RMNP Vacation

Man what a great vacation I had. I got to spend some quality time with the family. Run with a top notch trail runner. Had some me time on some epic trail in RMNP and became my sons number one adventure buddy all over again in a span of six days. Words can't describe how I feel when I'm out there and pictures only slightly do justice to the experiences I have when I'm there. I don't think I'll write much other than a few words under each picture. You'll just have to come here and experience this for yourselves.

This shot was taken just below treeline. Looking northwest towards Mummy Mountain a 13 thousand plus footer part of the Mummy Range in RMNP. My goal was to get to the top but for the second year in a row I was slowed downed by the snow pack and ultimately had to scrub the summit attempt. Next time I'm going to plan to be out there all day and pack snow shoes. I won't be turned back again.

A shot of me and Salomon's U.S. team captain Adam Chase after our jaunt around the trails of Boulder. I was tired but pretty happy I was able to hang with him at a mile high. Also shot some video of our run but the light on it isn't that great as we had a storm roll in late into the run when I took it. Super great guy though and a fun run. After looking at this picture I realized how awkward we must have looked to others running down the trail. At 5'7" and 128 lbs. This guy is a featherweight of a runner.


Here's a picture off our back deck around 6:30 in the morning. Yes this is what I woke up to every morning while I enjoyed my Mountain Dew and Pop Tart breakfast. The house is halfway up Prospect Mountain. Lake Estes is below in the background.

T-Bone and Izzy. She was such a good baby for her first trip away from home and seemed to fit right in with the whole enjoying the great outdoors theme we had going for the week. T-Bone has become quite the big brother. I don't think I'll have to sweat too much about anybody messing with his little sister when they get older.

Here's T-Bone hunting pesky ground squirrels with his trusty sidearm. That damn toy gun went everywhere with us that week he shot everything from Mountain Lions to Magpies with that thing and to think they say there is too much violence on T.V. Preposterous.

Here's a nice picture of a nice sunny patch on the Black Canyon trail going up to Lawn Lake. Standing here all you could here was the wind in the trees.


On the way back from Tristan's and my climb up to the Eugenia Mine on the Longs Peak trail. This is by far my favorite mountain in Colorado. Though I still have a few more on my list yet to climb. So Far. This is my favorite mountain. Just look at it. How could it not be?

Here's my little angel. I told you she was a happy baby. I shot this while her and I were waiting for everyone to come out of a store in downtown Estes Park. Either I was real funny or just funny looking. Probably a little of both.

Look out world. Only four and he has such a tenacity for putting himself through feats of endurance like trail running and climbing mountains. I swear I didn't ask him to make those serious faces. He just kind of does them on his own. Kid loves to climb though. Later that week he was hiking on a easy trail with his grandma when they came to a hill. He started running up it away from his grandma. She told him not to run it cause she didn't want him to get tired. He stopped in a huff and replied. "Grandma, I'm a mountain climber. Not a mountain walker." God, if that isn't priceless then I don't know what is...



I wish this shot had better light to it. I think I can mess around with it some more on the computer. But it reminds me of those paintings you see of kids sitting outside of some field house or football stadium dreaming about being able to play inside of them someday. I just told him he wasn't quite ready for that one just yet. Followed by me saying maybe when you're six years old. He's dreaming big and I love it.