Tag: Rocky Mountain

Over the Misty Mountains

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2015-10-01 09.43.03

Overlooking the Estes side of the Rocky Mountain National Park

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More friends!

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Hey there buddy.

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Another view of the park.

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Pocket man, burning out his fuel out here alone.

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Up the mountain.

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A good place to stop for a hike.

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Even with clouds its very bright at 12,000ft

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Selfie stick and DSLR: Ready to go!

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Leading the way.

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Feels like we’ve landed on an alien world.

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Nothing but tundra around us.

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Walking to the edge of the world.

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A full 360 view of what its like at the top of the Rockies.

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Feels like Weathertop, watch out for Nazgul.

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Today’s trail is brought to you by rocks.

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Panoramas up here are just amazing.

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Keep of natures lawn!

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Officially at the top.

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925 miles to Seattle

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There aren’t many choices for a lunch stop on top of the Rockies.

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But the view is amazing.

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Officially at 12,000ft

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All sealed packages become balloons.

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Continental divide. Perfect content for Clash of Coasts

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The mighty Colorado River!

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Fording the Colorado, everyone is safe and no one has dysentery.

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Still in the mountains, but we found a farm.

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An old semi-abandoned dude ranch.

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Plains in the mountains.

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Our hotel in Grand Lake.

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S’mores by the fire.

The Rare Rocky-Mountain Goldfish

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2015-09-30 09.08.08

Taking the Accent off road

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We didn’t start the fire.

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Estes Park seen from above.

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Estes and the Mountains

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Looking pensive on the rocks.

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A wild mountain goat

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One top of the mountain

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Whats over there?

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Oh, its more mountains

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This hike is brought to you by Goldfish

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A Selfie with Estes

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Rental hit 10000 miles!

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Perfect time of the year to be in the mountains

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Our trusty trail guide.

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Into the woods; its time to go…

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Bear lake

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A new friend

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Just hanging out.

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Prairie -> lake -> forest -> mountains -> sky

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Our trail down the mountain

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We found a bubbling brook.

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Finish the day with some put-put.

Rising on the third day

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On the third day of our trip we left Denver and Boulder behind and headed up the Rockies to Estes Park on the edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park.

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Heading to the Mountains

The morning hike was up the Rattlesnake Gulch trail to see the continental divide.

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I wonder why they call them ‘the Rockies’?

Rattlesnake Gulch was a cake walk compared to hiking up the flat irons.

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A flat trail is a welcome change of pace.

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We found out hotel, they weren’t kidding about the sky lights.

Crags Hotel, a hotel halfway up the mountain that had been very popular in the 1920’s as a swinging getaway. Unfortunately it burned down and no one though to rebuild. Oddly enough, this fireplace was all that survived the flames.

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A selfie at the Crags Hotel.

We (apparently) found the continental divide. Water on the right side of the panorama will drain into the Mississippi River, while water on the left side is destined for the Colorado.

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The Great Continental Divide!

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Don’t Jump!

On the way back in the distance we spotted a train tunnel that could have been right out of a Chuck Jones animation. As we drew closer we were lucky enough to see a very long cargo train go by.

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We found a train, no Wiley Coyote in sight.

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Looking forward and back I am surrounded by derps.

taking the long route to Estes Park we pass by Barker Reservoir and Nederland.

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Barker Reservoir across from Nederland.

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Our trusty steed.

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Lots of water.

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The right season to be in the forest.

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Words to live by.

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A little church that we found by the road.

Estes is just over the ridge and we stop for a short walk around Lilly ‘Lake’.

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Walking around Lilly Lake the sun decided to join us.

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It would take a few days but we eventually went up there.

Once we arrive in Estes we find that the town is beset by a plague of elk, and even worse a plague of nature photographers looking for the elk.

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Look who we found in Estes.

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A nature photographer, in his natural habitat.

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Chocolate cake for dessert