Notes from Estes Park #1

We arrived in Estes Park, CO, yesterday, and we logged 6.5 hiking miles within the first few hours of arriving. I was not in the right mindframe for it (not expecting to do anything that intense the first day), but Wild Basin is a beautiful, water-filled hike. It wasn't too steep, though there were some pretty good parts a bit off the trail. We climbed up above Ouzel Falls, where we caught a nice view of Longs Peak and felled trees (not by man, of course, but we couldn't figure out if by disease, fire, avalanche, or whatever else). I'm feeling pretty good the morning after, and I'm thankful that the soreness of the steriod shot in my foot is wearing off and it feels great today! I'm sure Dad is hurting today, though.

The best part about Griffin Family Vacations is the mass amounts of food we bring but will most likely never eat. Mom, Joy, and I each brought about 10 gallons of food items, from granola to trail mix to cereal to candy bars (in case I can't find a more ice creamy way to satisfy my chocolate fix). In Denver, we ate at Proto's Pizza, a stone's throw from REI outdoor store, and it was AMAZING! After our hike last night, we dined at The Stone Inn in Estes, which has incredible buffalo burgers and sweet potato fries. YUM! Then Joy, Asher, and I got some coffee at Kind. Their Kind Shake (ice cream, expresso, and chocolate - my favorite things) is unbelievable! Needless to say that all the hiking I'm doing on this trip is just so I can eat like a maniac!

Joy and I have decided that for the rest of our lives we are going to make it a priority to spend a week in Estes Park every year. This place is so magnetically magnificent. It doesn't have the curb appeal of the Tetons of Jackson Hole, WY (the most breathtaking site in the US in my opinion), but it has something about it that makes it an adventurer's second home. Someone asked me earlier this summer why I wouldn't want to visit another part of CO since I've been to Estes the last two years, and I responded, why would I want to go anywhere else? The best of CO is here.

Memoirs #9: Home Sweet Home

The last day at Jackson, we posed in front of the sign after dropping off Mom and Dad's luggage at the airport (and successfully weighing mine in at 48 pounds - woo hoo!!!). We had a few hours to burn, so we hit the town one more time and...
indulged in the best burger EVER at Billy's Giant Hamburgers, shopped the stores that Mom and I had missed, and...

rode the Alpine Slide!!! The Alpine Slide is a bobsled/gocart-like ride that twists and turns down a ski-slope. I'm going to put a video of it up soon!

I arrived home to my Beeb about 9:45 Thursday night, and we're both so happy I'm home! We went off to St. Louis for a baseball game Saturday, and Sunday brought us (I guess really this time) home for a while. Whew! What a summer! I'm so thankful that I got to embark on this wonderful traveling adventure. It's almost unbelievable that I got to do something so cool. Thank you, Joy, for hosting me in Estes, and thank you Vicki, Mom and Dad for making Jackson possible.
Thus ends the Memoirs of Mountain-Ali and her Whyorado adventures!

Memoirs, part 8: Lake Solitude, continued

There are no words that can do justice to the sunset on the back side of the Tetons. I was lucky to look up when Dad and I were setting up camp for the night. This is the west side of the Grand Teton (I'm pretty sure) in all its glory.

Wow.

Dad set up my hammock for camp; I had only tried sleeping in a hammock once, but this Hennessee Hammock was awesome! It opens up down the middle on bottom, so I had to get in my sleeping bag (pictured), hop over to the hammock, lift it up and put myself through the hole, sit down, lean back, and wriggle up in there. I truly felt like a catepiller entering the cacoon, though the morning did not bring forth the expected results from such a struggle. However, it was not too bad of a night, and we cooked eggs and oatmeal the next morning, and we were on our way!

This was one of the many waterfalls on the hike. It is just below Lake Solitude, as you can see via the sign sticking out of the snow. There was a lot of snow toward the top of our hike, which baffled me, since it was about 75 degrees in the sunshine.

In Estes, Joy had asked me whether I liked hiking up or down the mountain better. I've figured out that I like going up much better than coming down, though it would seem that going down is easier. Well, in a sense it is easier, but when you're going up, you have a lot of athletic-mindedness going for you. You're pushing toward a goal. You're telling yourself, "I'd better do this or else I'll look like an idiot." You can set mini-goals along the way. However, when you're coming back down, you just want to get the heck out of there, and it can't happen soon enough (which of course, makes it seem sooooooo much longer!). Not to mention that the blister on my heel that I mentioned in a previous blog was now up to the size of a bona fide quarter, red and orange, and swollen. I just wanted to run down that beast so I could take off my hiking boots and burn them!

Well, we did get down soon enough, and I'm debating donating my boots to the leather recycling bin. I video-taped the popping of the blister, but I'll have to wait till I get home to delight everyone with that!

This is a pic of the 'Mud House' where we're staying. The windows open up to the mountains (below), and the Jackson Hole Country Club is out the back door. This place is amazing!

I took this picture of the Grand Tetons at 6:25 this morning. I'm not sure if I got the timing right, but hopefully Chris can help me bring out the beauty in the photos when I get home! Did I mention that I love this place?!?

Looking the other direction, to the east of the Mud House is the 'Sleeping Indian.' The sun is peaking over his chest. His feet would be to the left side of the pic, and what you see are his arms crossed over his chest, his nose profile and headdress (as I'm sure all Indian chiefs slept that way!).

I'll get some good pictures of Jackson Hole (the town) tomorrow. Mom and I are going shopping while Dad does another hike without shoe-destroyer-Ali.

*Side note: I really miss you, Beeb! I wish more than anything you were here, and I can't wait till I see you again Thursday night!

Memoirs part 7: Hike #4 - Jackson Hole!!!

Sunday evening I arrived at my favorite place on earth - Jackson Hole, Wyoming!!! I love Estes to death, but there's something about the Grand Tetons that can never be compared to anything else. It might be the sheer power and majesty desplayed by the flat plane that runs smack into a wall of mountain as far as the eye can see. I've never seen anything as beautiful.

This pic is after a pizza dinner: Uncle King, Aunt Glenna, Dad, Mom, and me. The sun is washing out the peaks of the mountains. There are better pictures below.

The next morning, Sunday, Mom informed me that I was the only one that had not hiked to Lake Solitude. I replied, "I feel so alone!" but she didn't note the humor as it was 6 am. Such began my trek to become 'one of the guys'. [Fill in: Dad took Asher and the Nelson boys to Lake Solitude NINE years ago and I couldn't go because the day before one of them had pushed me off a rock and sprained my ankle.] I can't believe it's been that long since we were here!!!

Dad and I took off on our overnight hike through the Tetons. We started off with a much-too-large breakfast at the Moose Lodge (which you see here). We're thinking about photo-shopping Asher and Chris into this picture for Mom and Dad's Christmas card! :)

Then, from the trailhead, we took a ferry across Jenny Lake and Mom and Aunt Glenna joined us up to Inspiration Point.

Dad's pointing out our 10 mi hike to Lake Solitude, were we camped overnight and then hiked back.



Behind us is Hidden Falls, a beautiful photo-op about 3/4 a mile and 300' up the trail.












Here I am at Inspiration Point. It's about a mile and and some up the trail, but I think getting there is the steepest part of the hike. It inspires those who stop to admire the view of Jenny Lake.




Eight or so miles later: Lake Solitude. We saw a few moose, marmots, and waterfalls on the way, but the most captivating views were of the cliffs and peaks surrounding us. You almost feel like you are trapped with no way out as you gaze up at 11,000 foot tall rocks in every direction. We arrived here about 3:15 in the after noon, and since we were going to spend the night up here, we took it easy - Dad took a nap on the 'beach' and I explored around the other side of the lake.

I figured out how to put more pictures on a single blog (by myself!), but I think it's reached its max at six. Go here for more pics, and I'll finish the hike on the Memoirs, part 8!

Memoirs #5: Hike #3 - Twin Sisters

Friday, my last full day in Estes, Joy and I traveled up the 3.9 mi hike to the summit of Twin Sisters peak (all together now: awwwwww). The top was 11,280, I believe (I don't have my notes with me). The really funny thing about this hike was the fact that Joy was NOT at all excited about it. I really felt that I was dragging her along. We were engaged in great conversation most of the way, which made the steep incline a little more bearable and breathtaking (due to lack of oxygen more than emotion). However, Joy was a trooper, appeasing her guest in a semi-hardcore hike. :)

When we summitted, we noticed some clouds brewing, so we figured we needed to get down quickly. But we did not realize how quickly! When we were still about a mile out from the trailhead, the clouds openned up and drenched us in a downpour! We started high-tailing it out of there - striding bolders and fallen trees while giggling as water droplets the size of Frosted Mini Wheats pounded our eyeballs. When we finally got into her Jeep, I got video documentation of Joy's exclamation of how "HARDCORE" we are! Twin Sisters = priceless.

Due to the multiple hiking days within a short time span, coupled with wet socks due to rivers and rain and aging shoes, a massive blister formed on my heel. It's about the size of a nickel here. This thing is awesome, and it only got worse the next few days!!!

Memoirs, part 4: Hike #2: Thatchtop

Thursday. 7:30 - 2:45.

Bear Lake to Sky Pond - about 3.5 mi

Sky Pond to Thatchertop - about 1.5 mi

Thatchertop by Solitude Lake, through Glacial Gorge back to Bear Lake - about 5 mi

Overall: about 10 miles, about 3,400 feet elevation gain (start 9,400 and topped out at 12,836)

This was an incredibly intense hike. It started out pretty normal. Many people hike to Sky Pond (pic #1). It is lovely. It is nestled against a lovely piece of the Continental Divide. However, my guide, Derek Brooks, a Duncan native who came out for a summer a few years ago and now calls Estes home (I'm finding out that this is a common occurrence out here) figured out I'm hardcore, and suggested that we find a way up to Thatchtop Peak. We didn't exactly know how to get there, so he suggested the rocks on the left side of pic #1. They are also in pic #2.

This was out of control. We climbed (not hiked, climbed) this loose-rock face in about an hour and a half (it had taken us about 2 hours to get to Sky). When I tried to take out some trail mix, Derek looked at me and said, "No. You're going to be a hard-core hiker today. No eating until we summit." I thought this was halariously mean. Anger was my energy source up the rock face.

Looking down was incredible to see how far we'd come, and surprisingly much more encouraging than looking up at what we had ahead. Pic #2 is about halfway up the face.

I have a t-shirt from Longs Peak that says "You've never really lived until you've almost died." When any miscalculated step could send you plummeting to a stony death, I realized that that idea is more than just an adrenaline rush - it's indescribably humbling and exhilarating at the same time. Humbling in that you realize how small you are and how incredibly fragile your life is. When we finally reached the top, I felt this paradoxal pride coupled with humility. Pride in that, "Wow, look what I just did. I'm flipping amazing," but then humility in that, "What nearly killed me, God formed with one breath. Wow."

When we got to the top, this is the view of the other side. That ridiculously huge piece of granite in the center is the back (northeast) side of Longs Peak. Chris and I climbed that last summer. Doesn't she just look like a beast from this angle? Well, believe me, she is!

We meant to climb Thatchtop, but instead climbed what is known as Thatchtop-Powell Ridge that runs between the two peaks. Derek didn't think that very many (if any) people climbed up where we did. We came out higher than the actuall peak, and the ridge was a very narrow spine that kept us fully exposed to huge mountain winds while shimmying along and jumping across bolders. Again, one wrong step, and you won't have time to wish you had paid more attention.. I'll try to get more pics on here of the ridge and the way down as well.

It was one amazing hike. The scenery was breathtaking, the exercise strenuous, and the conversation fantastic. Derek and I discussed some great theology when he wasn't way ahead of me on the trail. I am so glad I got to take the road less traveled!

Memoirs, part 3: Hike #1

Tuesday morning: Joy and I hiked from Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park to three other lakes: Nymph (next picture), Dream (not pictured), and Emerald (3rd picture). The hike was a warm-up of sorts for me to acclimate. It was about 4 miles roundtrip and not incredibly steep, though I must admit that I got short of breath a few times.

Here's Joy in front of Nymph Lake. The lilypads on the lake were so cute that we decided that people probably thought fairies and nymphs lived in them.

Dream Lake was so calm that it reminded me of early-morning wakeboarding at the Country Club lake... glass. There were a lot of fly-fishers going after some trout, which was kind of cool.

Emerald Lake was incredible. It provided such a perfect reflection that it was difficult to distinguish where the water actually began! The water begins about where Joy's left shoulder is... bet you didn't know until I told you that!

Right now I'm enjoying a rootbeer shake (not float) Joy made me at Kind Coffee. She brought that out pretty much right after I finished the cookie she toasted for me. I've got to get out of here and walk around before she puts 10 pounds on me!

We're planning on a longer hike tomorrow afternoon... I'm loving it!

Memoirs from mountain-ali, part 2 - again, see comment!

Joy and I at a wonderful pizza place in Bolder!

Welcome to Estes!

Best coffee in Estes (Joy's work)

Tuesday morning: At the Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake trailhead. (There were a lot of beautiful lakes! :)

Memoirs of mountian-Ali, part 1. Check comment for entry

This was my carry-on and personal item. As you can read in my comment (I can't get it to paste in the right spot - I am SOO technologically inept!), my suitcase was 60 lbs (10 too much), so I had to readjust all my hiking gear: tent, sleeping bag, and all my granola bars ect in my hiking pack as a carry on. Toiletries, rainjacket, book, all the other usual stuff in my purse. Hiking boots on my feet.

I must look like a Colorado chick now!