Looking Ahead: Possibilities...

Red Rocks Today (compared to its history)

Image via http://coloradogambler.com/trails-end-red-rocks-amphitheatre-a-symphony-in-stone/

Red Rocks was officially completed and open to the public on June 15, 1941, that was over 70 years ago. Since then, very little changes have been noticeable regarding its landscape. Anthropogenic changes have obviously been made since the idea of creating a natural amphitheater was first put into place by John Brisben Walker. Some minor pressure release from the gigantic sandstone monuments have taken place since then, and resulted in smaller shells of sandstone around the base. In order to look into the future of what Red Rocks might look like down the road, let's review the landscape...

Red Rocks has a semi-arid climate with moderate precipitation during the summer months. It is located at the edge of the Rocky Mountains, and has a unique set of large sandstone sheets that emerge from the ground at almost 90 degree angles. On the other side of Red Rocks lies the urban region of Denver. Due to its location right off the leeward side of the Rockies, Red Rocks receives plenty of thunderstorms and rainfall. Also, the sandstone rocks go through seasonal weathering as Colorado experiences fairly warm summers and very cold winters. This is the basis off of which I make my prediction.

Image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinniew_11/6817096726/.

Red Rocks Tomorrow (or long after your grandchildren's children have passed)

Within the next decade, I highly doubt anything significant is going to change the landscape within the Red Rocks area, since the past 70 years seem to show no evidence of transformation since then. The most obvious transformation that is likely to occur after hundreds of years have passed, is the erosion, toppling, and deterioration of the large sandstone rocks. Eventually, with enough time, the giant sandstone will become nothing more than a giant pile of mass-wasted talus that may even proceed to move further inland. This may cause a debris flow which would have the potential to cover up and destroy the local roads. Thunderstorms may continue to wash away the leftover rock-pile, incorporating sediment into the soil through deposition. So long as man keeps thriving in the next thousand years, I can guarantee that people will try to reconstruct the rock formation as it starts to erode. This may cause even more problems in the future, because just as people today try to build homes on top of weak and unstable soil, trying to re-build an amphitheater on deteriorating rock can be just as dangerous. Whatever the future may hold for Red Rocks, it's a natural gift we can still appreciate today.

This photo shows an example of how the rocks are already stating to erode, and if they slowly continue this process over thousands of years, there will be very little sign of the large sandstone sheets that lie there today.
Image via http://www.thetravelpeach.com/united-states-vacations/denver/cities.html.

Head in the Clouds

Red Rocks during the summer months is affected by continental-tropical (cT) air which is warm and dry, as well as a small amount of maritime-tropical (mT) air, which is warm and humid. There is continental-polar (cP) air during the winter months, which is cool and dry. Sometimes, continental-arctic (cA) air masses can come through during the winters as well, chilling things down quite a bit, and is much colder than the cP air.

Shown above here, you will see an example of today's frontal systems. It looks like there is a cold front that is moving in from the Northwest, mixed with an occluded front. Perhaps Red Rocks will see some pretty cold weather by this coming weekend!!

(image credit: Karen Titchener, Cloud Aprreciation Society)

Thunderstorms are common during the summer months in Morrison. Massive cumulonimbus clouds develop over the region from warm, unstable air combined with moisture, which create heavy rainfall. Cumulonimbus clouds are one of the most fascinating clouds because they can accumulate as high as the tropopause, in which case you will find the top of the cloud sort of tapering off horizontally, creating a "mushroom" shape. The photograph above is a spectacular example of a cumulonimbus cloud.

The photo above depicts a unique formation of cirrus clouds, 

which lie in the higher region of the atmosphere at over 23,000 feet. Cirrus clouds are a precursor to cumulonimbus clouds, and form from an incoming cold front. If you see these clouds at Red Rocks, there is a good chance that bad weather, perhaps a thunderstorm, is coming your way.

(source via: http://gr8ful.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html)

*My Personal Experience*
Red Rocks hosts summer movie events, called Film on the Rocks, where you can watch a movie on a large screen and sit in the stairs of the amphitheater. Last summer, I bought a ticket to see Pineapple Express at Red Rocks. It had been a bit rainy all week that week, so my roommate and I brought large umbrellas and trash bags to put over the blankets just in case. The weather seemed a little overcast when we arrived, but nothing too bad. We settled down into our spot and waited through this terrible comedian who was getting the crowd warmed up before the movie. As the comedian was finishing up, and the movie was about to begin, it started raining very slightly. In a matter of about 5 minutes, the rain had gotten so out of control that water was rushing down the smaller side-stairs of the amphitheater like a water slide. People were panicking because there were all sorts of personal belongings being shot downhill. It felt like someone had poured an enormous bucket of water on us from the very top of the amphitheater, and we were literally being washed away like ants. I had never seen anything like it! The guy operating the whole event announced that everyone remain calm and return to their cars to go home. My roommate and I were knee-deep in water as we made our way out! If you've ever been to Red Rocks, you know how steep the stairs are, and with that much water being accelerated downhill, it was hard for me to keep from falling down just from the force of the water. I have tried to find videos of it on YouTube to show you all, but I haven't had any luck. The fact of the matter is, thunderstorms can get really nasty in Morrison, and I have experienced it first hand!