Day 1 in Colorado – Hiking, Elk, and a Few Meltdowns

 Day 1 in Colorado – Hiking, Elk, and a Few Meltdowns

After pulling in around 3 a.m., we were all moving a little slow this morning. We couldn’t see a thing as we drove in last night, so waking up to the stunning mountain views was a treat. Despite our sluggish start, we finally made it out of the house around 11 a.m. to hike to Emerald Lake.

Every time we plan one of these trips, Robb and I convince ourselves that we’re a “hiking family.” We really do try—but let’s be honest, not all of us are cut out for it.

About a third of the way in, we lost Caleb. I joked that instead of taking him on a summer vacation, we bring him on a summer punishment. He’s always completely baffled as to why anyone would willingly walk up a mountain. I assumed he’d just sit on some rocks and wait, but later he casually mentioned that he climbed the mountain by himself. Totally safe, right?

As we hiked, we hit patches of snow—yes, snow—even though it was 70 degrees. It had started melting, so everything was a slushy mess. We were all wearing regular tennis shoes, which meant wet, cold feet pretty quickly. At one point, Abby stepped into some water and began slipping around. She immediately declared her hatred for hiking and refused to go any farther. Bree and Bryce managed to coax her along, but she was grumpy the rest of the way.

Emmy was a trooper the entire time, even though it took her two steps to match one of ours. She was definitely worn out by the end. But when we finally reached Emerald Lake—it was so worth it. Absolutely beautiful.

The hike back down was quicker, but harder on everyone’s feet and ankles.

After our six-mile trek, we headed home for naps, food, and recovery time. Robb and the girls got in the hot tub, Bryce and Bree crashed for a nap, Caleb hung out in his room—which kind of feels like the “slave quarters”—and I sat on the deck with a book.

We got to watch two massive elk just across the road, casually roaming through someone’s backyard. Then Robb came outside to tell us one had wandered into our side yard. It was surreal—and so cool.

Day 1 is officially in the books. Emmy gave it an 8/10—dock points for the “too hard” hike, but otherwise a win.

It's crazy how the weather fluctuates!

Caleb thinking we are crazy for thinking this is fun!

The hiking group.

This large Elk was in our side yard.