Got up before 6:00 this morning. We left the cabin at 6:40 to take Thomas to Bear Lake so he could hike. Jim and I came back into town to get gas and then headed up Trail Ridge Road. We took a cut off and took the back road up to the visitor’s center on Trail Ridge Road. The road was a beautiful dirt road through the mountains. We saw a female moose on the way.
We hiked over 2 miles away from the Visitor’s Center. It was a beautiful hike on a nice trail. We had to walk through two snow fields. They have had a very late spring this year and there is still a lot of snow above tree line. We saw a small bachelor herd of elk, followed by a female herd and then the baby and mamma herd. Also saw some wild turkeys. The scenery was magnificent all along the trail. After over two miles we stopped and sat on the grass and took in the sites and rested a bit.
We heard thunder and looked to the west. A huge thunderstorm was brewing so we headed back to Trail Ridge Visitor’s Center. Jim kept encouraging me to keep going as fast as was comfortable for me. I’m afraid I hike at the pace of a turtle though. We got sprinkled on a bit but never had heavy or even light rain fall on us.
After using the restrooms at the center we headed on up Trail Ridge Road and went up to Grand Lake. I hadn’t been there for over six years. The town has changed! We ate at what used to be my favorite restaurant but it has changed hands and wasn’t the same. Hard to make a trip back in time! The food was good though and we enjoyed our lunch.
After lunch we headed back to Estes Park. The first half of the drive went quickly but then we hit a long delay. It took us over an hour to go three miles due to a road construction site. Once we finally got through that we got back to the cabin a bit after 4:00. It has been a long day.
Shortly after we got back Thomas came in from his hike. He wasn’t as lucky as we had been with the weather as he got some good size hail where he was at.
We could tell all around us it had rained but we never drove through much. We just had a light shower at the cabin but the sun is out already and for the moment it is clearing up again. Mountain storms seem to come and go quickly. It is lightning in the distance and I can still hear thunder so the possibility of more rain today still exists.
I didn’t sleep very much last night so am really tired this evening. I hope I can make it until 9:00 or so before I fall asleep. Part of the problem last night was the almost full moon shining in the bedroom window. I knew I had to get up early and kept thinking the moon was the sun as it was so bright. Full moon happens on Tuesday night.
My feet held up OK during the hike today. They are sore again tonight a bit but just to touch. They have never throbbed like they did when I had the neuromas. Last night they were sensitive during the night and would wake me up when I rolled over and touched them to the bed. I grateful it is just a bit over three weeks before I have the first one taken care of.
Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow. It is Thomas’s last full day here. We are having dinner with Jim’s brother and family tomorrow night. I hope Jim and Thomas get one more hike in together tomorrow. I will stay behind and nurse my sore feet.
Grateful we missed the bad weather while we were out and about today, grateful Thomas returned safely from his hike, and grateful for all the beautiful wildlife I saw today.