A park worker measures a 22-foot snowdrift Monday near the bus terminus for Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Posted on 05/25/2011 7:06:28 AM PDT by the_devils_advocate_666
Trail Ridge Road will not open for Memorial Day weekend because heavy snow has hampered plowing efforts.
Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the United States, climbs to 12,183 feet and connects the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake through Rocky Mountain National Park.
The road traditionally opens for Memorial Day weekend. Last year, it opened May 28.
However, park snowplow operators found a deeper than usual winter snowpack when plowing began earlier this month, and more snow fell in storms last week.
Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said there are 17-foot drifts above Rainbow Curve on the east side of the park, more snow than there was on May 5.
Plow operators on the west side of the park are dealing with significant snow accumulation, drifting and rockslides, Patterson said.
Patterson said plow operators say this is the most snow they have encountered this late in the season in 30 years. Right now, park officials hope to have the road open by early June.
The latest the road has ever opened was June 26, 1943. In the last 20 years, the latest date was June 4, 1994.
Patterson said Rocky Mountain National Park's three reservation campgrounds are full for Saturday and Sunday, and the mountain peaks look "majestic" with heavy blankets of snow.
The park still looks and feels like winter above 9,000 feet, and backcountry visitors should be prepared for heavy, wet snow and heightened avalanche danger, she said.
Utah’s snowpack is 300% of normal. I doubt it will all melt before new snow in the Fall.
Pretty much the same situation with Tioga Pass (SR 120) from Highway 395 into Yosemite Nat’l Park. Very heavy snow, snowed last week, and they are not sure when it will open, maybe late June.
Breath-taking road to travel.Three years ago we were
on the Gold Wing with wind blasts so strong I was scared
we were gonna be blown off the road
The first time we went out there and camped in Estes Park
it was August and we like to have froze,the next night we
learned they have sleeping bags for greenhorns to the mtns
Yep..suffering from globull warming here in Wyoming
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_a30fd149-7fcc-5543-9927-352fb04cf4a9.html
Spend a few days in Estes Park back in 1980 and backpacked up to an area called Lost Lake. Outstanding scenery.
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