Big Thompson Canyon; A Gem of a Lake; Aggressive Wildlife; Dinner at The Stanley; Who Wants a Harem?

Departing Ft. Collins Wednesday around 1100, we started up the foothills of the Rockies on US Hwy 34. It was only mildly hilly until we reached Big Thompson Canyon Road, where the highway follows Big Thompson River through a very narrow canyon. There are few flat spots for houses here, and many that were here the last time I visited, in 1971, were wiped away by the flash flood of July 31, 1976. At around 9:00 PM that night, a wall of water 20 feet high from a stationary severe thunderstorm upriver rushed downstream, pushing 35,000 cubic feet of water per minute through the narrow canyon. 143 people died, and 400 cars, 418 houses, and 54 businesses were destroyed. Most of Highway 34 was washed away. This flood was 4 times as strong as any other flood on record in the US. Today it was simply an exciting, scenic drive. 

We stopped and got Rudy and Gretchen new toys. Here they are in The Bus waiting for them and trembling with anticipation. They are squirrels, but we call them "sheep" because Rudy's very first toy was a stuffed sheep. These don't have stuffing, since Rudy disembowels any toys he gets within minutes. It makes cleanup a lot easier when they don't have cotton innards...

We are now at a commercial campground in Estes Park, with Wi-Fi, cell phone reception, electricity, water, and tank drain. (For RV’ers, that’s living in high cotton, believe you me.) We are just outside Rocky Mountain National Park... what a beautiful place! The best time to be here is in June, before the snow melts on the mountaintops, according to the locals, but here we are in August and it’s still spectacular. 

After lunch, we put on our hiking boots, grabbed out trekking poles and a backpack, and were off on a two hour hike to Gem Lake, inside the National Park. It was a steep climb through pine and aspen groves, but the temperature was mild, as a light rain had fallen just before we started our hike. The view back toward Estes Park was spectacular. 

The trail switch-backed between enormous boulders and over two ridges before we finally reached Gem Lake. 

Gem Lake is shallow and small, maybe a couple of acres, but it is beautiful. Surrounded by rocks, it is well-protected from any winds, and was flat as glass. 

We stopped for an energy bar, and within seconds we were assaulted by three aggressive chipmunks looking for handouts. Here is one little devil trying to break into our pack... "Hey, get away from my Clif Bar!"

I was armed, but didn’t have to use my scout knife. Using my superior powers of persuasion, I patiently explained to the little rascal that it’s against park regulations to feed the wildlife, of which he was obviously a member. He did not look impressed. 

After cleaning up, we got duded up for a date. We had heard that the town’s 19^th century hotel was the place to go. Here’s my lady looking perfectly charming outside The Stanley, named for the inventor of the Stanley Steamer, one of the earliest automobiles. 

Inside the lobby was a beautifully preserved example of their trademark car. Nice, but I didn't see any cup holders or iPod docking station...

We had a great dinner; I had Hunter's Meatloaf (elk, bison and wild boar) while Suzanne had the Halibut.... yummy! 

It was quite a surprise to see a herd of elk right near the entrance to the hotel (made me wonder about the source of my Hunter's Meatloaf...). There was one huge bull, one young bull, and twelve cows... a big harem, even for an obviously virile specimen of the species... he must be quite a guy to keep up with all those gals...