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Alvin, Simon...Theodore!
chipmunks should not be this friendly....he thought we were going to feed him...DON'T FEED ANIMALS!! Reece: Waking up early, eager to see the mountains that were now no longer cloaked in darkness, we set off down scenic Route 34 towards Estes Park. (P.S. We got the cinnamon buns. They should not be, and probably are not, world famous.) Even before arriving at the Rockies we were greeted with a spectacular drive through the Roosevelt National Forest where a winding road led us through a canyon following the Big Thompson River. The sides of the canyon were so tall and so sheer we couldn’t even see the sky until we made our way out. Arriving at the entrance gate to the park Caitlin jumped at the opportunity to get an annual pass that allows one to go to any national park in the country. At the Falls View visitors center we were given the unfortunate news that Trail Ridge Road had been closed that day due to a landslide. The ranger seemed to be as devastated as we were about this, saying over and over, “We were so excited to have gotten it open nearly a week early yesterday. We were so excited…” Still, with our spirits far from diminished, we took off as far up Trail
glorious rockies!!
view from trail ridge road ridge Road as the elements would allow.
At one of the first scenic vistas overlooking Horseshoe Park, a valley surrounded by snow capped mountains just inside the east entrance, we were greeted by an adorable furry little man who was more than comfortable to approach the tourists, to say the least. As cute as this was to Caitlin and I, it did represent the sad reality that too many people are feeding the wildlife in the park, and many of them are becoming fairly tame. Working our way up the mountainside we finally came to the final vista some 10,000 feet up. The view was breathtaking. Caitlin was finally able to take out her SLR Nikon camera and snap off a few “more professional” photos. Although it was disappointing to think about the other 2,000 feet we could have continued to climb up the mountainside in the Wrangler, we were granted the unique opportunity of walking up Trail Ridge Road as far as we dared. The air was noticeably thin, and it wasn’t uncommon to find yourself reaching for the Nalgene after hardly walking a hundred feet. It was cold, too. After snacking on pepperjack cheese and Triscuits Caitlin
and I rummaged through the trunk to dig out our sweatshirts and jeans that had been buried in the heat of the Kansas sun.
After walking about a quarter mile further up the road past the barricade, taking advantage of some unique photo opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have been available to us had the road been open, we saw a ranger coming slowly down the mountain in his pickup. As he drove by he told us with a satisfied grin, “Turn around! We’re opening the road!” Rejoice! What luck! However, instead of following the masses in the parking lot up the rest of the trail, we headed back down to Estes Park to grab a bite to eat and check out the back-country camping office on the way.
At the back-country office we met with an incredibly friendly and helpful ranger. Ranger Kite was very enthusiastic and informative, and little did we know how perfect his advice would be. After ruling out snowshoe hiking and winter-condition camping, Ranger Kite recommended that that we head up to the cow’s creek trail head in the northeastern corner of the park. He recommended that we stay at the Rabbit Ears backcountry
campsite, named after the rock formation set a few hundred feet above it that resembles, you guessed it, a pair of rabbit ears. After paying a twenty dollar administrative fee for two nights we set out to Estes Park to rent a Bear Keg, a device used to keep bears from ravaging your food supplies in the night, and grab a bite to eat.
Estes Park was just as I remembered it from a previous vacation. There are four major types of business in Estes Park: restaurants, belt buckle and western wear outfitters, outdoor stores, and candy shops. Nothing else. Seriously. I don’t really understand the need for ten different taffy/ice cream/hard candy stores on the same two city-block downtown street. The food and the local brew were lackluster, so I’ll protect an innocent business by omitting its name from this entry. Besides, I can’t remember what it was called. After picking up our Bear Keg we headed up the scenic drive to the cow’s creek trailhead. Enjoying the ride so much we continued on down the local roads outside the park and took advantage of a few more photo opportunities, including my favorite, “A Slice of Heaven”.
Finally we came to the trail head located inside a previously privately owned ranch that had now been purchased by the park. I had never been backcountry camping or backpacking before, so I relied heavily on Caitlin’s wisdom and knowledge and simply followed her lead. After packing up all the necessary supplies we set off down the trail, not without first stopping at the last “comfort station” before it was pine cones and leaves for the next two days. It was hot out and the hike was hardly what could be considered strenuous, but with thirty or forty pounds on your back and being about 8,000 feet above sea level, it makes things a bit more difficult. Yet, about a mile and a half and 600 feet in elevation later, we arrived at what was to be our new home for the next two days.
Crossing over the creek that would be our water source we walked up a small hill with a clearing at the top where we pitched the tent and set up camp. It was almost too perfect: Rabbit ears up the mountain, the sound of the creek below, and a beautifully clear sky with stars
beginning to poke through above us. We made backcountry burritos consisting of black beans, rice, and pepperjack cheese. Yummy. After we cleaned up and packed everything away into the bear keg we settled in for our own personal planetarium. After the initial scariness of being in the middle of the woods with only two headlamps and the secure knowledge that we were surrounded by bears simply waiting for the perfect time to pounce had passed, we began to relax and enjoy the stars above us. Rabbit Ears’ campsite also came with nature’s own lazy boy right on site. There were several different positions that one could sit/lay in and be granted several different amenities including beer holder, headrest and ottoman. Pulling an open sleeping bag over us we were blessed enough to be able to see more stars than I can remember seeing, including satellites and meteors. Eventually we grew tired and cold and turned in for the night with lighting flashing in the distance.
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