Day 5 - Grand Lake, CO

Today was a jam-packed one for sure!  We started by driving 10 miles into the park at about 7:30 this morning to try to catch some wildlife.  One of my goals on this trip was to spot and photograph a moose.  Right after we entered the National Park entry gates, off in the distance we spotted a mama moose chasing (running) after her calf.  What an exciting way to start the day!  They were too far off to photograph, but it was good to spot them.  A short time later, a deer scampered up the hillside right next to the road offering a chance for a great shot.  We then took the Coyote Valley trail for a beautiful morning hike and while we didn't see any wildlife up close (except a pretty-sounding bird), there was a herd of elk off in the distance.  The walk did offer some amazing reflection photo opportunities as the sun was rising behind us and striking the mountains to the west.  After our hike we continued up the road further to an area called the Beaver Ponds.  No beavers were sighted, but we did see a baby muskrat!

We returned to our cabin to get ready for our big adventure of the day:  waterwater rafting on the Upper Colorado River.  After fueling up on some local coffee, packing our swimsuits and water shoes, and grabbing some PB&J sandwiches, we headed off an hour west to Kremmling, CO where we had a 12:30 appointment with the river.  Caroline LOVES to whitewater raft.  I've been twice in my life:  in Montana with my dad and with Jason & Caroline in Virginia.  This was the first foray for the kids, however, and we chose a company that catered to families.  We knew the rapids wouldn't be too much, but still fun for everyone.  We arrived early and were afforded the opportunity to take the conversion van down to the river with the guides as opposed to the big old school bus.  Once we put in it took Franklin and Sylvia a bit to warm up to the idea, but after successfully navigating the first rapids, we had smiles all around.  All three kids even jumped into the "refreshingly cool" Colorado River off Punk Rock.  The float lasted about 2 hours and we got to see some great countryside, including 2 Amtrak passenger trains, a bald eagle, a juvenile eagle, and an osprey.  Our guide, Johnny, was excellent and we all left tired, but so thrilled to have done it! (photo credits to Jason Hansen for this section as he has the waterproof camera)

We arrived back in Grand Lake about dinner time and had our first "meh" meal of the trip, but we followed it up with some yummy homemade ice cream.  One of our friends who recently visited the Rockies had told us she had luck seeing wildlife at dusk, so we decided to try our luck again and drove back up into the park.  WE HIT PAYDIRT!!!  Prepare for wildlife photograph overload below.  I came to the Rockies hoping to see and photograph a moose; in total today, we saw 7:  1 mamma, 1 calf, and 5 bucks.  We also saw several elk alongside the road and then a herd of 40+ out in a field just off a hiking trail.  And to top it off, we were treated to an excellent sunset.  This was a fantastic day and we head up into the mountains tomorrow.  Do we dare see bear, mountain goat, and marmots?

Day 4 - North Cascades National Park

With nothing concrete on our schedule today, we drove 2 1/2 hours north of Seattle to visit the North Cascades National Park.  This park's alpine landscape includes jagged peaks, glaciers, waterways, and forested valleys. Established as a national park in 1968, the North Cascades mountain range has long been known as the North American Alps.

We left our inn about 9:45 am and were greeted with blue sky peeking through the clouds along with a bright sun!  We stopped for a convenience store pick up just outside Darrington and discovered an amazing view of a snow capped mountain rising behind a farmer's barn.

We soon turned onto the North Cascades Highway (Highway 20) which follows along the Skagit River.  The water appeared emerald green in many places and numerous waterfalls fed into the river.  Rip rap, boulders, and downed trees lined the banks as well.

After a traditional photo with the National Park entry sign, we entered the historic company town of Newhalem.  It's owned by Seattle City Light and serves as a town for the employees of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project.  It was a unique town with homes that all looked very similar, shared common space, and recreational facilities.

As we got further into the park, more and more waterfalls were flowing with snowmelt, further feeding the Skagit River.  An overlook trail was our next stop and it offered amazing views of Gorge Lake, the dam that created it, and the Skagit River below.  The trail was full of moss, lichen, fern, and something similar to Spanish moss.  The Gorge Creek Falls were also nearby and provided an excellent photo opportunity.

Further into the park, we came to Diablo Lake.  Its dam had a single-lane road across the top which led to further buildings owned by Seattle City Light and an Environmental Learning Center.  I maneuvered our car back across the dam and then continued further up into the mountains.  The Diablo Lake Vista Point was our last scenic pullout and it did not disappoint!  A bit further up the road, we arrived at milepost 134 where the road was closed while crews working to clear winter snow and avalanches.  The rest of the highway usually opens in May.

It was now late afternoon and we needed to head back to Seattle.  We followed Highway 20 back to I-5, before heading back south.  Along the way, we came to a Wildlife Viewing Area which was full of a herd of elk.  This reminded me of the inside joke I have with the Hansens:  Cue the Elk! 

We had eaten a late lunch, so a late dinner was also in order.  As we approached Seattle, we decided we should try Toulouse Petit (a New Orleans style restaurant) which we had seen 2 days ago near Seattle Center.  After struggling a bit to find parking, we arrived and had an amazing meal.  A cajun-flavored meatloaf and salad for me, while Carolyn had one of "the best dinners ever":  a seafood gumbo.

We leave Seattle tomorrow and start the traveling portion of our journey.  We are looking forward to the new adventures awaiting us.