Picinics and Walks

Yesterday, my husband and I went up to Rocky Mountain National Park. Since I'm starting my new job next week, we decided to have a day out. We didn't do much in the way of "vacationing" this summer: we were living too frugally for that, but we do have our annual pass (one of the advantages of living so close to a National Park). We poured over the park map, trying to find some part of the park we had never visited for a day hike. What we decided to do, on a lark, was a nature trail near Sprague Lake. We had always avoided little "touristy" trails and such in favor of taking backpacking trails and going in as daylight and weather allowed. Much to our surprise: it was beautiful! We only ended up walking around 5 miles: besides the nature trail, the trailhead there basically was trails to trailheads, so there were no "loops" or "destinations" from there for a simple day hike. We were harrassed by a small flock of female mallard ducks as we ate our lunch from the daypack at a picnic table (we normally try to find a nice log or rock), which only added to our enjoyment of the lunch. "Nippy" was so close to my feet that water was dripping on my shins. Of course their behavior broadcasts that people have been feeding them all summer, but we were amused by their persistence and boldness. We saw fish in the streams, elk at Moraine Park, chipmunks, squirrels, a huge crow, lots of jays, et. al. We just had a really nice time. When we arrived, there were maybe two or three other vehicles in the parking lot. By the time we finished, the place was packed. It was nice to see these people enjoying their surroundings. Lots of friendly hello's and good mornings :-) Sometimes it just pays to do something you wouldn't normally do. And don't be "snobbish" about where you go: lots of backpackers wouldn't go to a place like Sprague Lake because it isn't in the back country. Who cares? Sometimes, the most beautiful places in nature are right out your front door, right off the interstate, or even right there by a picnic area in one of the busiest NPs in the country.