Day Three – May 29, 2021 9:38 Mountain Time
Started the day at 4:00 AM today to beat the permit system in Rocky Mountain National Park. A lot was done today including: hiking to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, Bear Lake, Alberta Falls, and then driving to Moraine Park to capture more images of the elk. Emerald Lake was by far my favorite. The lake was frozen and watching the people climb up the mountains behind it was amazing. Two of the people were high up to the left of Hallett Peak.
Dipping my head in the water running from Dream Lake was also surreal and gave me a brain freeze. We finished the day in the park walking around the Sprague Lake Nature Trail, capturing photos of the Rockies along the way. The weather held up which was fortunate for us.
We had dinner at Ed’s cantina and I ate like a king. Chips and salsa, a lager from Boulder, CO, a cauliflower patty burger with sweet habanero sauce, and a mix of French fries and fried green beans. Purchased some cool trinkets at the shops in Estes after. We decided not to camp tonight and head towards our next destination since it was going to rain all night. Before leaving though we got some great shots of The Stanley Hotel, which The Shining was based off of by Stephen King.
I drove the Jeep back through Thomson Canyon on US-34 towards Fort Collins, CO. Even in the rain, driving through Thompson Canyon is captivating as its sheer cliffs tower above you. Big Thompson River runs adjacent to the road through the canyon. Just before Fort Collins, I pulled into the parking area for the Devil’s Backbone. They are large rock spires rising from the ground creating different shapes and keyholes. Apparently, according to a sign, it is mountain lion territory. I was happy with the photos I took of the Devil’s Backbone with and without the entrance sign.
I am thrilled to be heading further west tomorrow through Wyoming and to the Tetons. I cannot wait to hike through them and hopefully reach some high elevation. If time allows, maybe hit Mormon’s Row again for better pictures of those beautiful, antiquated cabins.
We are staying in a Quality Inn in Wellington, CO tonight. Room is clean and we can stay dry. I wish my photos would download faster as I want to work on my website. All in all, we did a LOT in the past 48 hours and I am very happy about it. Until then (tomorrow), it is time to work on website, maybe read, and rest before traveling further tomorrow morning.
Note to self: DON’T LET CAMERA DIE WHILE TRANSFERRING PHOTOS! Oh, and I got sunburnt to shit in Rocky Mountain National Park. We love to see that.
RTW Note
Thanks for checking out this post Road Trip Warriors! If you enjoyed the photos and the post in general, please share it with others that might enjoy it as well! Every share helps grow this website and I am appreciative of those taking the time to read my words. Hopefully one of these posts spurs you to take a big trip or hike a new mountain! Below find some links for businesses mentioned in this post and businesses we visited this day not mentioned in the post! Stay safe when adventuring!
-Ant
Ed’s Cantina – https://www.edscantina.com/menu
Mile High Coffee – No website, but Google them. They have a whiskey barrel nitro coffee that is non-alcoholic, but has a hint of a whiskey flavor in it. I highly recommend trying this place out.
Ore Cart Rock Shop – https://orecart.com
Prior Road Trip Day Two Post – West Coast Road Trip Day Two: Colorado May 28th, 2021
