Exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

 *Fast flow of Alberta Falls* Rocky Mountain National Park in early May can be a slew of different weather. In one day of hiking you can go from wildflower blooming meadow to deep snow covered trails and from overcast to sun burning to rainstorm all in a matter of hours. In fact during my one day exploring the park this is exactly what happened to me.  *Bear Lake in the Spring* I started out at the Bear Lake trailhead. It is a very easy, very accessible trail that is a short, mostly level jaunt from the parking lot to the edge of the lake. But at 9,475ft elevation it was covered in deep snow. I was lucky I was there early morning as the trail is popular and becomes quite slushy as the day progresses. The lake itself was mostly iced over though too thin to try and walk out on. With giant peaks of the Rockies looming just behind the lake I could imagine the early morning reflections that must draw photographers in the summer season. An offshoot trail from here leads about a mile up to one of the best waterfalls in the park, called Alberta Falls. A glacially fed river tumbles down a narrow gorge. This gave me a perfect opportunity for some long exposure shots. And while waiting for the photos I was kept company by some very bold chipmunks. Grey and stellar jays played in the trees above me, woodpeckers pounded away at trees in the forest, and big wild turkeys put on mating displays on the drive up.    *A stellar jay playing hard to get* Families enjoyed the Bear Lake loop trail, while thos a bit more adventurous, and with better gear, headed up to some of the smaller, higher lakes. Except for the bird calls, the forest noises were muffled by a thick blanket of snow. A rocky outcropping overlooking Nymph Lake provided yet another great view of the continental divide and the frozen lake below.   *Pictures of the Inspirational Rocky Mountains* Driving back down a ways my next stop was at the Sprague Lake Nature Trail. This is another very easy, and beautiful path around a lake that even boasts wheelchair accessibility. It was while I was here that the overcast weather started to dissipate leaving picturesque landscapes. A couple of friends set out in a canoe, slowly drifting with their fishing lines bobbing up and down. Once again views of the high peaks of the continental divide showed themselves, lending a stellar background. It's no wonder that this was the place recommended to me for early morning sunrise shots.   *Sprague Lake* The lake seemed quite shallow and did provide a great habitat for some local wildlife. I imagine that bears and mountain lions make their way down while there are no people around, but I did see a family of mallards and Canada geese. This place will be on the list to return to for sunrise/sunset. […]