Skip to main content

Rocky Mountain National Park

Yesterday, my hiking buddy and I set out to explore and hike in Rocky Mountain National Park...another beautiful place that has been on my list to visit. The original plan was to hike Sky Lake, then picnic. 

 What ended up happening was better! We drove into the park which is about an hour and a half away from where I live. You drive in and start going up and up and the views are insane, y'all. It's apparently wildfire season and there are some big ones in Wyoming, so the air quality was not as clear as it could be, but it was still beautiful. 
This place makes me feel so small...

One of us would be like, "Let's pull over!", and we'd get out of the car to stand on the edge of the world. We did this all the way up and back down the other side of the park before realizing our planned hike was all the way across the other side of the park. Oopsies.

 After a little research and expert map reading by yours truly (I SUCK at navigation and have no sense of direction, BTW) we ended up finding this little 3 mile hike that was unlisted on the park map we had. It ended up being pretty great. We were down in the valley with a massive stream winding back and forth next to us with mountains in the background. You know, like something on a post card. The only down side to that picture perfect hike was the enormous amount of horse shit that is typically not seen on said post cards.
A postcard view minus horse shit
We did a 3 mile out and back hike with a stop to sit by the stream half way through. Getting down there was a bit of a trek as there isn't a technical trail, but dammit, I wanted to sit by that water! It was so quiet and peaceful and serene...

After our hike, we decided to find a place to eat. The expert map reader (ME!) saw that we were relatively close to Shadow Lake, so we drove out of Rocky Mountain National and down to Pine Beach where we found a pretty picnic table next to the water. Erica made a yummy lunch with yummy wine and we spent time just hanging out and enjoying an unexpected new place.
Smart move bringing that hammock, Hells.

We decided to drive back home the way we came and back through the park. It was a completely different drive seeing these beautiful views from a different direction. We stopped a couple of times because the Elk were out in full force...the big ones. The truck sized ones with antlers that didn't look real. I'm typically not into deer-like creatures, but these things were incredible.

All-in-all, we spent about 8 hours exploring the park. Sometimes, more often than not, going with the flow can end up being so much better than any plan you can make...

 It's Labor Day Weekend and I am taking full advantage of the last days of Summer in #coloRADO...you know, this place I get to call HOME.
Labels:
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Questions? Comments? Share away!

Buzz kill? Keep on moving!

Popular posts from this blog

Daughter.

When you're estranged from not one, but basically both parents, the heaviness of that can still be palpable. Most days, most weeks, and months even, it's fine. I've learned to navigate questions like, "Where do your parents live?" or the weird feeling in my gut when someone says, "Oh, my mom sent me this from this favorite place of mine." I've learned how to adjust to Mother's and Father's Days by staying off of social media and doing something that makes me happy like getting out into nature. Some of these times are better than others. Here's the thing: whether or not the choice to go no contact with the two people who were supposed to show you all the basis of love was good or not, is incredibly difficult. Because social media is what it is, yesterday was apparently "International Daughters Day". It didn't bother me so much yesterday, but this morning wasn't off to a great start and for some reason, I felt agitated. I ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bikes!

Twenty years ago this month, I moved to Georgia and got a job at a local bike shop. My long-term boyfriend from my early twenties was an avid cyclist and bike mechanic. He had gotten a job wrenching at a local shop, Bicycles Unlimited. I was 19 and looking for a retail job since, at that point, it was all I knew. The shop was owned by a family and they were welcoming to this young girl working there with ZERO experience. I started on the sales floor and moved on to inventory management. It was my first foray into the inner workings of small businesses. More importantly, this was my introduction to the bicycle industry which has been one of the most meaningful relationships I've ever had.  I'd say 75% of the people I know in my life can be credited to a bicycle. Whether it be through rides, shops, or sponsors... I have met some of the most inspiring and influential people because of a BIKE. Some of the most fulfilling experiences I've had have been on a bike or because of bi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Boundaries.

  When you hear the word “boundary”, what do you think of? For so long, the word "boundary" meant "no" to me. No to bad relationships. No to things that didn't fulfill me. That was it.  I've seemingly always been able to set boundaries. I used to say it was easy. I've made the hard decision to go no contact with not one, but both parents (and one step-parent) in the last 20 years. I walked away from a marriage mid-trying-to-have-a-baby because I just knew I couldn't be tied to this person forever.  I've recently realized that even though I've been setting some hard boundaries since my early twenties, it's actually never come easy. I know what you're probably thinking, "Well, no. Setting boundaries isn't easy for anyone." And I get that. However, I'm one of those super-feeling types of people. Also known as a (diagnosed) generalized anxiety-ridden people pleaser who is both prickly as a pear but super loving stemming ...
Post a Comment
Read more