Hikin'

Our next hike took us into Rocky Mountain National Park on a trail we enjoyed last year, but off road style :)

The hike was lovely following the trail too, though the little man complained a bit about our law abiding ways. He travelled on various Uncle's shoulders when the path didn't hold his interest as much as all of these strong men.







The snow, last year's big hit in July, only received a brief romp at four and a Half. Rocks were the mainstay this trip. Whether it was jumping around on large ones, or collecting favorites from a boulder field, the little man was passionate about pebbles.



At the trail's end, while Uncle Jace explored his way to a distant waterfall, the fam lazed about a large rock. After a brief snack and sit, P was on the move again. So he cajoled Uncle Blaine into scaling a boulder field with him :) Seeing no end in site to this expedition, I went up to assist. It was steeper than I had figured - the little man is a pretty solid climber! We chipped away at crystal and gathered more rocks, overlooking a beautiful lake and under a very bright sun.



The end of the trail, a quiet spot by the veritable quarry :



Upon his return from the wilderness, sweet Jace presented P with a souvenir mountain top flower and rock :) Aren't these guys the greatest?



On the trek down, P found a small waterfall and became ensconced in a private narrative. He huddled over a rock littered with blast holes and strategically stuck pine cones in said holes, quietly chattering to himself the whole time. The area operated under the same theory as Dumbo: too loud (due here to water noise rather than train rattles) to hear one another. This freed the little man to fly away in his head, a rare treat for all of us :)

P, perched over his holes to heaven:


He played here for a Long time, our patience a concession to his flexibility and forbearance in following the herd, not his most favorite activity :)

Driving home, the little man once again made good use of his esteemed binoculars (O! The ever thoughtful Uncle Ian!) lovingly watching his mountains fade away as he relaxed his tired body....