Today was a good day. Kind of mundane compared to some of the other epic days we’ve had. But still really good. We headed from Estes Park to the far south side of Rocky Mountain NP. This part is far less popular than other areas, but we were still surprised by the crowds. Our hike was an out and back, about seven miles total and 950 feet in elevation gain (and loss.) We followed a raging river and came across many waterfalls. Each was spectacular. Rain showered us pretty consistently, but it want too bothersome.
So that was that. I don’t know how I got to the point in life where hiking in the Rockies is the norm and even seems a bit boring. I’m not going to complain though!
We’ve had a hard time finding good food in Estes. It all seems so geared to the tourists (I know, I know, that’s what we are too) and when we’ve asked the locals where they like to eat they are strangely mum. I don’t know if there just aren’t any good options or if the locals aren’t willing to share the secrets. Regardless, we ended up at The Barrel, a patio bar, and ordered from the food truck on property. It was pretty disappointing. We’ve got two more nights to find something decent.
So that was our mediocre day. Ok hike. Ok food. Tomorrow we’re tackling our second mountain, so it is bound to be spectacular.
