rosephile
Refugee
40 takes you to Grand Lake, and if you keep going, to Steamboat which is a ski town. I've only driven to Steamboat in late summer so I'm not sure of road conditions. I do know you're not very likely to see a pika. I haven't taken 14 because it's too far from Denver to do in one day.
The road up Mount Evans takes you into the high country and you'll get some nice views. They have the ability to just close off the very top since it's one-way. You'll almost certainly see marmots on the road and possibly pikas.
My favorite one-day scenic route is 285 to 24, then back through Colorado Springs (goes right by Garden of the Gods too). If roads are good and I have enough time, 50 instead of 24. Both routes give you some awesome views of the mountains and you're almost guaranteed to see pronghorn going through South Park (the big valley near Fairplay).
They're getting another 2-4" of snow up in the high country today with more expected tomorrow.
Thank you so much! Time to check out the map again...