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Mount Evans

The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is America's highest paved automobile road and features some breathtaking scenery. I like Mount Evans because it is not quite as "touristy" as Pikes Peak tends to be. It is one home of the Bristle Cone Pine which is one of the oldest living trees on Earth! It also features several high mountain lakes such as Summit Lake. If you go, I highly recommend you bring a warm coat, no matter how warm it may be in Denver.

This is only a small sample of some of the photos I took from the mountain top. They really can't do the view justice.



This is a picture taken in June of 2002 of the bristlecone pines. Bristlecone pines have a very distinct, unusual look to them. To me they look like oversized bansai trees. In spite of their bare, unhealthy look, these trees are actually some of the oldest living trees known on Earth! They estimate these trees are 1600 years old. Hard to imagine something that germinated back in 400 A.D. is still here today. If only they could speak.

If you visit Mount Evans, I highly recommend a visit to them on your way up or down.

Summit Lake is one of the bigger and last stopping areas on your way to the summit. This high lake is fed from whatever rainfall comes and melting snowpack. On a sunny day with a clear blue sky, Summit lake creates a beautiful reflecting pool for the mountain ridge just behind it.



Mountain goats, from what I have read, are not native to Mount Evans but were introduced during the 1950's. Why? I have no idea. They don't seem to harm much in this very rugged environment. This is a good picture of a rather timit, yet curious mountain goat. Personally I think he was looking at my bright yellow jacket. It's hard to tell but it's a cute picture.

Just the same I felt no desire to approach him, those horns look like they could probably do some damage if he/she were put in a pinch.



This was an interstresting sight I was not expecting at the summit of Mount Evans.

Daimler-Chrysler was doing some testing up here. The high, thin air must be a good testing ground for seeing how the engine will perform under these conditions. The white thing inside the cab is a flat panel display for showing diagnostic and performance data.

The drivers were asked questions about the car by myself and a few others and all questions understandably were politely turned away. Efforts were also taken to obfuscate some of the details of the car. All logos were removed but it's hard to mistake a Mercedes like this one!