RT Day 16 Rocky Mountain National Park

Yes, we are at the top of the world

We were in Rocky Springs, WY snug in our beds when 9am rolled around. The continental breakfast ended at 10 and we had 1 last day of adventure so we got going. Breakfast was kinda week and we showered again then hit the road. We had a 4 hr drive and ate jerky and banana chips and granola along the way. When we arrived at the park we checked in at the first visitor center we found and signed up for Jr Ranger program plus got a map and schedule of everything going on. A ranger program just for kids had just started and so we stuck Peanut in it. The rest of us loaded up on sunscreen and changed shoes and packed snack and water backpacks. I’ve forgotten to mention but I get nosebleeds pretty regularly and altitude and not enough water definitely bring them on. RMNP is really high up so we started drinking water like crazy and really pushing it on Peanut.

Peanut did his program and learned about rocks and stuff then they swore him in right there.

We made our plans for the day and left the visitor center. The first stop was the Coyote Valley Trail for a 1 mile easy peasy hike.

We followed the baby Colorado river trough a really pretty field.
That trail you see is not for people it is the one animals use and we could see areas of grass where animals had laid down. Our path was super easy peasy remember.

This was an hike out then turn around and hike back trail and really fun and it was just such perfect weather.

We got back to the beginning and took a picture on the bridge and all used the bathroom since we had been drinking so much then drove on.

We stopped at a few points briefly to look at lakes and other points of interest.

Then we really started gaining altitude and wind and views and losing warmth.

We got near the top of the road then pulled over for more bathroom breaks and to do the highest hike. We started out at 12,090 feet.

(ohh isn’t the baby cute inside dad’s jacket you say? It was cute on the way up but once there she filled her diaper and the only place for the smell to go was right through the neck hole)

This hike was kind of the opposite of most of our rough hikes. Usually we have an easy trip down then a hard hike back up but this time we started out climbing strait up.

I think it was about a mile on asphalt and then there were a few places to climb on rocks and look around and even learn a bit.

This next shot is after a bit of rock climbing and I wish it said how high we were but it didn’t. I do believe this was the highest elevation we were at the whole trip.

It was crazy windy and probably a bad place for a baby inside a coat so Iz and I climbed back down pretty quick. We hung out on the path a bit and took pictures of Peanut and Heath above us but I had a stinky baby who was getting hot in my coat and wanted out of the wind.  

So we gave Heath the camera and basically flew back down the side of the mountain while Heath and Peanut played.

They came down to a clean baby and then we drove away. We didn’t stop in the park anymore driving out the east entrance and on and on. We worked our way around Denver and onto I-70. At the first decent sized town we pulled over around dusk for a Mexican feast.

We had spent the day snacking on peanuts and jerky and whatever was left in the snack bag but a real meal had us drooling and luckily we picked a great spot. I had driven all day and was ready for a nap so Heath loaded up on giant diet cokes and “the best chimi she had ever eaten”. Peanut got a bean burrito and killed it in no time. I forget what my meal was called I think Mama Gordita but I’m not sure, it was perfect for me, piles of slow cooked pork and beans and rice and all the veggies with some super thin orange chip type stuff. We all used the bathroom again then hit the road. Heath took over and I got a few Zzzs. She was full of caffeine and motivated to get home and drove and drove and drove.

I’m not a great car sleeper but was tired enough to do pretty well on this trip. Once I was not tired enough anymore I woke up and eventually convinced Heath to give over the wheel. We got gas and 44 ounces of iced tea and I got us the last two and half or so hours in. We arrived home at 5:30am. Both the kids were wide awake and got on pajamas and climbed into bed (Pumpkin after a milk snack). Heath and I left the van and mail and everything alone, we just turned on the AC and some fans and went to bed. I had too much caffine and a crazy schedual keeping me from sleep for a little while but then was out.

and it was over