Before heading to Wyoming, we got to get out and do a quick hike of Shoshoni peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. This is such a cool place with awesome scenery so close to home. The Brainard Lake Area was only allowing a certain number of vehicles into the parking lot to mitigate impact of COVID so we made sure to get there super early. This was Tootsie's first mountain and she did great. By the time we got back to the car, she was pretty spent.
This past weekend we did a "warm up" hike to Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National Park. This has got to be one of the best hikes in the whole Estes Park area. The lake sits at the base of rugged spires known as the Sharkstooth and 13,000 ft. Taylor Peak. In early June, there was plenty of snow to cross with an exciting scramble up a waterfall to reach this high glacial lake. Marmots and other critters weren't afraid of people up here. One even walked right up to our feet! A good day with great friends and a "manhandler" at Smokin' Daves for lunch is always a worthy prize for such a workout.
The Loch
Lake of Glass
The Sharkstooth
...And here's a relaxing set of video clips from the hike:
The Coronavirus has kept us all home for months. National Parks are beginning to open and outdoor recreation is considered a good social distancing activity. We chose a more secluded area in the Eagle's Nest Wilderness to take the kids on their first backpacking trip. The route was 3 miles one way and 1,500 ft. of elevation gain with lots of ups and downs along the way. We had doubts on how the kids would do especially Kolby with his little almost 4 year old legs. Well...the two of them were troopers! We just had to keep playing games and taking snack breaks to keep them entertained. They made it all the way to the lake and I didn't even have to carry them (much). By the way, sunrise at the lake was stunning!
