Day 4

<-Prev Next ->

States: Colorado
Miles driven: 68
Miles hiked: 9
Slept: In M’elaine’s condo rental in Estes Park.
10 words or less: Ypsilon Lake hike to 10,420′. Howlett serenade. Bliss!

Downhill skiing singing

In the morning I headed for Rocky Mountain National Park early. I met one of my very best friends, someone I consider like a sister, M’elaine and her family in Estes Park, Colorado. They were on their annual vacation together and M’elaine and her father planned to hike a 14er. Lucky me, I was going to go along! Here’s how that happened.

M’elaine said “Oh my god, you should totally come alo-“
“Yes!” I said, not even letting her finish.

Well, that’s how I remember it, anyway.

To acclimatize for our hike in two days, the three of us took a leisurely hike. Nine rugged miles round trip on Lawn Lake Trail, topping out at 10,420’. Our turn around was at Ypsilon Lake. Anyone who knows M’elaine, knows this was the perfect opportunity to bust out her tin flute. I was treated doubly with a father daughter serenade as we sat atop a boulder in the lake. Trout splashing. Birds chirping. Howletts harmonizing. I’m not ashamed to admit their singing moved me to tears…several times. You try sitting on top of a boulder, surrounded by a lake, under a clear blue sky with trout splashing around you and birds chirping overhead and a father singing O Danny Boy while his daughter plays the flute and not cry. Go ahead! Try!

I composed myself after the crying fest, and we started back to the trailhead. Without the strain of an up-climb, the duo were able to serenade me the rest of the journey. It’s one of many truly special and magical moments of my trip I will never forget.