Although the calendar says summer, the high mountains visible from Trail Ridge Road remain covered with winter's snow. Arrowhead Lake remains frozen and snow-covered in the basin near the bottom. The shortened days of autumn cause aspen leaves to turn to beautiful fall colors in September, but not all trees change at the same time. This is because aspen propagate mainly with underground sucker roots instead of seeds, so the trees in each group are all genetically identical. However, an adjacent unrelated group may change at a different time.
Spring is the time when baby animals are born in the park.
This newborn elk calf struggles to stand up on its wobbly legs while its mother rests. There are approximately 3,000 elk in the park. A wet spring storm leaves a glorious frosting of pristine snow on the rocks and trees near Bear Lake and Hallett Peak. The distinctive shape and central location of Hallett Peak make it a major landmark of the park. Stars seem especially plentiful and conspicuous in the night sky above the park.