Rocky Mountain National Park

It’s odd to think of my first experience in Rocky Mountain National Park, now that it’s such a familiar and beloved place to me; Now that I’m a local trying to escape the throngs of tourists attracted by the grandeur of the bare peaks. At the time we were the tourists. We’d never gone on a hike together; Ryan had never hiked period. We were far from the outdoorsy types we present ourselves as today. But we were ignorant enough to not know our limitations, thus had none. What we lacked in knowledge we made up for with passion.

Monday, August 3, 1999

"The road we were on climbed higher and higher up toward the bald mountain tops," I wrote in my journal in camp that night - a random green triangle on our National Parks Atlas symbolizing the campsite on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park directed us to this destination. I was writing about the highest continuous highway in the U.S.: Trail Ridge Road.

My novice adventurist shone through as I wrote about an incident amongst a hundred other tourists, rather than the steep, glacier carved bowls and phenomenal views.

"...I grabbed my camera, placed my keys on the rail, turned to take the photo, and knocked my keys off the rail down the steep grade. They landed mockingly with a clank ten feet below. I laughed. What else to do in that situation? Ryan was not so amused as he headed to find a way down. I stayed looking down on my keys sprawled on the rock below, a marmut standing guard only a few feet away. A chipmunk scurried around on the rocks to the side. I wished I could ask the little critters to help me out.

"The comments were pretty funny, too. 'Oh, look! Someone's keys!' All in amusement, as it seemed impossible to reach them. But soon Ryan came scooting along the rocks carefully placing his feet, and got the keys. The people who'd been shocked to see him down there were suddenly enlightened, laughing."

Just a couple of city kids who knew nothing about Mother Nature with our cheap tent out to discover what this wide world of nature had to offer. The feable beginnings of two outdoors lovers.