Rocky Mountain National Park (Part 3)

The darker schist was formed from sediments that once accumulated at the bottom of an ancient sea while the lighter granite formed after magma later invaded the schist and cooled. The mushroom shapes of the rocks developed as the granite stems eroded faster than the harder schist caprock.

These vividly colored lichens are a symbiotic partnership between algae or cyanobacteria and fungi. The fungus creates a thallus, or body, that houses both organisms and the alga or cyanobacterium shares food produced through photosynthesis.

Nearly 250,000 acres of the park is protected as wilderness and an additional 253,059 acres of USFS wilderness adjoins the park boundaries.

Grizzly bears, grey wolves, bison, pronghorn, elk, moose, and river otters were extirpated from the park area in the 19th and early 20thcenturies. In 1913 and 1914, elk from Yellowstone National Park were transported and released into the area that would become Rocky Mountain National Park by the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association and the USFS. Without large predators, elks thrived but quickly overgrazed vegetation in the park so they are now maintained at more sustainable numbers. In 1978, the Colorado Division of Wildlife reintroduced moose in North Park and river otters in Rocky Mountain National Park. Both species are now frequently seen in Rocky Mountain National Park, particularly on the west side. 

Forest Canyon demonstrates the clear transition from the alpine tundra above the treeline to the subalpine forest below. The canyon was carved out along an ancient fault line by several glaciers over the past 2.58 million years. The Thompson Glacier most recently receded through here after reaching its maximum extent around 18,000 years ago. Hayden Gorge formed from smaller tributary glaciers and the pointed Hayden Spire is an arête formed at the meeting of multiple cirques. Terra Tomah Mountain is topped by gentle terrain that was never ground down by glaciers. The Big Thompson River flows through the canyon below.

Longs Peak, Pagoda Mountain, Chiefs Head Peak, Flattop Mountain, McHenry’s Peak, Taylor Peak, Stones Peak, Sprague Mountain, Hayden Spire, and Hayden Gorge 

Lawn Lake is hidden up the Roaring River by Mummy Mountain. The 42-acre light-colored alluvial fan in Horseshoe Park on the right reveals lasting damage caused by the 1982 Lawn Lake Dam failure. On July 15, 1982, the dam collapsed causing 39 million gallons of water to rush through the Roaring River, which descends 2,500 feet in six miles. The flood scoured a large gulley in the valley and killed one person sleeping by the river before continuing through the Fall River, spreading out over Horseshoe Park, and depositing a large alluvial fan of debris. The flood then broke through the Cascade Dam, killed two more campers at Aspenglen Campground, and continued into Estes Park where it joined the Big Thompson River and flowed into Lake Estes before being stopped by the Olympus Dam. Sometimes called the “great washout,” the flood inflicted severe damage to 75% of Estes Park businesses amounting to $31 million in damages. Investigation revealed that the Lawn Lake Dam failed due to lack of inspection and repairs which had not occurred since the road to the dam fell into disrepair and ceased to exist. 

Many relatively flat areas surrounded by hills and mountains within the national park are themselves referred to as “parks.” The term came from French fur trappers who called the mountain meadows “parques,” or enclosures. 

Many Parks Curve overlooks Estes Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, and Moraine Park. In the background stand the Twin Sisters, Lily Mountain, Estes Cone, Battle Mountain, Mount Meeker, Longs Peak, Chiefs Head Peak, and McHenry’s Peak.

Hidden Valley is a subalpine area off Trail Ridge Road that was once home to Ski Estes Park. The ski attraction operated between 1955-1991 and its buildings were removed in 2002 as the area was restored.