Day 4 started a little differently. We had a guest in the bigger truck! Last night we met Kim's nephew Collin in Longmont and he followed us back to the campground. He's out here on a summer internship while attending the greatest and best University in the land, and we get to spend the day with him hanging out in Estes Park.
Of course, of all the days for us to get rain, we got it. We decided to make the best of it and head into downtown, grabbing a solid breakfast at a local joint and heading into the tourist trap of the retail downtown area.
You can see the mist rolling off the mountains in the photo - this would be a theme for the day.
The part of downtown that isn't a mountain outfitter selling you a sticker, magnet or t-shirt is actually quite beautiful. The way they have incorporated a mountain stream right into the shopping district is impressive.
Fast forward to our goal for the day, hiking to Emerald Lake in the Bear Lake section of Rocky Mountain National Park.
This is a very popular hike, so we were hoping the rain would keep some people away and that we'd be able to find parking at the trailhead instead of taking the shuttle. Jackpot.
The first view after all of us nearly coughing up a lung on the immediate climb at altitude with no acclimation. I give you, Nymph Lake (stop it).
After a brief stop to check out the lilypads, it was on to the next few sights. Here you can see Collin displaying incredible patience, as we hiked pretty slow as a family and Jordan never stops talking. He was a trooper all day.
Jordan displaying her affection for rocks, and the need to touch (and narrate) every large rock on the trail.
The next view - Dream Lake.
The trail was quite enjoyable, continuing to reveal views and hint at your final destination as you start to hear faint roars of the waterfall. We came around a corner and nearly walked past these guys until Jordan hit us with a "WHOA!!!"
Crazy to see these elk so close, but stay tuned for the return trip.
You can see Kimberly and Jordan in the bottom center of this photo, just as we were about to reach the final payoff. The scale is ridiculous, and the rain & clouds made it feel like we were heading into Mordor.
Obligatory group shot at the destination. Collin wanted to be subtle about where he's going to school. Also, cheers to the 10+ groups that hit us with a "GO BLUE!" today, and as for the guy who started an "O-H...", I assure you Michigan will beat you in football sometime in the next decade. Most likely.
After some well deserved snacks, we headed back to the trailhead, only to run into our pals who had exercised eminent domain over the trail.
As we rounded the corner to see these guys chilling, Jordan let out a gasp, followed by a very loud "BUTTS!!!" I swelled with pride.
The butt in question.
That was a highlight of the hike, and once we cleared the elk, it was fast forward to the parking lot.
Since we were here, Collin and I decided to do a quick loop around Bear Lake before we left. It is essentially almost a paved nature trail, but still pretty picturesque.
We decided we had enough time to race up the mountain and show Collin the overlook at Rainbow Curve.
As you can see, it was pretty chilly and the mist was overtaking the views.
Back when we stopped at Oskar Blues some number of days ago (we have reached the point of the vacation where what day it is no longer matters - one of my favorite milestones), our server had recommended a place called Bird & Jim. We had that planned for the nightcap, and wow did it deliver.
They had a fantastic bourbon and whiskey selection, and Collin got some sort of dinner that had 3-4 different meats involved, so all in all it was a great evening. We even got to watch some of the Olympics while there.
We were all pretty stuffed, so we headed back to the campsite and wished Collin a safe drive. There is an outside chance we may cross paths one more time before we leave Colorado, but if we don't, this was a wonderful day spent creating memories.
Tomorrow - travel day to our next destination, Elk Creek campground near the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Cheers!
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