Mt. Evans/RMNP WARNING!

Don't have time to post shots til later today, but wanted to make sure I got this in for those thinking of heading for the hills tomorrow.

1. If you're planning to go to Mt. Evans tomorrow (Saturday, 7/10), DON'T! Not unless you're on a bike and registered to participate in the bike race taking place up there. I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near Idaho Springs or the Mt. Evans Highway corridor tomorrow.

2. There is repaving going on along Trail Ridge Rd. in Rocky right now, weekdays from 8-5, and it can be a lengthy delay. Where the road is down to one lane, you'll spend half an hour. Yesterday at Tundra Curves it was that kind of thing, and when the other direction was let by, I counted 135 cars. My direction appeared similar. That wouldn't be quite so bad (there are worse places to be stuck in traffic, after all) if not for the fact that you'll then be stuck amongst a crowd of 135 or so out-of-staters, RVers and other assorted slow pokes for the entirety of your journey. If you're in such a line of traffic and it encounters a herd of elk (or a single chipmunk ), all bets are off. Obviously this won't be a problem over the weekend, but weekday travelers beware.

Totally agree on the RMNP thing. We are based in Winter Park. I met a friend at the Glacier Gorge trailhead to hike up to Sky Pond and the Shark's teeth. From WP, going over there (leaving at 3am) I arrived in 1hour 50 minutes. Coming back around lunch time, it took 2 hours 45 minutes... Stopped 3 times.... a complete beating and it really sucked the fun out of a good morning. You'll get behind huge 18-wheelers, too, along with the armada of winnebagos (sp?). Watch out!

I even saw a guy stop (on the one lane of traffic coming towards me)... get out his tele and start popping off shots of an elk 100 yards away while the line of cars behind him just waited (and while we waited to go the other direction )

Todd, I'm supposed to meet a friend in Idaho Springs tomorrow (Saturday) for lunch (I'm coming down from Winter Park). Is this a bad idea?

Thanks!

Rob

I think you're going in the right direction and long after the race starts, Rob, so I'll bet you'll be fine for lunch. Unless it's overpriced pizza a BeauJo's. (Just kidding. I ate there the other day.)

Thanks for the update Todd.

Thanks, Todd... any good suggestions for food down there? We haven't set a place yet.

Now... back to the rant about RMNP traffic!!!

Ah the glory of summer traffic on Trail Ridge. Growing up in Loveland, I used to dread the daily drive to Estes Park through the canyon.
It got so bad that my carpool used to develop a technique through the canyon when we were stuck behind an RV or a slow Texan... we'd all roll down our windows and point towards the same hill acting like we just saw an elk. That was a beautiful way to get the lookie loo's to pull over muahahaha

Thanks for the heads up Todd! Last year was bad enough with the construction on RMNP, I can only imagine how much worse it is this season!

Thanks for the heads up Todd.

Complain, complain, complain, oh and lets not forget the orange trees and chain link fences around all the meadows

Todd, overpriced Beau Jo's Pizza? HERESY! Did you put honey on the crust?

Any thought on hiking / snowboarding St.Mary's glacier? I should be fine if I leave early enough right?

Morris, OF COURSE I put honey on the CRUST!!! Is there any other way? It's still overpriced.

Rob, all that said, it's a good place to eat.

Bert, that's pretty far removed from Mt. Evans so you should be fine.

Todd, thanks for the post. I was heading up to Mt Evans in the morning. Think I will head out to Pawnee so I can be harrassed by government officials instead