Fly Fishing 2009

Although several self guided Fly Fishing excursions were made, our group enjoyed only one Sasquatch guided trip in 2009 (so much to do - so little time!). The weather was cold, wet, and threatening, so Matt and Molly chose to fish the Private Lakes while Graham ventured on to Roaring River.

Matt Wins the Prize!

Unfortunately, Matt's picture was the only one posted that day from the Private Lakes, so we'll just have to assume Molly enjoyed the trip too!
The Roaring River folks, on the other hand, posted many gorgeous photos. Check out Graham's form!

New Craft Shop at the YMCA! 2009

The Y's New Craft Shop celebrated its Grand Opening on July 20, 2009. It was very appropriate, considering our tradional huge participation, that some of us were able to attend the festivities.

Emily was excited to get her face painted and hoped her Little One would follow . . .

but, alas, Little One would rather play on the Craft Shop's brand new playground.

All got to go to the Craft Shop later to create very stylish Tie Dyed clothes. The older ones even dyed clothes for their baby sisters and their baby sisters yet-to-be-born.

So, now, all six grandchildren sport the Y's Tie Dye fashion!

Do you think our youngest Tie Dyer chose his colors from the carpet? Maybe he thought he'd blend in!

Alluvial Fan: A Favorite of One Highlander Family

Ever notice that Lauren and Matt slip away? Chances are they've gone to the Alluvial Fan to enjoy its beauty and take family pictures. Matt might even have his fly rod in hand because he's had really good luck fishing there.

The 42-acre Alluvial Fan was created on July 15, 1982, at 5:30 am when Lawn Lake broke through the terminal moraine that had held since the end of the last ice age. The release of 29 million gallons of water swept trees, car-sized boulders, lighter rocks, gravel, and sand 4 miles down the valley floor. Although much of the flood's force was absorbed in the meadows of the valley, the water continued on to flood Estes Park to a depth of 6 feet.

Venture Into New Territory: Gem Lake

The area known as Lumpy Ridge has remained unexplored by the Highlander clan until July 2009 when Emily and Alex ventured out into the unknown for a hike to Gem Lake. Lumpy Ridge is a unique area of RMNP made up of massive granite rock, home to several raptor species, and renowned for its world class climbing.


The trail to Gem Lake leads up through sharply cut granite which showcases unusual rock formations.

One of the popular balanced rock formations is Paul Bunyan's Boot.

Gem Lake is a small body of water nestled in a shallow bowl near the top of Lumpy Ridge. It's surrounded half way by granite walls and has a nice sandy beach on one side - perfect for a picnic! Rain, and very little snow, is its source of water.

2009: Year of Many Hikes to Moraine Park, Part 2

So, the Whole Family

(minus one fisherman)

Hikes to Moraine Park!

The river is an instant magnet, especially for our champion rock thrower!

Aunts, Uncles, Cousins all join in, throwing rocks and looking for fish.

Snack Time! A Hike is not a Hike without a Snack! Notice Everyone looking Down? Remember Why? The Sun is Bright!!!

Time to Rest .....

and enjoy the Beauty .....

2009: Year of Many Hikes to Moraine Park, Part 1

What fun it is to be able to hike from the Y into Rocky Mountain National Park!

We sent our Scouts to blaze the trail.

They went well prepared, taking CamelBaks to insure hydration

and discovered a winding river, deep green grass, and majestic mountains.

Our Scouts then summoned the Entire Family for Multiple Journeys back to Moraine Park.

2nd Annual Hayride & Marshmallow Roast

A little help from Dad!

Cousins get in on the fun too!

Tastes Good but Looks Wierd!

Baby J thought the Hayride was Fun . . .
Even Without the Marshmallows!

We All had a good time!

2009 The Summer of ........

Can You Guess?

Ladies on YouTube!

The Summer of 2009 marked a lot of firsts for us at the Y of the Rockies! Some of us saw bears, badgers, and turkeys for the first time; some of us caught really big fish for the first time; some of us rode ponies for the first time; a n d .......... da..da..da..DA! We ladies were on YouTube for the first time! Emily got the starring role!

First Summit of Hallett's Peak 2009

Hallett's Peak (left) from Sprague Lake

The Snow Field to the right of Hallett's is Tyndall Glacier,

one of five active glaciers in Rocky Mountain Park

Alex, Matt, and Graham rose very early on Tues, July 28 to hike to the top of Hallett's Peak. It was a fun, rewarding, and very long day! They had climbed to 12,713 ft with a 3, 238 ft elevation gain! They also summited Flattop Mountain on their way. The Flattop Mountain Trail closely follows a route used by the Ute and Arapaho Indians to cross the Continental Divide and reach Grand Lake.

First Rides on the Y Ponies

Our Sweet Little Munchkins had a Great Time riding the Ponies! So much so that they went back for a Second Ride!

Proud and Dutiful Parents guided the Ponies along Minnie Mouse Trail.

July 2009: Jim Saw His First Bear!

In The Cabin! "Our" Bear had already visited other cabins and homes in the surrounding area and she reportedly has four or five friends who frequent various parts of Estes Park. The top photo is her youngest friend, affectionately known by the townspeople as Gingerbread. Gingerbread is a cub, just weaned from its mother. Below is another friend, a three year old.

Both are Black Bears, despite their color. Black Bears are generally not agressive, and, indeed, "our" bear was on her way out of the cabin as soon as she heard our voices downstairs. However, once a bear learns he can get food from humans, he persists in his attempts, rather than go back to search for food in the wild. Unless he can be scared back to the wild, he must be killed for fear his persistent efforts could cause harm to people who, ironically, put him in that position to begin with!
These photos were taken by Richard Hahn of Estes Park. You can click on the photo to see Twitter's larger version. The one on the bottom will grace the walls of Highlander as a reminder that we should not, even unwittingly, feed the bears!

Remember the motto: A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear!

Can't Wait to See The Hummingbirds!

Could it be the Hummingbird which draws us to

Colorado?

SCHEDULE OF 2009 EVENTS:

AA 1207 Arrives at DIA from DFW on Sat, July 25 at 2:55 pm. GiGi's favorite chariot, as well as a rental car, will ferry all to Highlander.

Nondenominational Church Service, Hyde Chapel, Sun, July 26 at 10:00 am.

Family Photography with Cathcart Photography, Mon, July 27 at 10:00 am. Wear blue or green.

Family Hayride and Marshmallow Roast, Fri, July 31, 7:00 pm.

United 0978 Departs DIA for IAD on Sun, Aug 2 at 11:25 am. AA 1202 Departs DIA for DFW on Sun, Aug 2 at 11:55 am.

THE REST OF THE TIME IS YOURS TO ENJOY ALL THE Y AND RMNP HAVE TO OFFER, INCLUDING THE HUMMINGBIRDS!