Planning a Visit to Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter

One of the world’s longest mountain ranges, the Rocky Mountains stretch from Alaska to the southern border of the US. Rocky Mountain National Park, located in Colorado, preserves part of the mountains’ ecosystem, and is a popular destination for adventurers. Everyday recreational activities that people enjoy in the park include hiking, camping, and viewing wildlife. In the winter, other recreation activities include cross-country skiing, sledding, and snowshoeing.

The Rocky Mountains’ elevations range from 7,800 feet to over 14,000 feet above sea level, which considerably influences winter conditions. For example, at locations above 8,000 feet, winter can begin in late September or early October and go through late May or early June. Therefore, those visiting Rocky Mountain National Park during the winter should expect some challenges and plan for them.

For instance, it is essential to prepare for driving in the park during winter. The park roads tend to become icy and packed with snow, so the recommendation is to slow down and keep a safe distance from other vehicles. Before leaving home, visitors can check if any of the roads are closed due to adverse conditions. Also, during the winter season, the Colorado Vehicle Traction law may become active for the safety of motorists. The law requires that all vehicles have a minimum of 3/16″ tread and be mud and snow, mountain and snow, or all-weather tires.

During winter, most park trails are also icy or snow-covered. Rocky Mountain National Park recommends bringing traction devices and hiking poles, as well as snowshoes, depending on the destination and whether recent snowfall has occurred. Although some lakes may appear frozen, ice may not be firm enough to walk on. There could be open water along edges, inlets, and outlets. When walking on park trails, one should also plan for windy weather with drifting or blowing snow.

Moreover, avalanches are expected in the park during the winter. For this reason, it is essential to visit the avalanche awareness web page at the National Park Service website and check the snow conditions and forecasts in the mountains before leaving the house. Some tips for avalanche safety include avoiding snowshoeing or skiing on unforested slopes, gullies, and under snow cornices where there is risk of an avalanche. Attending an avalanche training session before the trip to understand and identify the changing weather that can influence avalanche conditions and wearing an electronic transceiver when crossing avalanche terrain are also recommended.

Last, planning for recreational activities is fundamental for enjoying a winter visit to the park. Visitors can explore most park trails with snowshoes and a few other pieces of gear, such as waterproof boots, hiking poles, and waterproof pants or gaiters. From January to March, the park offers free ranger-led snowshoe hikes on both its west and east sides. Cross-country skiing is also popular in the Rocky Mountains, and one only needs skis and poles with large baskets to explore deeper snows and the terrain on the west side of the park. However, when it comes to sledding, the activity is only allowed at Hidden Valley, which is on the east side of the park, seven miles from the Beaver Meadows Entrance and the Fall River Entrance.

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Common Bowling Mistakes and How to Correct Them

With time and practice, bowlers usually develop their own style of “throwing” a bowling ball. However, the majority of them make the same mistakes during the process. These include poor stance, drifting, speeding up approach and delivery, and dropping or lofting the ball upon release.

Proper stance is crucial for a successful shot. A good bowling arm swing should resemble a pendulum and go straight back and forward. Many bowlers, however, tend to hold the bowling ball at about the middle of their chest while in the stance. Having the ball so far inside forces them to move their arm to the side and back around their bodies for the backswing, which may disturb their release. The result is potential gutter balls and overall poor throws. To be able to swing the ball back and straight forward, bowlers should instead hold it out to the same side of their bodies where their dominant bowling hand is.

Drifting can be equally detrimental. It occurs when a bowler has one board as a starting point but ends up on a different one at the foul line when they release. In short, they have “drifted” to one side or another. To avoid this, bowlers should choose a starting point, execute a practice approach without the ball, and then look down to check whether they have ended up on the same board. Looking down in the middle of the shot is not advisable, as it may affect other delivery areas. Alternatively, they can ask a friend to observe them and tell them whether their movement toward the foul line stays straight.

Having a proper approach and delivery speed is also among the problematic areas for many bowlers. A common fault is to rush to throw the ball, which results in an off-balanced release, inaccurate throws, and very few strikes. They mistakenly think that they need to speed up to the foul lane to generate a powerful enough shot to knock down pins. In actuality, slowing down and adopting a deliberate approach can significantly improve their game and make up for a more powerful throw. Professional bowlers are aware of this, and as a result they take their time.

Timing is critical for releasing the ball, too. A perfect bowling release requires releasing the ball just past the foul line. But the majority of bowlers get the timing wrong and let it go too early. As a result, the ball drops hard on the lane instead of being smoothly released.

To fix this, bowlers should ensure they let go of the ball only after their foot starts to slide on the final step and they are almost to the foul line. Often bowlers may not be aware they drop the ball. Again, asking a friend to confirm where it first touches the lane can be helpful.

Finally, many bowlers incorrectly think they need to throw the ball to generate power. A lofted ball lands hard on the lane surface and is almost impossible to control. Any ball landing more than three feet past the foul lane indicates excessive loft.

Most often, lofting is a result of releasing the ball too late. To correct this, bowlers must make sure they remove their thumb at the moment their foot slides to the foul line and immediately follow with the remaining two fingers. Another possible reason for too much loft is an improperly fitted bowling ball, which hampers the timely release of the fingers. Consulting with a professional at the bowling shop can solve this issue.

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