A Week in the Rockies

We started off our 2010 trip to the Rockies with a journey to Leadville, CO and a historic train ride through one of Colorado's famous mining towns. The trip was really for Liam and his affinity for trains, just like all 2 1/2 yr old boys that have been exposed to the children's blue drug called....Thomas. But, the true source of joy came from Brooke, pictured below in her pink jail ensemble, who clung to the railing on the train car and watched with baby bouncing anticipation as every pine tree riddled with disease by pine beetles wooshed by her little doe eyes.

Liam tries Thomas on the tracks since his parents have held out on providing him with a Thomas train set.

Up to McCulloch Gulch to view a cascading waterfall, we hiked with the kiddos strapped to our backs through a mild shower sprinkled on us by the ever changing cloud formations of white and gray clouds. We saw ponds, single log bridges, burnt out forests, an alpine lake, and the ever looming presence of a large animal that we could smell and hear behind us, but could not see!

If you would like to try it yourself...

http://www.summitcountyexplorer.com/HIKES/McCullough%20Gulch%20-%20Hiking%20Trail.htm

Looking at Brooke makes me want to drink some Swiss Miss Cocoa

Pictured behind me is one of Colorado's 14er's - Quandary Peak. I summited it 2 months before in June with snow still on it's pointed top...picture below.

End of the hike 3 miles later with Brooke asleep and Liam falling asleep minutes after this picture was taken.

Further north we entered Grand Lake on Colorado's west side and stayed at a cabin nestled in the trees complete with a trail leading to its very own fire ring and logs carved to sit on.

We met a friendly sasquatch and he took this picture of us at our remote cabin. I think the pungent smell of "used" diapers took away all of his natural human devouring instincts.

At the suggestion of Liam, we took off hiking one afternoon in Coyote Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park's more unvisted west side. We found beautiful meadows that literally looked golden in color and usually are the best places to spot the elusive moose of RMNP.

Guess what I got for last Christmas...yup, my two front teeth!

A final back breaking 7 mile hike at the end of our trip (Liam weighs over 30 lbs, more than my backpack when I go backpacking) we enjoyed the solitude of one of the most beatiful trails in RMNP we have ever been on in our years of visiting the park...Cascade Falls trail. Again, in the early morning hours, moose had been spotted each day in the golden meadows, however, it was not our day and instead we viewed some rather large horses on some private property that backed up to the beginning of the trail.

The "lake" of Grand Lake. Brooke is making a fashion statement with her bib.

Our last evening at our cabin we roasted ballpark franks, toasted some marshmallows and built the ever coveted s'more. But, before a fire could be made, I had to pose....er, umm chop a few trees down with the axe provided to build my bonfire...er, umm I mean split logs for a campfire. You get the picture...well, yes you do actually!