June 25 11:08am
After a shitshow of a morning, we are in the air. My usual parking spot outside DFW was closed due to the airport being so slow... long story short, we made it to our gate 10 mins before boarding started and I had to apologize to a man Gina shoulder checked while trying to get there ... I GOT A WINDOW SEAT! But I really need to pee. Anyway, every time I look out the window of an airplane I get a feeling of adrenaline, happiness to be going someplace new, and thankfulness to be where I am. Seriously, I’m so thankful for my life...even with the constant crying lol. Denise flew into Denver last night and is picking us up at the airport. She grabbed us some fuel yesterday for our Jetboill to save time and to check an errand off our list. We should land around noon and have about 4 miles to hike today to our campsite. Ok, I’m going to pee.
We met Denise last year on the John Muir Trail & she is an absolute freaking blast.
8:29pm Paintbrush Camp.
Denise picked us up and we headed toward the park but wanted to stop for lunch along the way. We had sandwiches in boulder then headed to pick up our permit. I love the way Denise says permit lololol like “per-mitt” and we say “perm-it”. Idk it’s weird. I overheard the ranger Gina was talking to at the visitor center say “we don’t have any reservations by that name”...immediately I whipped my head around to see disbelief and panic on Gina's face... these suckers had her name as Gina Pickle. Lololol gave us all a heart attack. We were all so anxious to get to the trailhead that we kind of flew through the park. And it is absolutely stunning. We are so blessed to be able to drive through these places.
To apply for permits, visit nps.gov.
5:17am Friday June 26
I’ve been awake since about 3:45am, tossing and turning. I can hear Denise is up and around but maybe just to pee and crawl back into her sleeping bag. Gina is still in her cocoon. We don’t have many miles today so we plan on lollygagging.
A lot has been on my mind since I woke up... I’ve always had such a hard time making decisions. I go back and forth over something until I’m in tears or choose neither option. I hate shopping because it’s all about decision making... Hiking isn’t like that. Maybe that’s why I find so much peace out here. I’ve been struggling with peace for so long now that the feeling is normal to me and I don’t realize the effect it has until I’m somewhere deep in the peaceful woods. Then it’s like my body and mind stop worrying in sync. This is where they’re both meant to be. I want so badly to find my calling. I’ve fought depression and anxiety for years. I did things solely to not hurt other people’s feelings which in turn, destroyed my own. I’ve never been a selfish person. I don’t plan on ever being that way bc it just doesn’t make sense to me. Gina told me once that when you turn 30, “you literally stop giving a fuck”. I guess what she means is you stop beating yourself up about things that happen out of your control like people saying mean things to you/about you or other people’s actions. I believe people walk in and out of your life at the perfect time. Whether it’s right or wrong, they’re there to teach whatever lesson they unknowingly have in store. And sometimes when you aren't ready for change, the universe does it for you. I want to surround myself with kind people, people I can learn from, people who have goals and plans and lead by example. People who pick up other people’s trash and treat the earth like home instead of a vacation rental. People who acknowledge other people despite their appearance. People who are mature, healthy, honest, happy, motivated people. People who I could call and will answer. I want those people in my life. And that’s why I hike.These people, these places...This is who I want to be.
8:51am
We just passed the paintbrush campsite so apparently we just made our own last night in our haze of exhaustion lmao
9:42am
We stopped to have breakfast and hang out by a beautiful little river. Gina and I are sitting down, facing Denise, when her eyes become as big as golf balls and she takes the deepest gasp I’ve ever heard. Then I hear loud, heavy hoof beats and spin around to stare right at a HUGE moose. We all get on the balls of our feet lmao I was in full blown Pocahontas stance. It hesitated, moved at us, then sprinted up the trail. We all exhaled at once and stood up slowly while letting nervous laughter escape. I mean, what do you do? lol Then we notice three guys walking toward us.They greeted us with apologies... They’re from Dallas. They scared the moose.
3:14pm Summerland Park
We made it to our second campsite, summerland park. It’s not as pretty as the first and water is a hop, skip, AND jump but it beats the hell out of the real world. We stopped in a town called Grand Lake, earlier. It was soooooooohohoho cute and they had a store with supplies. We had lunch under a pavilion and watched people play with their dogs at the park. I want to stay there longer someday. After lunch we basically sprinted for Ice cream and it did not disappoint. Some nice people volunteered to watch our stuff while we went inside. We came out with 2 double dip moose tracks and 1 pistachio then settled on what felt like a child sized wooden picnic table. We were like a circus act. Lol People were stopping and asking questions or just staring. It was hilarious. The continental divide goes right through grand lake so I was surprised there weren’t more backpackers.
3:55pm
We’re all sitting here watching the aspens dance and listening to the creaks and groans of the pines around us being swished around by an oncoming storm. Basically waiting until rain pushes us into our tents. And I swear if I get in that tent I’m passing out. I’m exhausted lmao
And if you're looking for a tent...Big Agnes.
I’m so sore today and really starting to feel the trail. A man who had asked us questions outside the ice cream shop said they just decided to move out here 10 years ago when we asked how he got here. He said “you just gotta go for it”. That’s scary. People who pick up their lives and move are so brave and if you’re reading this and you’ve done it, good for you, you badass. Life is what we make of it I suppose. I’ve met and keep meeting the most interesting people on these hikes. A lady jogged up to our car outside the visitor center yesterday while we were sorting through our packs and asked “hey can I ask you guys a rookie question?”. I looked up at her like “US?!” Lmao but man we were all beaming to help bc this is what we love. The parks are such an important part of our country that a lot of people do not understand. If you haven’t or don’t already, GO VISIT A NATIONAL PARK. These places are mind blowing.
And before you go, grab a National Parks passport! I didn't know these existed and teased Gina at first for hers but they really are fun to have. You can get stamps and stickers at ranger stations and visitor centers.
Saturday June 27 6:38am
I woke up last night around 10:45pm flat on the ground. My air pad is being weird but I can’t find a leak! It also rained at some point and everything is wet so we’ll have the same schedule as yesterday... hang out until everything dries bc we only have 5 miles to hike. This loop is like the Wonderland at Rainier just much shorter. You have to camp at your designated sites and so far it’s been only us. These camps and short hikes are all Gina could work with without having us hike 30 miles in 2 days. Doable but no fun. Tomorrow will be our 12 mile day. We’ll also gain some elevation finally! Rocky Mountain National Park has really impressed me so far.
10:53am
We’re finally on the trail and I was almost hit head on by a hummingbird. Gina is dropping off the kids.
1:29pm
I hate being the leader. Before I know it, I’ll look up and I’m alone. I go down rabbit holes in my mind on whatever is brewing up there and just walk. I'm a little taller than Gina and Denise so for them, my stride is hard to keep up with. It also doesn't help that I've also always been a fast walker and I'm constantly in a hurry to do any and everything. I can barely let someone else drive. I recently learned that is caused by my anxiety. Thanks, Tiktok.
5:49pm Porcupine Camp
This is like the luxury camp around the loop. We’re allowed to have a fire and it’s all very well marked. It’s the perfect pregame for the 12 miles we’re doing tomorrow.. We’re all still getting a little acclimated to the elevation so by tomorrow at 12000ft we should be feeling great.
8:24pm
I went to find more firewood earlier and found a moose antler so that was entertaining. It’s hiker midnight. Goodnight.
Sunday June 28 8:26am
Last night we decided get up super early to hike the first set of switchbacks then stop for breakfast at July camp. We’re here but it felt like 10 miles. My gas light is blinking. Denise gave us some candy she got in Peru made of cocoa palm leaves to help with altitude sickness. It helped for a little bit but the waves of nausea kept coming back. She also made us take ibuprofen bc it helps with altitude headaches.
9:24am
We’re packing up to hit the last of the switchbacks before the pass. Hopefully this oatmeal stays put.
4:56pm Granite Falls Campground
A LOT happened today lol
Going up 3.3 miles is horrendous. Or felt that way. We also had to cross a couple dangerous snow patches on the way. I got about 1/4 of the way across the first one and knew I couldn’t make it. I got scared bc I needed to turn around but my body wouldn't respond to what my mind was saying. If I slipped there is no way I could’ve stopped myself from sliding off the edge. Keep in mind I have a 30lb backpack on and my balance is shot at this point.. I felt like I needed to puke, I got dizzy for a second bc I looked around trying to figure out a solution. Then I looked at Gina and Denise watching me and I was like act coooooolllll it’s fiiiiiiine, get the fuck off the side of this mountain. Hahahahaha so I clung to the snow and turned my body around as I scooted my feet inch by inch to go back so we could scramble around it.
But the top was amazing and windy as absolute hell. We had to hide behind big boulders to have lunch... While we were sitting there a ranger walks up and asks to see our permit. Gina thought she had accidentally sent out an sos from her Garmin bc we hadn't seen anyone for some time. We fought the wind a little more after lunch and by the time we got a break, I was in fight mode. Lol we rounded a corner and BAM herd of freaking elk. It was so cool. A little scary bc we had to hike right by them... we made our way down and so did the rain. We had to hustle to get into some trees but after that we were fine. I hiked ahead of Gina and Denise bc I was starving and ready to put my bag down. I stopped to change into my shorts from rain pants and within 5 mins I could see them topping a hill. They made it to my stopping point but I told them to go on bc I need a snack. They were debating when Gina sh sh sh’d us. Another big freaking moose right in front of us. He waltz through the woods a little then hopped up on the trail in front of us. We had no choice but to follow him. He veered off into the woods while we kept a nice pace toward camp. When you can hear water, that usually means your close to a campsite. Anyway we finally made it to granite falls and had a left or right option of campsites. I didn’t wait around and went right. It has a beautiful view of a meadow and perfect dry tent spots. We’re putting our things down when our moose friend walks into the meadow lololol he walked up to the tree line of our camp and let us take pics of him but not before throwing his head at gina and I and making us retreat behind some trees.
7:33pm I’m laying down listening to Gina and Denise do their nightly chores. We’ve decided to leave camp early in the morning and get to our car around 10am. We were in such a rush to get here that we didn’t take our time driving through the park so that is on our agenda along with stopping at the visitor center for stamps. After we run all our errands in the park, we are headed for the Airbnb and SHOWERS. I just heard Gina say “a hot shower will help with that.” Lmao I have no idea what they’re talking about. I haven’t slept well on this trip. My sleeping pad is fighting me and I’m just restless but this was exactly what I needed. Always is. I’ll go home with a better attitude and more mountains to daydream of. I walked 29,995 steps today, got to 12,300 in elevation, got wind burned, rained on, intimidated by a herd of elk, fought altitude sickness, and I’d do it all again tomorrow.
Monday June 29
Airbnb 9:41pm
We made it to our rental car at the Green Mountain Trailhead at 10am on the dot. We had so much time on our hands and it was a relief to not have to rush anywhere. We shucked all our warm morning clothes and boots before we jumped into the car. We decided to drive back through the park slowly to get a good last look. It’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful... we did some touristy things before heading into Estes Park to grab lunch at Ed’s Cantina and Grill. I basically shotgunned my first beer...
We made it to our Airbnb and took turns showering in the absolute worse water pressure you could imagine. We all laughed about it but it was a total letdown. I went to a dispensary while Gina and Denise had some local beers. I got there and hour later thanks to the line and covid rules... The owner of the brewery talked to us for a little bit about Covid and how it was affecting him. He opened a month before the Pandemic... yikes. We went back to the Airbnb after grabbing Denise some “fizzy drinks”. I went outside and met our downstairs neighbor. He was from Michigan but attended the university of Georgia. We made small talk and he was describing how he was feeling since he got here. Denise and Gina heard us talking so they came outside to see what was going on. He said he almost passed out in the store and was dizzy walking back with a massive headache lol We explained altitude to him and loaded him up with ibuprofen and edibles.
Happy Trails -Syd
Awesome - keep up the journaling... so fun. Miss you both.
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