We were on top of the world at the nexus of east and west.
As we climbed higher the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. We noticed the rise in altitude in other ways too, as we got short of breath when walking around at the spectacular lookout points.
Soon, we were above the tree line.....
This landscape looked like nothing I'd seen before. Apparently every 1,000 feet of elevation we gained, was equivalent to driving 600 miles north, so it was like taking a short cut to the north pole.
Though it doesn't look very hospitable, the Rocky Mountain tundra is home to quite a few species, including the yellow-bellied marmot, a member of the weasel family
and many elk, some of whom we met in our travels
We were really hoping to see a pika, a member of the rabbit family with big ears and no tail; alas, s/he was not receiving visitors. More about the Pika here!
At times it was difficult to tell where the mountains ended and the clouds began....
The above photo was taken at Lava Cliffs, the highest point on the trail (12,080 feet) where there was a bizarre collection of "mushroom rocks," souvenirs from an ancient geological event.
The planet earth was beginning to look rather unfamiliar ....
And I thought we had issues with snow on the roof! This Alpine Visitors' Center was especially constructed to withstand the most extreme snowfalls. The tall poles you see are guidelines to indicate the location of roads and walkways in heavy drifting conditions.
Finally we arrived at the Continental Divide, marking the place where the waters divide and flow either east or west, to the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Unlike the rainwater, we had a choice: we were flowing west, across Wyoming to the Grand Tetons.
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