The Park that Changed it All
As I dug our raincoats out of my hiking backpack, I wondered just what on earth I had gotten my family into. Dark gray clouds loomed above us, almost touching the sharp mountain peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park. Thunder could be heard in the distance and the temperature dropped drastically. Large, wet raindrops began pelting our faces as we hiked along the trail. But I was determined to see Emerald Lake and a storm was not going to get in the way of this adventure! So, we just kept trekking on.
Just as suddenly as the sky had turned gray, the sun began emerging through the clouds and the short rainstorm was gone. In its wake, the grass had become the most luscious green I had ever seen. Animals were out and about enjoying the cooler temperature. Small chipmunks were scurrying all around us. So, we just kept trekking on.
“Mom, look at that waterfall!” “Dad, check this trail out!” “Mama, take my picture!” These are just a few of the things that are our boys, Jett (10) and Jake (7), shouted out to us along our 3 mile hike that led us past streams, around lakes, over rocks, right next to boulders, under branches, and along the most beautiful landscape I had ever seen. I am usually a person that has a lot to say, but on this day, I was left completely and utterly speechless. And to top it off, we were only about halfway into our hike to Emerald Lake. So, we just kept trekking on.
Finally up ahead, we saw the trailhead pointing us to Emerald Lake. Had we really just hiked almost three and a half miles… without any complaints or our boys needing to stop? Still in our rain gear, we walked right to the edge of the lake and just stared in amazement. This lake, the jagged cliffs rising out and far up above us, the tranquil waterfall we could see in the distance, the noisy sounds of the hidden insects in the surrounding forest, and our boys’ collective sighs added to our amazement. We were the only people on the trail at this time and enjoyed just taking in the sights and watching dozens of chipmunks and birds in their natural habitat. One of the boys said, “Mama, what can we go see next?” Even after hiking three and a half miles, we all wanted to see more of this magical place! So, we just kept trekking on.
We backtracked down the same trail and then headed to Alberta Falls, we drove miles and miles along Trail Ridge Road, and we even had the most special encounter with a mother moose and her calf at Sprague Lake. The beauty and the wildlife of this park are memories that will last a lifetime. And right there, on a cool summer day in Colorado, a new family tradition was created. And it all started because we just kept trekking on.
So thanks to you, Rocky Mountain National Park for changing the way we plan our family adventures! Thank you for the memories that I will cherish forever. Thank you for inspiring us to get out there and see more! We have since visited three other national parks and have made travel arrangements to visit three more in the next couple of months! We are so excited for our new love for National Parks and my family cannot wait to keep trekking on!