The cacti scream for attention on this 27 mile climb to reach an elevation of 9000 feet. At about 4000 feet, the cacti disappear and evergreens begin to take over. And finally at 8000 feet snow and ice pave the road. The rock formations are golden colored with pink, red and orange hues but as the elevation rises, grey takes over. This drive is the equivalent of beginning at the Mexican desert and ending in the Canadian forests (in just 27 miles!). There were plenty of vistas and the most mesmerizing was the Windy Point Vista but I stopped at almost every turnout because the views kept changing.