Trail Ridge Road (the highest continuously paved motorway in the Univted States, with more than 8 miles lying above 11,000' elevation (17,700m) and a maximum elevation of 12,183' (19,600m)) had been closed for days because of the snow and sleet and freezing rain, and high winds to blow it all around faster than the crews could plow it. Finally they opened it one afternoon and we drove up quick. It was still pretty cloudy and windy, and even still raining at lower elevations, but spots of sunlight raced along the mountain tops and I caught Long's Peak at a bright moment. The road was closed again later that afternoon, for another couple of days.