Day Two – May 28, 2021: 9:28 PM Mountain Time
Today was packed. We couldn’t get into Rocky Mountain National Park, so we started the day by topping out on Mount Olympus. We bushwhacked most of the way up, sporadically getting back on trail. We started at 7:45 AM and reached the summit around 9:45 AM. The summit had sheer cliffs and boasted commanding views of Estes, CO.
I then drove through Thompson Canyon to Fort Collins, CO. On the way, we stopped and had the rare and fortunate opportunity to photograph a mother black bear and her two cubs. We were protected as she was on the other side of a river, but less than 150 feet away. At one point the two cubs were playing high up in a tree while the inquisitive mother attempted to break into the cabin. Locals told us that this was an extremely rare opportunity with less than 30 bears in the park (Rocky Mountain National Park). I have yet to confirm that, but her husband used to be a ranger so it should be valid. I feel very lucky to have captured those intimate photos and videos.
We explored Fort Collins, CO and I ordered a vegan ice cream at The Exchange. It was a cool hangout with eateries made from old storage units. We hit an awesome outdoor store on the way back to Estes. The name of the store was JAX. Upon returning to Estes, we decided to ask the Rocky Mountain visitor center if we could enter the park before 5 AM and after 5 PM to avoid the permit system. Exciting news was that we could!
We drove the Jeep into the park and captured images of elk in a field with a beautiful stream running through the valley. I shot videos too. Rocky Mountain National Park is all I hoped it to be and I still have much to see.
I did buy an old photograph (over 100 years old) of the Stanley Hotel from a man for $4. He ran a photo shop that was moving so everything was going for cheap. He also had a lot of knowledge based on our brief conversation. He told me the photo of the Stanley was after the explosion that happened there, but prior to Stanley’s death. I do enjoy learning about history from the locals or interesting things to do in the area.
On a last note, I am impressed with all we accomplished today. I’ve always been interested in how far humans can go in a day and what they can do with their time. Maybe that is why I am so interested in the history of the West, especially when It was a new frontier. Anyways, time to shower and rest. Tomorrow we explore Rocky Mountain National Park!
RTW NOTE
Thanks for checking out this post fellow Road Trip Warriors! If you enjoyed it or the photos and think it could inspire someone else to plan a huge day, be sure to share it! Every share helps continue to grow this website! Below please find a list of links to items mentioned in the above journal entry such as outdoor stores, information, etc. Keep on adventuring!
JAX – https://www.jaxgoods.com
The Exchange – https://theexchangefortcollins.com
Prior Road Trip Day One Post – West Coast Road Trip Day One: Colorado May 27th, 2021
