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落基山國家公園 位于科羅拉多州的落基山國家公園成立于1915年，占地415平方英哩，三分之一的園區位在林線以上，并且包括了78個海拔超過12000尺的山峰；其中最高的是久久峰(Longs Peak)，高達14255尺。公園里自成一個完整的生態體系，不論海拔高低，到處都可見到野生動物的蹤跡，像是麋鹿、長耳鹿(mule deer)、土狼(coyote)、角鹿和大角羊等等。此外貫穿大峽谷的科羅拉多河，也是在此地發源。
Seventy million years ago, a great inland sea disappeared and the Rocky Mountains emerged from the seafloor. Sixty million years ago, they reached their peak height, twice what it is today. Then for millions of years, the Rockies slowly eroded away to half their original height until 3 million years ago, another dramatic chapter in their story began that would transform them into the Mountains we know today.
Geologist and photographer Bob Anderson takes to the air. He is looking for clues that will tell him how the Mountains have evolved. First he flies over Boulder Canyon in the Colorado Rockies. It is an area that has remained almost unchanged over millions of years.
"So this is Boulder Canyon we are flying up right now. And you can see how the river has in size maybe a few hundred feet down into otherwise relatively rolling terrain."
The mountain peaks that existed on the young Rocky Mountains were rounded off as rivers and streams eroded the rock.
"It's this rolling terrain that the landscape look like in the aftermath of the mountain building event that ended about 50 million years ago."
But as Anderson climbs higher to Longs Peak in the Rocky Mountain National Park, the terrain changes. Instead of rolling hills, there are rugged mountains with steep and jagged cliffs. It's evidence that another force has been at work.
The most famous of these cliffs is the Diamond. Named for its shape, it's a vertical wall with a sheer 900 foot drop. The summit about 45,000 square feet is the same size as a football field.
"Well, we are flying beside, ur, Longs Peak, one of the biggest climbing challenges in the Rockies. For a century, it's been a climbing Mecca. It's a gorgeous, intact piece of rock."
This awesome wall is the most difficult climb in the whole of the Rockies. And since it was officially open to climbers in 1960, has claimed over 50 lives.
小編有約：一切的事物不論是人也好，還是事情也好，總是在變動，究竟是我們改變了時間，還是時間改變了我們，誰也說不清，道不明？一切事物存在，必有它的理由，一件事物消亡，也有它的原因，所以總是有人對這個世界的一切充滿了疑問，想要一探究竟。那么今天我們去的落基山國家公園里面，會有什么大自然的鬼斧神工出現。
課后題目：究竟是什么樣的原因使得這里看起來就像是在50萬年前洛基山脈經歷災難之后的樣子？
