The mountains are so much more than glorious peaks and serene valleys. And the clouds that play among them are so much more than colorful sunsets. Above, at the Beaver Meadows entrance (elev. 8,200 ft) to Rocky Mountain National Park, one can almost touch their underside as they snuggle down over the Estes Valley.
At the same time, from the Alpine Visitor Center (elev. 11,796 ft), one can view the billowy blanket from above.
When Trail Ridge Road is open, a visitor can enjoy both views on the same drive. And driving up through the clouds is a magical experience in itself.
Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way …
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s clouds’ illusions I recall …
Lovely!
Clouds add so much to the mountain experience.
Oops, I neglected to mention these are both webcam views — available to everyone.
I loved it when hiking and watching a cloud roll in the valley and you could look down on it but then you had to walk back home through grey mist. It’s all good though. Wish I could walk those trails again. Stupid, stupid altitude sickness.
I’ve fond memories of a day when I was on some high trail and looked down into the valley below just as a tiny cloud materialized. As I watched, it gradually grew and slowly drifted away down the valley. I sat and watched the “cloud factory” for quite a while as clouds formed one at a time — out of nothing — and floated away.