My Etsy Store Travels to the tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is  located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It has marvelous views of mountains and lakes.  It is also the headquarters of the Colorado River.  I think that the  varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra all in one park make it a special place.

Mushroom Rocks

A favorite part of the trip in the is park was the hike we took at the highest elevation of the park.  To get to the hike, we traveled up a  road that reached an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m).   A few days before we got there the road was closed due to snow.  We were lucky that it reopened and we could enjoy a look at the tundra.  Almost at the very top of the hike, we came across the Mushroom Rocks which were an interesting rock formation.

Rydbergia--Rocky Mountain Alpine Sunflower

On the way up, I found some rydbergia plants.  This alpine plant is often called old-man-of-the-mountain.  It is a variety of Rocky Mountain sunflower.  Its yellow flowers were a welcome sight in a landscape of whites,  browns and grays.  Many of the plants in this are are found only in Alaska, Canada, and Syberia. 

Pika

This area also has some special wildlife.   I was able to catch a photo of the pika which is related to rabbits and hares.  This photo also shows another color-green which pops out in the stark background of the tundtra. 

View of the highest elevation in the park.

 As we traveled back down, I thought about how special this area and experience are. I also thought about how a little color goes along way sometimes.  That is a lesson that I can apply to my creations in my BayMoonDesign online Etsy store.