Ever had one of those days where everything seems to work out perfectly? We had one of those today.
Having a 5:00 a.m. entrance pass to the park meant we were up at 4:30. Being as quiet as we could, we packed up Livvy to make the short drive into RMNP. We were heading to the Bear Lake Loop, probably the single busiest part of the park. Hence our desire to get to the park & ride lot early to get a parking space.
We succeeded in getting a spot to park, but had some time to wait because the shuttles do not start running until 6:30. So we enjoyed breakfast, took the dog for a walk, and had iced espresso. We boarded the first bus of the day and began the ascent to the Bear Lake trailhead and the end of the road.
This area is so frequented for no other reason than it is simply spectacular scenery. Snowcapped peaks surround it on three sides. The pine and aspen forests are thick. The walk around Bear Lake itself was magnificent. It is also the trailhead for Emerald Lake, which sits tucked back at the end of a valley and is indescribable. We did the hike in 2019, but there was still too much snow and ice to do it this year. Although we were able to hike the trail to just beyond the first of three lakes before the footing was too slick.
We took advice from Katie and Brandon and set off down a trail to Alberta Falls, just about a mile downhill from Bear Lake. What a great suggestion! The hike was a little less than a mile from Bear, and the crowds were far lighter. And the waterfall was absolutely roaring thanks to ample early-season snow melt.
Checking out AllTrails (our go-to hiking app – invaluable), we realized we could take another fork of the trail and hike nearly three miles to a lake not far from where we parked. And the best part – it was all downhill. That sealed the deal, so we headed down the trail to Sprague Lake.
This hike was not only uncrowded (we passed 5 people in the nearly thee mile length) but was stunning. The trail alternated between dense forests and open hillsides affording great views of the valley. And there was water everywhere! Runoff from higher altitudes was cascading all over, creating water features that will certainly not be there later in the summer. It was peaceful and quiet and relaxing.
Arriving at Sprague Lake we came to find out that the shuttles do not stop there as frequently as we hoped, so we walked along Bear Lake Road for the remaining mile to Livvy. Overall, it was nearly 8 miles of hiking and every minute was fantastic. To think that only 1 week ago I was being released from the hospital in Cedar City was startling even to me.
The weather was so wonderful that we decided to take our time and do a loop through the park before heading to camp. Not far from the parking lot we came upon a large group of people all looking at something off the road. That “something” turned out to be a mama moose and her two very little babies, eating and drinking on the far side of a small river. The little ones we just adorable!
Our cups filled to overflowing, we figured we’d head toward downtown Estes to go back to our favorite gallery, Aspen & Evergreen. On the way out it happened. We finally got to see, live and in the wild, the very elusive big horned sheep. We had tried to see one for so long that I joked they probably live with sasquatch. They are much bigger animals than I had anticipated and the horns are, well, BIG. Great spot just before leaving the park!!
Estes was not overly crowded and we were able to get an RV parking spot directly across from Aspen & Evergreen. We had been in the shop a few days ago and found a gorgeous piece by Tracy Lytle. When we were there in 2023 we purchased a piece of hers that we adore. We knew it would be trouble to go in again, and it was! We walked out owning our second piece and look forward to finding a home for it on our walls in Bay Village.
Then, because the day had been so perfect already, we walked up the street for a well-deserved ice cream cone. Why not, right? And there was so much ice cream we were able to bring some back for another desert (in a cup, of course). Perfect end to a perfect day.
The rain started, but we didn’t care. Things went so amazingly well today. Now that we’ve showered and eaten dinner we can relax. And we find our conversation moving toward returning home. It’s that point in the trip where we allow ourselves to step out of the current and look forward just a bit. We don’t want to wish away the remaining days, but the thoughts of home are pleasant.
Leave a Reply