Hikies

Jonny is on vacation this week and rather than spend money on hotels we decided to do day trips from home this year.  Also it was so hot this past week, it was nice to get up high and escape the oven down in town.

Lake Isabelle
Only a 45 minute drive up to the Brainard Lake Recreation area and such a luxury to go on a weekday when the crowds were minimal and mostly spry old retired folk with the big hiking poles.  My chiropractor has suggested these poles to me on more than one occasion and they do take an enormous amount of stress off your knees but they seem like such a hassle.  Surely I'm not old enough to need these yet?

The wildflowers are still bashing away up there.

Lake Isabelle is a puddle this time of year.

You can barely even see it from this view.  Normally those rocks in the foreground are under water.

Last bit of snow that refuses to melt.

Then there was the elk encounter we had on a different hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.

What better time to learn how to use the video on your point and shoot camera than when confronted by a ginormous bull elk?


I got some photos of him and the girls as well.  Not too bad for a cheapo point and shoot camera.

View from Lake Helene in Rocky Mountain National Park

Lake Helene

View from Lake Helene

This was a short easy hike, only one steep section at the start and about 3 miles one way.  The trail was a bit rocky though.  It continues on to Lake Odessa but a storm was blowing in and we'd had enough excitement for one day so we had a nice lunch at Lake Helene and headed back.  The rain waited until we got in the car, perfect timing for the second or third time this summer.

I posted these photos and more on Facebook because I have friends, actual real life friends, who I thought would like to see them but who don't read the blog but I also wanted to have a copy of them on the blog so that's the reason for the double posting.  I think there's such a thing as too much social media and I'm straying into it but oh well.