My biggest hopes for the summer season have been satisfied. Hiking is one of my favorite summertime activities which I hadn’t been able to do yet this year, but last week I was able take full advantage of a short trip to our IAFR annual conference. It was held a convenient 160 miles away from home, but it felt like thousands of miles away, largely due to the dramatically different landscape. We as a family went from the flat plains of NE Colorado into the heart of the Rockies, surrounded by tall mountains, trees, and wildlife.
Hike #1 was a family hike, climbing 1500+ feet, which took us above the tree line where there was still some lingering snow. I was especially proud of Jerod and Devin, who made it to the very top of the tough trail where we were rewarded with awesome views and a feeling of accomplishment.
Hike #2 was with a bunch of IAFR colleagues to a small waterfall on the property where our annual conference was held – YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch. Conversations with colleagues working in Bosnia, France, and several other locations around the world were the highlight of this one. I opted not to tell Misha about the snakes I saw along the way.
Hike #3 was a solo hike. It was a small mountain on the YMCA grounds. It provided more amazing views and a chance to peacefully reflect on the week, which soothed the soul of this introvert.
Hike #4 wasn’t much of a climb, but it provided a great reward to my insistence that we hike quietly. (Some of the time I just sped ahead as a different method to control our noisiness. 😊) Being as stealthy as possible may have made a difference. My heartrate kicked up another notch when I found a bull moose, an animal I was really hoping to see. I couldn’t see all of him, but there was no doubt what he was, and I was close enough to hear his chewing. I highly recommend the Poudre River Trail to anyone traveling through Rocky Mountain National Park at the continental divide.
Now I’m back to life on the plains, where the trails aren’t very exciting, but I do love being able to easily walk around town for a variety of day-to-day activities. I hope your summer has provided some fun, satisfying moments outdoors.
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