I am in the process of coming down from a Rocky Mountain "high". No, I'm not talking about a marijuana high. I'm talking about the depression I've been feeling since I left Rocky Mountain National Park. This has to be the first time I've come home from a vacation and been a bit depressed. Why? Because I didn't get to stay!
This park is big. Yellowstone big. And I didn't plan enough time to see it all. I spent the little time I had in the Bear Lake area doing some hiking, hiking, and more hiking. It was wonderful. See how happy I was!
The hikes in this area are build-your-own and usually end at/pass by glacial lakes. Here are just a few (seriously, there were more) of the lakes I hiked to.
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| Clockwise from top: Lake Haiyaha, Nymph Lake, Emerald Lake, The Loch |
The hike to Mills Lake was hands down my favorite hike this visit. It is 5.3 miles round-trip through some beautiful scenery.
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| View from the trail to Mills Lake. |
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| Alberta Falls |
Depositing you at a lake with lots of places to pull off those dusty hiking boots and cool your feet in.
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| View from the south end of Mills Lake. |
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| View from the north end of Mills Lake. |
A few shots of the view from our campground in the park. Seriously, the campground!
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| Road leading into Moraine Campground. |
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| View from the campsite picnic table. |
Just a few of the animals spotted in the park.
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| Clockwise: Elk, Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel, Yellow-bellied Marmot |
I was also only yards from a moose and her calf but choose not to take my camera on the trail that time. Sometimes it's nice to just be in the moment and not trying to capture it.
I wouldn't be me, if I didn't also mention a few flowers spotted in the park.
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| Clockwise: Colorado Columbine, Western Paintbrush, and Yellow Stonecrop |
Lastly, if you only had time to take the drive along Trail Ridge Road, do it. The road is long and winding, and gorgeous. It's a 48 mile road, and Brian and I planned to drive it on our way out of the park on Sunday morning. We started around 10:00 am.
Several scenic pull-outs, a few short hikes, and a windy lunch at the visitors center later, we finally exited the park, at oh, around 4:00 pm. We ended up having to get a hotel and drive the rest of the way home on Monday. Worth every minute.
If you go visit this park, PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU! :)
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