Day 5 began with a somewhat efficient departure, something we are still getting used to with the bigger truck. There is more to do than before, but with a divide & conquer approach it goes quite quickly.
Today's theme - what better way to learn how to drive a bus towing a Jeep than to do it on tight, twisting mountain roads.
I will skip ahead without boring you with the details (although that's all this blog really is), but suffice it to say that scaling Monarch Pass was a challenging experience in the new rig. The benefit, once we got through Gunnison, was this view of Blue Mesa Reservoir.
And this view of our campground. I was a bit worried that we were too remote, but Kimberly loved it and that's all that matters.
Once we got settled in, it started to hit us how different it is with the new rig. Setup takes a few minutes longer, but it is so nice it feels like cheating. And quite the backdrop to boot.
We fired up the bikes to get some energy out and explore the rest of the campground.
These things were all over the place, and a great idea. Modular cabins with accessories depending on the location. Fantastic idea.
After a few days of nonstop activity, it was kind of nice to close out a travel day with some relaxation, and this pic should help demonstrate the stress level involved.
A new experience for us - fireside movie night! Cannot complain.
Tomorrow - Crested Butte! Our namesake. Hopefully some Jeep trails and definitely some exploring.
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.
When you pop out into the final clearing of Emerald Lake, you hear the distant roar of the waterfall that feeds the like (center of the pic). It really is an impressive vista.
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!
Day 3 started with me sneaking out for an early morning ride, only to be busted by these 2 campground deer.
The shot below looks almost fake, but it is 2 minutes from our campsite. This is Mary's Lake in Estes Park, and it helps reinforce the fact that you are constantly surrounded by picturesque views out here.
I had spent a few minutes last night researching biking trails around Estes, and one that consistently came up was the Limber Pine/Kruger Rock/Moose Meadow loop.
If you've ever read this blog before, you know my affinity for photos of bikes leaning on things. At the risk of boring anyone, I have narrowed it down to just 2 pics to represent this ride. Just know that it was an amazing trail, I almost puked a lung in the first 100 yards due to altitude, some technical boulder climbs that we don't see in Michigan, and being fat. Once I got my lungs, the flowy sections in the middle were good enough to have me turn into a one man Woo Girl crew on the trail.
Once I got back, unscathed and pretty invigorated by the ride, we started to put together a plan for our coveted timed entry pass to RMNP. We had scoped out part of the park last night, and the prospect of taking Old Fall River Road to the top of the park was very intriguing. Any time you can take a single lane, 11 mile long gravel road with no guardrails to nearly 12,000ft, you need to jump at that opportunity. I spoke to one of the white-bearded campground hosts about our plan while putting the top down on the Jeep, and he paused extra long and grunted, "I think you would enjoy that very much." All the endorsement we needed.
Pics don't translate for this experience, so I won't even try. The road is not difficult, you can drive up in in a minivan if you want to. It is, however, quite the experience. It has a 15mph suggested speed limit, and there were sections where Kim and Jordan would not look out their window to save their life.
There is definitely something to be said for taking this route and thinking about the era when a road like this was the only option to make it to the top.
We stopped just shy of the top for a quick break to take in the sweeping views, and of course Jordan needed her fix of climbing on rocks.
Here’s a clip of part of the final stretch.
The view from the Alpine Visitors Center is pretty tough to describe, especially after looking back at the road we just took up the mountain. Even in August there is still some snowcap remaining.
To avoid the herds of tourists at the top, and to get back in time for the night's adventure, we hoofed it down on Trail Ridge Road. I was able to snag a few phone pics out the top of the Jeep before being reprimanded - this road really does feel like you are driving on top of the world in some sections.
OK, now for the nightcap. When we are on vacation, almost no option is ruled out even if it isn't exactly very close to where we are staying. For example, when we were planning this trip, we realized we would be within 2 hours of Red Rocks, so we decided to see who was playing. No band was in our wheelhouse, but then we discovered their Film on the Rocks series.
I had been to this place more than 20 years ago, taking in the notable band Cowboy Mouth along with someone else who was less memorable. I challenge you to watch this, then wrestle with the feelings of 'this is good, right? I mean, I can't get it out of my head and it's a catchy tune, surely these guys are going to be successful.' *Narrator* - they were not.
Kimberly and Jordan had never been here, so this was a fantastic family experience. What we were not expecting were the Colorado School of Rock bands performing as an opening act. At first, we figured it was a good match since there were a lot of young kids in attendance for the movie showing and this would be a nice tie in. Then the kids started melting faces with all manner of Pantera, Maiden, Hole, and Rage covers. They closed out their impressive set with all band members on stage for Megadeth - Peace Sells. Yes, the future of our nation is in great peril, but less so if a 13 year old girl can destroy a crowd like this dude.
Of course we needed the obligatory selfie for posterity, and this was taken a moment after I tried moving even further from the lens in an unsuccessful attempt at making my dome appear normal sized.
The preamble to the movie was a bit cheesy, but actually got the crowd hyped. The director of the Film on the Rocks program came out and addressed the crowd with some trivia, and after the crowd completed all the famous movie lines, it was clear everyone was ready.
By now you either know what movie we saw or don't care. Either way, I'm telling you. We were there to see The Princess Bride, one of the finest cinematic achievements of our time. Seeing it in this setting, with live crowd response was crazy. Such an incredible experience.
If I discover a location in Colorado with enough signal or bandwidth to post a video, I'll include a few of the classic clips. Suffice it to say it was a great night, and something we will not soon forget. Long day, time to shut it down.
*edit - found signal to upload a few of the best parts.
Tomorrow - spending the day with Kimberly's nephew Collin who is out here for a summer internship.
