Dad said when you blow on a dandelion you should make a wish.
I can’t tell you what I wish, but it might have something to do with always being lucky enough to go on big adventures, and always being lucky enough to come back to mountains and skies like this.
Mountain Lakes are not only cold, pristine and beautiful, they are also wonderful places to bond with your family.
All that snow melts off the mountains into the lake. That is why it is so cold. And so very cool.
You can swim in the lake with your dog.
It is not fair. He has a fur bathing suit on.
You can climb on a rock with your dad.
He rescued me onto his rock island.
Or you can pose on a bridge with your mom.
Warm snuggles after a cold swim.
Mountain Lakes are a great weekend excursion. Get thyself to one pronto.
Does any of this make you nervous?
Don’t worry, it isn’t all as dangerous as it seems. As much as I love high adventures and climbing anything vertical, I do actually have some sense of safety.
Dad and Uncle Anders were on belay for me.
So now you know the truth.
But still, I make this look good.
Rocky Mountain National Park is aptly named.
I love when we leave our mountains for a little break and go to the mountains. Last weekend we did a few new and different mountain things.
I learned the basics of fishing.
And we went over Rabbit Pass (I love that name) to a town named Steamboat. It has waterfalls, cowboy stores and a ski resort without snow.
I love the high country, even without the sparkly snow!
Last weekend we went away for a snowy weekend in the mountains.
So much snow fell overnight. It made our drive long but our morning sparkly.
I love when everyone else has to walk but I get to be pulled in my sled.
It was perfect snow for making snowballs.... and eating.
A trip to the mountains is incomplete without an afternoon in Vail.
The best view of any mountain town is from the shoulders of a dad.
I love my family, and I love the snowy mountains…. especially if the bright sun is shining on both at the same time!!!
Sometimes dad goes for a bike ride with Uncle Andy while mom and I trek through little mountain tourist towns.
.
Well, at least that happened last weekend while we visited Rocky Mountain National Park.
We saw t shirt shops, taffy machines, yellow aspen trees, bugling elk, and big horned sheep!
Trail Ridge Road and some sheep. And mountains.
We got in the car to drive up a road, and I was abruptly woken up from my car nap when mom and dad ran me through a cold windy parking lot, rushed into a building called a visitor center, and stamped my new little book they told me was my national parks passport while the park ranger told them the center was closing for the year. It was all very sudden and confusing. Then they tossed me in a snow bank and pointed their iPhones at me.
Is snow usually this deep in September?
I highly recommend seeing your local mountains up close, especially if they include high alpine roads and year-round snowbanks.
To trek, one must start with a reliable set of shoes.
Find some shoes that will do the walking for you.
To trek, one must find trustworthy companions.
My mom and dad are my favorite trekking companions. For now.
Twizzle isn't trustworthy and he didn't carry anything, but he still makes a good trekking companion.
Grampy and grandma trek very well.
To trek, one must have protection from the elements.
A portable roof is highly recommended.
To trek, one must rest when one is tired.
I got to rest and continue to trek. Best shoes ever.
To trek, one must follow a reliable path.
It helps if the reliable path is also beautiful.
To trek, one must have an end goal.
This lake is named Isabelle. It is lovely.
I wouldn't know, I slept right through it.
So, go have your own trek…. just try not to miss the beautiful lake at the end of the trail.
You guys should try this thing called “hiking.” It involves getting strapped to someone’s chest and getting hauled up a trail.
Hiking is so easy.
It is a pretty great time, especially when you can get up close and personal to the big rock formations that could be seen from the hospital room on the day you were born!
Up close and personal...
...to those giant rocks in the background.
Today my mom and dad took me to a place that is special to them. It was a place they went when they were dating, and they got their wedding pictures taken there. It is a series of cliffs with panaromic views of the city, the foothills and the very tall snowcapped ranges beyond.