Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa

One of thousands of large farms covering Eastern Nebraska.
Most of the original farms were on plots of land one mile square.

Route 30 East.

Fields of soybeans, alfalfa and corn.

Crossing over the Missouri River.
It forms the boundary between Nebraska and Iowa.

Welcome to Iowa!

We found two new wind farms along Interstate 80
in Walnut and Adair.

Iowa wild flowers.

Soybeans turn a golden color when they are
ready to be harvested.

Southeast Wyoming and Western Nebraska

We took a detour to southeast Wyoming.

Guess what we saw?
That's right...camels!
Some camels were imported to the west
to serve as beasts of burden in the dry areas.
It did not work too well.

Wyoming prairie grass being blown by
a thirty mile an hour wind.

Welcome to Nebraska!

The thirty mile an hour wind picked up newly plowed
soil and blew it into a mini-dust bowl.

Nebraska has some areas that are reminiscent of
the Badlands of South Dakota.

Near Sidney, Nebraska, are modern wind farms.
There are still reminders that old fashioned wind
mills are working to pump water.

There were several huge boots like these in Cheyenne,
Wyoming, but we could not stop the car to get a picture.
We did find this one later on Route 30 in Nebraska.

Rocky Mountain National Park

As we entered the park it was 51 degrees and cloudy.

We were shocked to find the devastation that the
pine beetles had caused.

Climbing higher into the park it began to rain
and then flurry.

At about 10,000 feet the rain turned to sleet-like snow.

Some mountain flora.

Snow started to accumulate on the spruce.

We reached the elevation where we found the
Alpine Tundra.

Here is a view of the road winding through this
Alpine Tundra.

This is a newly constructed visitor center,
close to 12,000 feet.

Here I am with last year's snow behind me.

"What you see from here"
Not too much as we were in the midst
of a snow squall at over 12,000 feet.

Another view of the Alpine Tundra.
Notice the lack of trees or any large vegetation.

Here is a line of traffic being slowed by the snow squall.

Winter comes early at these high altitudes.

We continue to descend to about 9,000 feet.

At about 7,000 feet there is sufficient food
for animals like these mule deer.

Adolescent bull elk. He was with six or seven cow elk
but because of his lack of size and antlers, he will
probably lose his harem of females to a stronger bull.

Cow elk.

Here you see a mature bull elk.

Rocky Mountain High

Jean's Trees!
I just love the trees we find out here along
Interstate 70.

From Idaho Springs to the National Forest
entrance was 16 miles. From this sign to the top of Mt.
Evans is an additional 14 miles.

Bristlecone Pines.
They are the oldest living trees in the world.
Some have been dated to more than five
thousand years old.

Continuing to climb.

Echo Lake seen below is 10,000 feet.

We have just crossed the timber line.

Still climbing higher!

Summit Lake is 12,830 feet high.
The temperature was 46 degrees at 1:00.

We are now making the return trip down.
Note the thin line towards the upper left.
That is the road we were driving on.

Here is part of the road we were on.
By the way...yikers bikers!!!
We have seen hundreds of bicyclists pedaling
the mountains. God know why!

An out cropping of granite.

Alpine Grass.

Bristlecone grows twisted for a stronger foundation
against extreme winds.

Between 8,000 and 9,000 feet aspen is the
dominant tree.

Another Continental Divide.
This time it is on US 40 on our way
to Winter Park.

This is the view from the Continental Divide.
Note the switch backing of the roads.

Driving these high Rocky Mountain roads was
an adventure. We had shear drop offs, hair pin
curves and challenges with these high altitudes.
But the Colorado Department of Transportation
was helpful with reminders like these!