Mount Evans

07/09/11

The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in the U.S. It takes you to a parking area at 14,130 feet. That leaves you with a quarter-mile walk to cover the final 134 feet to reach the summit at 14,264 feet.

I met up with the Phillips family and we decided to go to Mount Evans before heading out to their condo for the weekend. As we approached, we could see some dark clouds with lightning nearby. But the summit appeaed to be clear. As we got close to the summit, we found a herd of mountain goats on a ridge. We stopped for a few minutes to photograph them. While we were there, the clouds starting coming over the ridge. We got back in the car and headed for the parking area near the summit. By the time we got there, it was sleeting and very windy. We hung out for about a half hour, but ended up leaving without ever getting out of the car. Of course, after we got back down, it looked like the summit had begun to clear up.

Clouds Closing in on Mountain Goats
Steve Winker