ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

After a day of rain we were able to enjoy Rocky Mountain National Park.  We took several hikes on well maintained trails with lots of other hikers.  Even after the Labor Day holiday, the park is pretty crowded with visitors.  Tailhead parking lots fill up by 10 am, but there is a shuttle system to get you around.  We attempted to get a campgound reservation before arriving but all the reserve sites were taken.  By arriving in the middle of the week we were able to get one of the non-reserved sites.  Over the weekend all the campgrounds were full.

One of our hikes was to the top of Flattop Mtn (12,324 ft) a 9 mile round trip with a 2800 foot gain in elevation.  We started early and gained the summit before the crowds.  Lots of people attempt this mountain, not everyone makes it.  Cathie made it!  It was a beautiful clear day, but views to the east, towards Denver, were hampered by haze and smog.  On the way down, about a mile from the trailhead, Cathie was getting tired and asked, how much further.  When I told her it was about another mile, she said, "Get me off this friggin mountain".  She later blamed her irritability on "low blood sugar".  Anyway, she was really a trooper and set her mind to making the top, which she did without too much difficulty.

NOW SOME PHOTOS

 NYMPH LAKE

 COOL TREE STUMP

 CATHIE'S KIND OF STREAM CROSSING

 CAMP VISITOR

 LOOKING DOWN FROM FLATTOP MTN

 FLATTOP SUMMIT

 CATHIE ON THE SUMMIT

 EMERALD LAKE

After any summit is reached, a celebration is in order.  We opted for BBQ in Estes Park finished off with a huge piece of peanut butter chocolate pie. (We shared it)