Friday, September 30, 2011

Fall in Colorado

This past weekend (well, earlier this week because the hubby has a weird work schedule and mine is pretty darn flexible) the hubby, dog, and I went to Estes Park for a couple of days for an anniversary trip. Although it was a month after our actual anniversary (cue the weird schedule again) we chose this date because we knew it'd be prime Aspen-changing time. If you're familiar with Aspen trees, you know that every Fall they paint a brilliant landscape in the mountains with their bright gold leaves. We had never seen the mountains in their full Fall glory, so we decided it'd be a good thing to go and do. Also, it's elk bugling time in Estes Park and the surrounding areas. Apparently the male elks "bugle" to gather more females into their harem. I guess the best bugler wins the most girls?

Aspen grove from above.

We drove out of our way to get the best views of the leaves as possible on our way up to Estes Park, did a great hike the next day, and drove through Rocky Mountain National Park all the way to Grand Lake on Trail Ridge Road on the way home. It was a fantastic trip, and the views did not disappoint. The elk sightings and bugling didn't disappoint, either. I had no clue what the bugling sounded like, so when it woke me up at 12:30 AM the first night I was positive that a pack of wild animals was coming to attack us. It wasn't until the next day that I realized what the sound had been. Seriously, I actually told Travis that a pack of hyenas was coming to attack. He promised me that they weren't hyenas and that we were safe.

The giant elk hanging out in our front yard. Travis snapped this one while I was hanging out scared in the cabin keeping our dog Wyatt company.

Back to the hike....since dogs are not allowed on the trails in RMNP, we went and did the Crosier Mountain hike. We chose the Rainbow trailhead because the trail description mentioned a "mature grove of Aspen trees". The hike climbed about 3,000 ft in a little less than 4 miles and it was beautiful, plus we only saw one other person! There were many different types of scenery. The rocks on the trail were even pretty! They were quartz maybe - with some mica or other mineral - very shimmery. We had a nice picnic sitting on a huge rock at the top, looking out across the surrounding areas. It was peaceful, and so beautiful.



Not a bad place for a picnic. I must say, the company was pretty good, too.

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