Sunday, July 6, 2014

Day 27: Wandering the Wild with Friends

What better way to spend a nero day in the mountains than hiking with friends?Trail friends are the best. We met our friends Chris aka Shutterbug and Anna aka Northstar on the PCT in 2012 (see www.wanderingthewild.com for the wonderful photography book Shutterbug created from their journey). Now in Fort Collins, Colorado, Chris and Anna made the beautiful drive through Rocky Mountain National Park to visit us on the trail. 

After a delicious breakfast at the Sagebrush BBQ and an hour or two to complete our hiker chores, we all headed to Rocky Mountain National Park.  We spent time at the Holzwarth Historic Site and the Coyote Valley Interpretive Trail. Although we enjoyed learning the history of the location and seeing animals, including moose, elk, and tiny baby ground squirrels, the true highlight of the day was having time to catch up with our friends. 

We were talking near the Colorado River when we heard a loud shriek. Sierra had been playing on a sandbar when her sunglasses fell off her head into the water, disappearing instantly. I waded in, searching for the glasses to no avail. Stepping back, we analyzed the probable trajectory of the glasses given the current and the weight of the glasses. Jeff then waded in downstream and began slowly working his way back upstream to where the glasses fell. Eureka!

All too soon it was time to say goodbye. Chris and Anna headed home, and Sierra and I headed back to the trailhead to hike the short section of the CDT that passes through Grand Lake. We finished off the day with Grand Lake Pizza and ice cream. 










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