping for some bighorn sheep sightings after this morning’s Ranger show. No luck yet but we’re still enjoying ourselves.

#mountainselfie

Off to find a bighorn.