Rocky Mountain High!

One of the things I have always wanted to do while out West was go for a horseback ride through the mountains. However, I am 6'4"+ and around 235. Almost all stables have a 220# weight limit. However, Hi Country Stables in the Rocky Mountain National Park have big horses and I finally got my wish!

To get there from Granby, you have to drive over Trail Ridge Road - the highest paved highway in the US. 11 miles of the road are above the treeline with the highest point being 12,183 ft. That is as high as Mount Zirkel near Steamboat. As I was carefully driving through the pine forests (a herd of 6-8 Elk were meandering in the road at one point and finally decided to get off the road so I could pass,) I was greeted by a beautiful pre-sunrise. The thing to remember with mountains is that sunrises and sunsets are often hard to get because the sun is too bright by the time you see it. The secret is to catch the color just before it rises or just after it sets.

After negotiating the rather scary road (no guardrails and a few thousand foot drops from the side of the road. no big deal!) I made it to the stables. Fortunately there were only two other people along for the ride besides our guide. Glenn and Evelyn Guillory were visiting from Louisiana. The three of us had a wonderful ride through the forests and mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park. Our three-hour ride seemed to be over before we knew it but my shins and thighs definitely did! While I was smart and wore cowboy boots which protected my feet and ankles, the fenders (the long piece of leather that hangs above the stirrup and covers the straps that hold the stirrup were rather narrow and ground into my shins. While I was expecting a sore rump, It was fine. My shins however were a different story. However, no amount of discomfort could dampen a great experience. My cellphone provided the pics for this part of my journey.

After a great ride, I set out to drift back over the Trail Ridge Road to take a closer look at the surrounding mountains and the high altitude tundra. There I found Marmots, a cute Pika and of course wildflowers including (in order) Leafy Jacob’s Ladder (blue), Lambert's Locoweed (purple), Alpine avens (yellow) and White Loco Flower. Across from us on the side of the mountain is a beautiful alpine lake. I think this is Arrowhead Lake. As you can see, the mountains in this are are rather impressive.

Here is a graphic to give you some idea as to the heights and names of the mountains in the photos.

While at the top of Trail Ridge Road, I pulled over a number of times to take photos and at one point, sit there for quite awhile watching the tiny hamster-like Pikas running around and laughing at the antics of the Marmots (they look a little like our groundhogs.) While the park had a lot of visitors, it was still possible to find peace and solitude on the drive up and back.

When I finally got down to the valley floor west of the mountains of Trail Ridge Road, I joined a group of people observing a pair of moose eating in the stream below the roadway. These two and the yearling I spotted a bit later, totally ignored the humans gawking at them.

Of course along the way I saw Elk, Mule Deer, Black Squirrels, tiny Chipmunks (smaller than ours), and a variety of birds (at one point the hummingbirds were buzzing us during the horseback ride!) All in all a very nice day and a great way to end my adventures in the mountains. My next stop, Galena, Illinois for a couple of days.

One of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done!

While visiting with Doug and Mary, they suggested a hike to Gilpin Lake.

What I didn't realize was that it was a 9.7 mile out and back trail with a rise of over 2004 ft.! (I earlier told my family and friends it was 8.5 miles - I was wrong!

No wonder my legs were a little sore! But my eyes were not! It was easily the most beautiful hike I have ever done! At first you are traveling through aspen and pine forests full of wildflowers.

The wildflowers were amazing. I couldn't take pictures of all of them or I would have been there for days! Here are a few (in order): Downy Yellow Violets, Blue Alpine Phacelia, Bluebells, Glacier Lilies, A lone Glacier Lily in the sunlight, White Mountain Avens (2 pics), a Western White Trillium, Pussywillows, Western Marsh Marigolds and Shooting Stars. As I said, this is just a few of the many different flowers I saw.

The trail is well marked (except in one location - more on that in a second,) and passes many waterfalls, following Gilpin Creek as it rushes down the slope.

There were times when you had to hike

through a shallow stream as the trail had

turned into a waterway.

Other times the trail led through the snow. This is a minor example. I didn't get a shot

of a large snow field I had to hike through

at times wondering where the trail was and

only having the footsteps of others to show

the way!

At one point, the trail just disappears. It seems to end at a bog - which I am sure some think is the lake all dried up. Well, don't despair, you are only a mile away from the lake but have to either wade through a very deep section of Gilpin Creek or cross this set of logs! Good luck!

Once across the logs and up a steep set of switchbacks and a large snowfield, you come to the lake. I will let the images speak for themselves.

Stay tuned while I head to Rocky Mountain National Park for a horseback ride and a little exploration.