Brake Lights & Bug Bites

I have come to love August in the camper. By August, the crowds at the national parks have started to die down, the weather is usually beautiful, and for me, it feels like a breath of fresh air before starting another school year. There is something about August that gives us a little more freedom in our days before the added time constraints of planning and doing schoolwork settle back in.

Last August, we visited Glacier National Park, and I remember feeling so rejuvenated by our time there before beginning another school year. So when August rolled around again this year, I was really looking forward to having another August on the road. And this year brought us to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rocky Mountain National Park may be one of the most famous national parks in the country, but somehow, we just kept skirting around it. We went north of it. We went south of it. We drove past exit signs for it. We kept saying, “We really need to go to Rocky Mountain National Park.” And then, finally, we did! And within a very short time, it climbed its way into our list of favorite national parks.

Rocky Mountain was established in 1915 and encompasses 415 square miles of some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Colorado. The park stretches from elevations around 7,800 feet all the way to the summit of Longs Peak at 14,259 feet. It contains 147 named lakes, approximately 355 miles of hiking trails, and 124 named peaks above 8,000 feet. Nearly one-third of the park lies above tree line in the alpine tundra. We wanted to experience as much of it as we could.

We stayed at Spruce RV Park, just outside the national park entrance, which made it the perfect home base for exploring. We also spent time wandering around nearby Estes Park, enjoying the mountain-town atmosphere.

A friend had mentioned that we should check out the YMCA of the Rockies while we were in Estes Park, so we decided to explore the property. We had a wonderful time wandering around and even attended church at their little mountain chapel.

But when I was checking out their website, I noticed something I never expected to find in the middle of the Rockies. The Cleveland Pops Orchestra would be putting on concerts there all week! What a small world! Of course, we had to go. We ended up enjoying two of their concerts, and it was such a fun evening out.

One of the highlights of our time in Rocky was pushing ourselves on the trails. It had been a while since we had done much hiking, so we knew some of these trails were going to be a challenge. And, Tate has gotten bigger which means our littlest hiker has also become a much bigger load to carry when those little legs decide they’ve had enough. Thankfully, Charlie is our hero and absolutely loves carrying Tate on the trails. More than once, we found ourselves watching Charlie hike along with Tate on his back, somehow making it look much easier than it probably was. I know watching Charlie carry Tate, with the four boys hiking ahead of us and chatting away, will become some of the memories I treasure most from these years. There is something so special about seeing them growing up together, exploring, laughing, helping one another, and making their own adventures.

We hiked to Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, Gem Lake, and Haiyaha Lake. Can you sense the theme? We fell in love with the mountain lakes! Coming from lower elevations, hiking uphill at 10,000 or higher feet definitely made us work for some of those views!

Ken and Charlie took on an extra hike together out to The Loch and Jewel Lake. They came back saying the views were unbelievable. But perhaps the best part wasn’t the hike. They sat beside the lake for the longest time, simply taking in the serenity and beauty that surrounded them.

We drove Trail Ridge Road, one of the experiences we had been looking forward to most. Trail Ridge Road climbs to 12,183 feet, making it the highest continuous paved highway in the United States. The road stretches 48 miles between Estes Park and Grand Lake. We drove the entire 48 miles there and back in complete awe and wonder.

We finished our drive at sunset, and it was truly one of the most incredible sunsets we have ever seen. The sky seemed to glow over the mountains, and we just kept watching as the light changed. And just as the sun was dipping below the horizon, the clouds began moving in like a blanket. Slowly, they settled across the landscape until all we could see were the tops of the mountains rising above the clouds. Words and pictures simply cannot do it justice. Once again, we were reminded how incredibly beautiful God’s creation is.

We also drove the historic Old Fall River Road, the first auto route in Rocky Mountain National Park allowing visitors to access the park’s high country. The road, which opened in 1920, is a slower-paced, one-way, uphill climb with switchbacks and no guardrails! I am sure the views were amazing, but my eyes were set on the road in front of me! 😉

Rocky Mountain National Park also gave us some incredible wildlife encounters. We saw elk, moose, deer, pikas, and yellow-bellied marmots. But maybe one of my favorite memories from our entire time in Rocky happened during our last two mornings. We heard that wildlife tends to be more active around dawn, so on those final mornings, Charlie, Grant, and I got up before sunrise and headed out in search of wildlife. And boy, was it an adventure!

We saw a momma moose with her baby, multiple bull moose, deer, elk fighting, and pikas. There was something completely different about experiencing the park in those quiet early morning hours. The roads were calmer, the mountains were just beginning to light up, and we never knew what we might see around the next bend! It was truly incredible.

More than anything, though, Rocky Mountain National Park left us captivated by the beauty of God’s creation. We have found that the mountains are a place where you look around and feel small. Standing beneath enormous peaks, watching clouds move across the mountains, listening to water rushing over rocks, spotting wildlife, and looking out across miles of wilderness, it was hard not to stop and marvel at it all. Rocky Mountain National Park had been on our “someday” list for far too long. It quickly became one of our favorites. We already can’t wait to return.