Rocky Mountain National Park.
We have traveled and camped in the mountains the past two summers. This summer we decided we were most definitely NOT going to do those things. We loved them both....we really did but we took a big vacation to Florida for my parents anniversary and maybe we should just explore some of the National Parks or Lakeshores in the Midwest, etc, etc, etc. We looked at campsites and trails. Kayak rentals and road trip times. We just didn't plan anything. We sort of had a deal that planner Sarah would take a step back and let spontaneous Craig work out summer plans. It became May and planner Sarah was a little concerned. Then, one day, Spontaneous Craig came home and said...."Let's go to the mountains and camp." Now this was an amazing idea but Planner Sarah started looking into campsites and the ones in the National Park all looked unappealing. So we went into the National Forest that surrounds the park and booked a shaded site (which is one of our must haves when camping).
And it was really great. We camped in the southern part of the park and we honestly liked this part of the park better for camping. The camping spots had plenty of elbow room and this part of the park was much less busy. We often had the lake near our campsite to ourselves. Plus it was a quick drive up to the majestic and busier part of the park and then back home to our quiet neck of the woods. I would highly recommend National Forest camping.
So Day 1 of the trip was hauling as fast as we could from the great state of MN to Colorado. 12 and a half hours of hauling. Eating some mexican food and then going to bed early so we could wake up to this:
The trailhead near our campsite for 4 days/3 nights. If there were such a thing as a scratch and sniff button you would be able to breathe the pine smell in but alas that hasn't been invented yet.
So Day 2 we started out exploring the Wild Basin area of RMNP. It was quiet and rugged which was perfect for us.
Of course climbing on the many, many, many boulders took priority that morning.
Craig "encouraged" me to climb this one boulder below. It would be good for me. Make me a hard core outdoor woman or something like that. Climbing up was great but climbing down was very ugly and awkward and I was a little shaky and not the least bit hard core outdoor woman.
People were still in our campsite when we checked so off to Lily Lake for a scenic 1.1 mile loop around this mountain lake.
While hiking around, the kids catching glimpses of the cairns (stacked rocks) that keep us on the trail. The boys decided they would contribute as well and made a decent sized one.
I love artsy trees and mountain backdrops.....
After the hike and a snack it was time to check back in at camp and the previous tenants were gone so we set up shop!
Here is what a typical camp looks like for us these days:
Tent, canopy (these are the best...I have cooked many a meal under the canopy while it rained outside), Craig's pile of wood that he just chopped out to dry a bit. Our happy place.
And a look around camp. The kids usually find some "meeting place". This one was called Gopher Mountain (for the record it had neither gophers nor mountains at this spot)
Also in this camp we were blessed with massive boulders....just perfect for the kids to work on their climbing skills.
Day 2 finished with us just bumming around camp. We also knew we had our biggest day the next day so off to bed after a fire.
Day 3 dawned bright and beautiful and we had our sites set on a 5.4 mile roundtrip hike to Ouzel Falls. 3 waterfalls on the hike and you hike next to the stream most of the way makes for a very pretty hike.
We learned two years ago when we came to the mountains to take the amount of water and snacks you would normally eat while hiking and times it by 3....and that is what you will eat and especially drink while hiking. The elevation can be a killer. But we were better prepared this year. 2 years ago people were giving us water near the end of our hike....ooops!!
At the top....Snow in July!!
The water was rushing and the spray was wonderful on our faces.
Ouzel falls you did not disappoint!!
The unafraid ground squirrels crashing our picnic. Don't worry...we didn't feed them.
Our customary "hat dip" in the stream as we hike down and get hot. A nice cold hat feels great when you are getting hot and dusty.
Craig took some shots from the trail :)
Day 4: Early morning checkers. The mornings were cold....hovering in the 40s so a fire and coffee were always on the menu.
We weathered some storms the night before and woke up to lots of fog and some clouds so we decided to drive up to the northern, busy part of the park for a little more site seeing this day. First up was the Alluvial Fan.....and more rock climbing ensued here.
After that we hopped in the car to take Trail Ridge Road to the top. We got out mostly to marvel at the mountains but also for some wildlife views as well.
This marmot came right up the the kids. Isaac was going to pet it before I put a kabosh on that. Marmots are always fun to see.
We also saw a few herds of Elk and 4 bighorn sheep. Andie took this picture:
Top of the mountain was a brisk 48 degrees. A lot of snow still around as well. Had to get the token shot and some pictures of those alpine flowers I love so much.
Down we went to Bear Lake. Mid-afternoon. This place is usually crawling with people but we must have hit a time when the majority had left because it was relatively quiet. The fog was still around but we just wanted a simple walk and some more climbing (of course) and this hike fit the bill.
Visiting the mountains was an unexpected gift this year. Maybe I should give up more planning duties to Spontaneous Craig?!?! Not sure if I am willing to go that far yet. But we had an amazing time and I got my "mountain fix" for another year.
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