When we first arrived in Estes Park, Trail Ridge Road was closed because of the snow and ice we encountered earlier.  On Friday of that week at 3.30pm, Trail Ridge Road reopened after a two-day effort by NPS Rangers plowing the road clear.  On Saturday morning we set off across the park toward Granby via Trail Ridge Road and finally understood what those rangers were up against.

Here it is.  The snow was eight feet deep beyond Rainbow Curve.  That's why the road was closed.

On open sections of the road, the wind will blow the snow clear, but if there's ice on the road it still won't be safe to drive it.  The road here swings left in front of us, then right, then left again (you can see a light-colored camper followed by a darker-colored car moving toward the crest on that segment), then near the ridgeline, swings right again (there's a black SUV heading down on that stretch).