Many, Many Firsts!!! September 2010

FALL is our favorite time to visit the Y, Estes Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park.  The weather is cool, even requiring jackets at times.  Snow often visits just to give a hint of things to come.  The Aspen trees and many other plants are a glorious golden with orange and red thrown in.  The crowds have dwindled from the summer, especially on week days.  And the animals come out, seeming to say, "Whoo!  Now there's room for us!"  The elk bulls take advantage, gathering their harems and warding off attempts by younger bulls to "borrow" some of their ladies.


FALL 2010 was no exception.  The weather was gorgeous; it snowed. We hiked a "new for us" hike, designed just to see the beautiful golden trees. We saw more animals than ever, closer than ever, and even some we'd never seen!  And, with Jim's patience, I took many, many great pictures, even deleting some at night to be sure I didn't run out of memory.  Alas, I lost my camera the last day of our trip.


BUT I'd like to share our trip with you anyway; it was our best FALL trip ever!


We hit the trail, Bear Lake that is, early Friday morning.  Rather than going all the way around Bear Lake, we followed the Flattop Mountain Trail for a while.  Beautiful view from up there and Gorgeous Golden Aspen.  As we returned to Bear Lake to continue the loop, we met several people who told us, "Too Bad you missed the MOOSE in Bear Lake!"  To our surprise, though, we met the moose on the trail.  We really couldn't continue our journey until he decided to wander off the path, so I got to take lots of pictures.  This was the first moose either of us had ever seen - and on our first morning!  Just a hint of what was to come!  After such excitement, we went on to Hollowell Park to explore the beaver dams I had discovered earlier in the summer.  The beaver were sleeping, of course, but I got to inspect the dams up close and personal.  Next stop, after  returning to Highlander for lunch, was Sheep Lake. And, guess what we saw!  Yes, BIG HORN SHEEP!  Not really the first time we've ever seen them, but every time seems like the first because we spent so, so many fruitless hours for so, so many years watching for the Big Horn Sheep to come down from the mountains.  The rest of the day was filled with wonderful sitings of many ELK!  I really enjoy watching the bull react when one of his harem wanders away from the group or when another bull approaches.  The most amazing siting came as we returned to the Y.  Three large, beautiful Elk Bulls were lounging on the Hempel Family Program Building lawn and around the corner a bull was standing guard as his harem of nine frolicked on the Craft Shop's play ground!  He was one. nervous. bull!


Saturday morning yielded another early start.  I loved it!  We got to do the Downhill Hike I'd heard and read so much about.  It was awesome!!!  I loved every minute of this hike!  We parked our car at the Park & Ride, took the shuttle to Bear Lake, hiked to the very picturesque Bierstadt Lake for lunch, then to Mills Creek Basin for the glorious golden aspens - not that there was any lack of glorious golden aspens all along the way!  And, finally to Hollowell Park to catch the shuttle back to the Park & Ride for our car.  Returning to Highlander, we were greeted at our back door by a bull elk and his harem of about six.  I watched and photographed a long time as they slowly moved down the mountain, probably going back to play again on the Craft Shop's wonderful new playground.  After a brief respite we left for an early dinner at Bald Pate Inn never expecting more excitement.  But, excitement is what we found as we exited the Y!  Right there, in the middle of Dorsey Lake were two elk bulls sparring on an island created by the low water level!  We slowed and watched a few minutes, but my fear of seeing one of the beautiful bulls getting injured - and our reservations - allowed only a few photographs.  After dinner it was off to see the BEAVERS on Fish Creek Road.  Another first!  I've looked and looked for beavers over the many years we've visited RMNP but to no avail.  It was so much fun to see the beavers come from their houses under the dam.  They seemed to come one by one.  Soon there were several swimming, swimming, getting out of the water, and then going back in. Unfortunately, since the beavers do not come out until just before sunset, there is a relatively short viewing time.  But, that makes it all the more fun to go back again and again!


Sunday's start was not so early or ambitious!  Upper Beaver Meadows provided wonderful scenery for a picnic and several trails to explore.  And, a trip to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center was definitely necessary!  It was time to replace our Trail Ridge Road cassette tape with a CD! Especially since our 10 year old car doesn't even have a tape player!  Our return to the Y yielded another nice surprise!  Lounging on that island in Dorsey Lake was the older of the bulls that we had seen sparring the day before.  (I had been concerned he might not do well in the battle.)  He lounged while I took many, many really good photos!  Love, love, love it when my subject will sit still for me to shoot again and again.


We took our time Monday morning, stopping in town to take some pictures and driving on to Glen Haven for those cinnamon rolls since our plane didn't leave Denver until the afternoon.  Glen Haven - that's where I lost my camera!  Haven't been back since!!!  I was devastated at first but now am just thankful that I remember the trip even without the pictures! It'll be a challenge to me to capture comparable photos in the future..... and, to not lose my camera again!

BMS (Bear Lake, Moraine Park, Sprague Lake)

BMS!  We never tire of them.  Rocky Mountain National Park's (RMNP) glorious destinations are perfectly suited to the Highlander Clan's  6 babes, all 3 and under.  And, no matter how many times we visit, we always find something new.  Take this, for example: 

Now, of course, we didn't just find the RMNP Shuttle, but we did find ourselves riding it for the first time ever!  I'd always felt sorry for the poor folks circling the Bear Lake parking lot, thinking someone should have told them that one needs to be there at least by 10 am in July in order to get a parking place.  Well, this summer, we were the poor folks!  And, you know, it wasn't bad at all parking in the shuttle lot and hitching a ride to Bear Lake!  It was actually a fun adventure and, thankfully, the babes didn't seem to mind the extra travel time.  These pictures from Bear Lake are courtesy of emily large Photography since I forgot my camera.

Bear's Clues are always important stops along the trail around Bear Lake.

Snack stops are even more important!

This pointe is always a big favorite, walking out on the big rock  .....

and actually getting to reach into the water of Bear Lake.

The Highlander Clan's visit to Moraine Park offered new experiences also!  Of course, there are always the flowers for little princesses .....

   

and the many large boulders to climb .....

but never before have we stopped on the edge of the park, picnicking at a picnic table instead of going deep into park and spreading our picnic in the meadow.  We were unusually tired, though, and the weather was threatening, so ...... a new experience hiking to Moraine Park!

My favorite new find, however, was this deer on the Y grounds as we hiked back to the car.  Our large clan allowed me many shots of the deer who was happy as a lark to have me hovering nearby.  I look forward to finding him again as we hike to and from Moraine Park in 2011.  Since he has a big scar I'll be able to spot him, but, then, I should name him.  Any ideas?

Sprague Lake is handicap accessible and even has a nearby accessible camp site

which makes it very stroller friendly!

Sadly, Sprague's lodge pole pines need this hug Molly is giving!  The pine bark beetle is in full attack there!

The new finds at Sprague Lake were this rapid overflow from the Lake and many more than normal beautiful wildflowers.  Both of these finds can be attributed to the later and heavier that normal snows that RMNP received this Spring.

BMS (Bear, Moraine, and Sprague)

Hiking continued throughout the week following Memorial Day.  Three wonderful hikes were Bear Lake, Moraine Park from the Y, and Sprague Lake.  With six grandchildren ages 3 and under, these have become our favorite hikes!  First, we visited Bear Lake.  We bravely tackled the ice and snow but were not able to go completely around the lake.  One would never have guessed the conditions, given our dress!  But... Once a princess, always a princess!

Bear Lake not only provides appropriate terrain and hiking length for young children, it also offers many huge boulders that beg to be climbed!

And for the parents, Bear Lake offers many gorgeous views.  This is the Keyboard of the Winds, one of my favorite.

Hiking from the Y into Moraine Park is a treat because it requires little or no travel in the car.  Young children especially appreciate this!  Also, there is no concern about full parking lots.  The Big Thompson streams wind through Moraine Park and were especially full this year!

Moraine Park doesn't have many big boulders on which to climb, but there are small rocks which cry out, "Throw me, throw me," and into the rapidly flowing Big Thompson streams they go!  This provides much entertainment!

A highlight of any hike is the snack and this little babe is sure to get hers!

Snack time again!  This time at Sprague Lake.  On a beautiful old fallen tree.

Sprague Lake was built by Abner Sprague who wanted to create excellent fishing with incomparable views of the Continental Divide for the guests at his lodge.  Think he succeeded?  Huh?  These are Otis Peak, Hallett Peak, and Flattop Mt.

...and Hallett Peak and Flattop Mt with Tyndall Glacier in between.