This, for example:
I caught this dramatic scene yesterday. The Kawuneeche Valley is on the far west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, as far from me as any place in the park. I’ve only been over there a couple of times in my entire life and that was decades ago. These days I think twice about driving at all. But what magnificent vistas are out there every day for everyone else. Kaleidoscopes of light, shadow, clouds, peaks, weather, and in this instance, a bit of black scud for drama. The mountains. Ever changing, never changed.
(Yes, I know Spock said it first, but it still fits. And I will love forever the person who penned those four words.)
This particular camera is maintained by the National Park Service and operates round the clock, with the view refreshing every 60 seconds.
That’s Harbison Meadow in the foreground, just a half mile north of the park’s west side Grand Lake Entrance, and beyond it, the Never Summer Mountains. (Love that name.)
(See more of my favorite webcams.)
Nice photo!
Jim, so glad you appreciate! It’s just a screenshot. Not like I can take any credit for it, except for happening to look at just the right time. Bless the park for maintaining those webcams.
Also in that view is the Grand Ditch, shows as a straight line across the Never Summers. Constructed to divert snowmelt, streams & runoff across the Cont. Divide into the Cache la Poudre River & eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. Before the Ditch, most of that water ran into Kawuneeche & the Colorado River. (when they first see it, most people think it is a road)
Ahh, I didn’t know that. Always thought it was a highway cutting across there. I’ve known about the Grand Ditch, etc. But until now, yes, I’ve always assumed that was a highway unnecessarily spoiling the view of those otherwise pristine slopes. If it means water for this side of the Divide, I’ll not complain. Besides, the engineering involved was impressive! Thank you for that info!
Oh, wait, I was thinking about the Alva Adams Tunnel that empties near Estes. So there are two such tunnels/conduits? I need to do some homework …
AdamsTunnel is the only tunnel West to East. Starts at the eastern side of Grand Lake to Marys Lake at EP, into Lake Estes, through Big Thompson Canyon & on out. The GD really is a big ditch- open waterway that empties into Long Draw Reservoir up near Cameron Pass & then down through Poudre Canyon via the river.
Well, I was close a few years ago when my brother and I drove down from AVC to Poudre Lake before heading back to Estes. I had no idea what I was looking at or I’d have been more appreciative.
I starting to worry about water supply for you guys, having read a couple of reports of inter-State competition for its supply …
There are long-standing agreements re the division of water among the downstream states, although I think those are currently being studied and/or renegotiated with an eye to dwindling supplies. There’s no denying that development in the western US has continued apace for decades, despite the obvious limitations on water supply. Golf courses, swimming pools, suburbs where Mother Nature was signaling “this is a DESERT!” Still, February and March are usually our snowiest months, so there may be a bit of recovery yet to come.
Well, my bad. I was focused entirely on water going out of state. Then in my email I came across a big article about the distribution of water within the state. All I can say is throughout history, water rights have been at the center of the development of the western US.
Same same, Colorado. When it’s abundant we take it for granted. If only ALL pollies would think about in such times, and not have to knee-jerk when it starts dwindling !!!