Travel Dates: July 6-9, 2018

This was our first visit to Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes, CO. I had heard it was a busy park, so staying over the weekend wasn’t ideal but it allowed us to meet up with family from Minnesota and Utah so totally worth it!

I can’t remember who gave us the heads up about the new bike park in Estes, CO but thank you!! 💕 Before we entered RMNP and no signal land, Sam needed to get some extra work done so we hung out in Estes for a few hours. Made lunch, rode the pump track, and checked out the features. Its a really well done area and we loved it! Andrew has totally been rocking the @prevelobikes Zulu 4 for the last year. As much as we love our Woombikes for younger kids he wanted a front shock for mountain biking and this one has been amazing. Super light weight, great components, and it’s handled the beating of being on the back of our truck. 👍👍 I love how capable our kids can be when we provide them the right tools! . . . #prevelobikes #kidsonbikes #partner #estespark #currensdriveeast

A post shared by Jess Curren | Outdoor & Travel (@currentlywandering) on Jul 12, 2018 at 7:10am PDT

We spent a long weekend off grid playing in Rocky Mountain NP with my extended family. While the hike to Emerald Lake was the most crowded of any hike we have ever been on in a NP (and that’s saying something!), and the park has a thing for afternoon thunderstorms, we still had a blast. Soaking up family time before we head east for 5 months was just perfect. My kids were amazed at how similar the feel of the area was to Banff and Jasper which we visited last summer. Turns out….they are all the Rockies so it totally makes sense, right?! . . . #currensdriveeast

A post shared by Jess Curren | Outdoor & Travel (@currentlywandering) on Jul 10, 2018 at 12:55pm PDT

After experiencing the craziness of the park on Saturday, we decided to just attend the park worship service instead of driving out to Estes for normal church (serious, the lines to get IN the park were ridiculous). Afterwards, we drove up the Old Fall River Road to the top of the pass and the Alpine Visitor Center. It was quite the scenic drive! The old road is one-way, dirt, and switchbacks up the mountain to the tundra with some incredible views along the way. The Alpine Tundra is it’s own unique environment – the growing season is a short 6 weeks and animals must adapt to the strong, ultra violet light and harsh temperatures. We live on a pretty amazing planet! 🌎 #currensdriveeast

A post shared by Jess Curren | Outdoor & Travel (@currentlywandering) on Jul 11, 2018 at 6:55am PDT

I’ve learned a few things about myself with this transition between the Airstream and the condo. I NEED adventure. I crave it. I’m not content to sit still and do very little. I love exploring, I love seeing new things. Probably at an unhealthy pace. Fortunately my need for an “epic” coincided nicely with our stay at RMNP. Sam was off for the weekend and fully supported my semi-crazy idea to hike a 10 miler out to Black Lake and back (it’s been awhile since we’ve done that kind of distance). Best. Husband. Ever. We gave the kids the option to join us or hang with family and I was delighted they joined us. My 8 year old nephew was also excited about topping our hike to Iceberg Lake in Glacier NP last summer. So, the 6 of us got up early for our trek up the mountain side. It was glorious. Once past Mills Lake the trail gets rougher which also means the crowds thin out. We arrived at the lake around lunch which was the perfect time to dip our toes in, snack on good trail food, watch a marmot scamper through the bushes, and throw rocks in the water to make ripples. With my face turned up to the sun, and the mountains in front of me I just soaked it all in. Back at camp Andrew told me he was “the good kind of tired”. Me too, kid. Me too.

A post shared by Jess Curren | Outdoor & Travel (@currentlywandering) on Jul 11, 2018 at 2:15pm PDT

We spent the weekend with family in Rocky Mountain National Park, and rather enjoyed our time there. Though the park was quite busy, our usual method of ‘hike further than most people’ allowed us some solitude anyway. Our final hike was to Black Lake, and the Rockies were in fine form with fresh mountain air, leaves glistening from the previous day’s thunderstorms, and ridiculously abundant wildflowers.

A post shared by Sam Curren (@telegramsam) on Jul 10, 2018 at 9:50pm PDT

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