Tag Archives: Rocky Mountain National Park

Running, Sports

Race #56 – RNMP Centenary 5K

This race was the second of three I’d signed up for from Vacation Races, and commemorates the 100th anniversary of Rocky Mountain National Park.

It’s hot here in Da Lou.  Today’s high is 97.  Did I mention that it’s hot?

Fortunately, I got out around 7:30 this morning, while it was only 76. Still hotter than I care for, but things weren’t going to get any better today.

There are some mornings when I get up, and it’s just tough to get out and run.  This morning, however, I’d read some things on Facebook that just inspired me to get out there and move.  Facebook is sometimes the worst of the world, and sometimes the best.  As I drank my morning coffee, I read some of the uglier things I’ve read in a while about my chosen sport and more significantly, about the way I approach and execute my running.  So yeah, I went out the door in a bit of a snit.

Some days, you run for the health and peace that it brings, and some days, you run to just clear the muck, and today was the latter.  I tromped around on the Greenway, and got through my miles, plus a little extra, putting the Facebook-induced ick behind me.

That’s one of the huge benefits I get from running.  I kill my stress.  I clear my brain.  And, I can put things into perspective.

That’s something you just can’t put a price tag on!

Race Course

Vacation

RMH I — Day Six : Rocky Mountain National Park

After several days of acclimating to the higher altitude, I decided it was time to drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park. It’d been several years since my first visit to RMNP, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

I got to the park pretty early, and discovered that the entrance at Grand Lake was under construction, making for a free entry into the park. Sweet! I talked with a ranger at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center, and learned that the paths down to Bear Lake were pretty snow packed still, so I decided just to trek up to the Alpine Visitor Center. Last time I was at the park, I’d done the same thing, but had come from Estes Park, so this was completely new territory for me.

While Trail Ridge Road was clear (although closing nightly at 8pm due to freezing and erosion), there was a bunch of construction going on. Both on the way up and the way down, I ended up stuck in construction traffic. Man, is there a lot of roadwork up there!

I stopped at the Coyote Valley Trailhead, and took a little hike next to a creek. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any megafauna, but I did see a couple of geese. Of course, I coulda seen those in Da Lou! Still, it was a nice hike.

Once again, I was surprised at how much snow there was as I drove up to the Alpine Visitor Center. By the time I’d gotten there, I was driving next to snow that was 6-8′ high. In fact, the park folks were using heavy equipment to clear the snow from the site. It was even cold enough to be sleeting on me while I was there. Pretty dang impressive. It really is like being at the top of the world.

I finished looking around up there, and headed back down toward Fraser to get some lunch. I finally got to Timberline Thai, which did not disappoint. I had some amazing Pad Thai Woon Sen (with shrimp) that rivaled the dishes I get in St. Charles. I’m really surprised to find Thai food as good as that in such a small place!

So, a successful day today. I think I’m gonna head back to Da Lou tomorrow though. Beck’s off to the lake, and I’ve been on the road a week. It’s time to get back on the long drive, and head home.