10/9/2003

Today was planned all along to be a rest day, and when Lauren and I finally woke after 10 hours of sleep, we knew we needed the rest. Throwing all our belongings into the rental car we started to drive west. After a stop at the post office, we made a large grocery run and then drove to Rocky Mountain National Park. As long as we were heading west, it seemed logical to do so by the most scenic route possible.

Entering RMNP in Estes, we quickly pulled off the road to ogle a herd of elk. I ran a giant circle around the herd to improve my camera angle, lighting and background. Mr. Big Daddy Elk -- obviously the alpha elk -- kept his eye on me, but I made sure to maintain a safe distance. Closeness was achieved only via a 200mm zoom. Eventually the entire herd made its way into a lake. A very scenic lake. We continued through the park.

The drive through RMNP is gorgeous. We enjoyed the vistas and the relaxing pace of the day. Just to keep from being too idle, we went for a short hike on Rock Cut trail near the high point of our drive. It was nice to be hiking with light packs -- all the climbing gear stayed in the car. We still found ourselves quickly sucking wind since the trail starts around 11,500’ in elevation. Our five days in the Boulder area (5000’) certainly helped acclimate us, but even so we were feeling the effects of thin air.

Finishing our out-and-back romp along Rock Cut trail, we continued our drive. Saw more elk and some beautiful alpine lakes. We even luxuriated in a brief afternoon siesta. How’s that for a vacation! Eventually we completed our traverse of RMNP and continued across Colorado to Breckenridge. There we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at a very nice restaurant (we had a 2-for-1 coupon, so it wasn’t too extravagant, but it was a perfect part of our rest day). After dinner we met Lauren’s friend Stephie who was in Breckenridge for an artists conference. We stayed up late chatting and feeling very relaxed. Nothing like a well earned vacation from your vacation.

Next Day