Rarefied

— One of our favorite things at Rocky Mountain NP is actually a drive. In addition to being one of the nation’s highest paved roads, Trail Ridge Road is very scenic. From mountain views to pastures with elk and other wildlife, this is one drive you need to plan to do. We took that drive again in 2019 and were not disappointed. We saw lots of elk and experienced again what is like to be above the tree line and at an altitude of 12,000 feet (3,657 meters). At that altitude, the air is rarefied and the air pressure decreases. Therefore, breathing is more laborious. We had stopped at the restaurant on top of this road to grab lunch. After that, we walked around a little and decided to climb the steps leading to 12,000 feet (3,657 meters). From the restaurant to the top, it was only 200 feet (61 meters), but a steady climb. In addition to the temperature decreasing, winds were getting stronger, too. A common misconception is that at elevated altitudes, there is less oxygen. That is not true. The amount of oxygen in the atmosphere is the same 21%, but because of the lower pressure, the air molecules are spread apart farther. That means that when we breathe we don’t get as much oxygen in those altitudes. A park sign next to the top explains all of this. It says that each breath we take gives us “30-40% less oxygen” compared to at sea level. We did feel that and had to stop several times to get more air.