Trail Ridge Road Winter Trip

Trail Ridge Road Winter Trip

Trail Ridge Road is closed above Many Parks Curve from late October through late May. Fairly easy to walk, the road is the easiest winter route to tree line in Rocky Mountain National Park. Tree line in winter is an interesting area and the place to find white-tailed ptarmigan in their all-white winter plumage. Avalanche danger is slight; snowshoes or skis are probably unnecessary. Gaiters are handy for occasional wading through drifts, particularly between the open span of the old Hidden Valley ski slope and Rainbow Curve. The wind often carves snow drifts into interesting abstract patterns in the area of Rainbow Curve. During winter, the sun is low enough in the sky during most of the day to create dramatic shadows that accent the textures of these drifts. Winter winds have given the trees above Rainbow Curve their fantastic shapes. Forest fire then accented and simplified the shapes by killing many trees. Snow further heightens the drama by covering up extraneous details. Highlights: Views of the Mummy Range, wind-sculpted snow, wind- and fire-sculpted trees.

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