The snuffling beast made its way into the campsite, its big paws snapping twigs on the hard packed trail. Sharp teeth glistened in the late afternoon sun, drool sliding down one furry jowl. This was not one of the 25 black bears residing in Rocky Mountain National Park, this was our little Moose, exploring his very first campground.
We had the accessible back country site at Sprague lake, on the Eastern side of RMNP all to ourselves; fly-fishermen and families walking the 1/2 mile loop around the alpine pond had flocked in the heat of day to this cool spot, but by nightfall the parking lot was empty and we three were the only ones for about two square miles. This perturbed Emily, as this was more backcountry than we had expected. With no ambient light, the Milky Way and the pale moon lit our way back from the picnic tables to our tent on the other side of the lake.
We spent the first night tightly wrapped in our sleeping bags- Emily on her cot, Moose and I curled up together on a sleeping pad. It must have been in the 30's, our breath fogging the tent. Andy awoke around 5am, and hiked around the lake for several hours shooting the beautifully sunrise-lit mountains and flora. Emily opted to sleep in; Moose couldn't get enough of the smells found around the camp, traces of the nighttime visitors.
Emily is wearing a tanktop, longsleeve shirt, sweatshirt, sweatpants, wool socks, a fleece blanket, down comforter and two sleeping bags. And a glow-stick.
Breakfast was huevos rancheros, cooked over a roaring fire.
MORE TO COME...
4 comments:
What GORGEOUS photos! You're a great photographer, Andy!
Those huevos look wonderful...wait!...where's the coffee??!?
I'm glad Emily is aware of the many many benefits of layering! You go, girl!
Greetings Roadsters,
You are fulfilling my dream; taking a road trip across America is something I will do some day. And to have Moose with you, too!! There is nothing better. Over 25 years ago, I took a short vacation on the road to see the California coast with my dog, Lillian. I will never forget how wonderful those days of cool, clean air and blue skies with my beloved buddy, Lilly.
Thanks for the photos of this magnificent land. I will check in again soon.
Love to you both,
Denise Lucy
hi andy and Em and moose, man o man., what great pictures. this is just great to get on line and be rite there on your trip. emily looks so cute in her sleeping bag and all her gear.O.K. now i'm a subscriber i'll be following your trip closely. keep on trekkin,love sheerah in el verano
Camping and Huevos Rancheros have to be two of my favorite things in life. EMILY!!! Camping out in the cold. It looks like your trying to suck any warmth you can from that shitty little glow stick. We gotta do some camping when you guys get home. I promise it won't be as cold back here.
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