Saturday July 2, 2016 – Day 7 – Rocky Mt. NP

Today was definitely the highlight of the trip.  We left the house in Breckenridge around 9 and drove to west side and stopped at the Kawuneeche Visitors Center and got hat pins and magnets.  I got magnets with pikas on them for the kids because I was so excited about seeing a pika again. 

We drove a short ways and stopped to see 3 or 4 elk on the side of the road that came right up by the car.  Then not more than 10 minutes later we say a MOOSE, a first for all of us.  We kept driving north then east on Trial Ridge Road and past the Alpine Visitors Center where the road is above the tree line and at around 12,700 feet. 

My ears were hurting and Ryan was feeling terrible but we saw a small herd of elk bulls just lounging on the side of the mountain and they were spectacular.  

Continuing to drive east, we stopped at Hidden Valley and took a short trail back to a picnic table where we feasted on slim jims, cheese nips, apples, oranges…you name it. 

Our next stop was amazing and completely unplanned.  We took the road towards Moraine Park (which we decided that if we wanted to come back and camp, that would be the nicest place to camp).  We parked at the trailhead for the Cub Lake Trail and began our official hike.  It was 2.7 miles back to Cub Lake which was covered with blooming lily pads.  The hike itself was so interesting – lots of ecosystems and NO pikas.  We jokingly called to them by farting and no luck – ran into lots of cute chipmunks but no pikas.  We continued on to The Pool and then back to the road on the Fern Lake Trail.  We crossed streams, rivers, drank out of waterfalls, saw beautiful wild flowers, got bit by mosquitos and generally stayed in the shade for what ended up being a 6.5 mile hike and I loved every minute of it as did the kids for the most part. 

After getting in the car and before getting back on the main road, we had to stop for a true herd of elk (probably 40 of them – all moms and babies) who crossed the road.  It was awesome. 

We then drove down to Bear Lake which is where I was sure I’d seen a pika when I was 16.  If we’d had more time we would have hiked the Bear Lake trail that led to another lake which led to another lake.  If we come back I’d like to do that hike but the kids were absolutely beat. 

We left the park and ate dinner at a so-so restaurant then went into a souvenir shop next door and Ryan bought a stuffed moose. 

We got back on the road (it was around 8:30) and drove through Denver to Englewood, CO where we stayed at a Drury Inn.  We got in around 10:15 and everyone crashed.