PARTING SHOTS

On our way out of Rocky Mountain National Park last week, we chose a final, early-morning hike because it was short, less than a 1-2 mile one-way, and had a rise of only 15 feet. After having survived Gem Lake Trail the previous day, this would, literally, be a walk in the park.

Copeland Falls Trail in the Wild Basin area has the appearance of being one of those “Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, My”-type of places. Before entering tall, thick pines, hikers are warned to be on the lookout for mountain lions and bears--but all we experienced were, “Chipmunks and Squirrels, and Horse Droppings, Thank God.”

At the end of the trail, a series of falls cascade onto the forest floor. Big Bore wasn’t too keen on getting close to the water, but I, of course, had to test out my balance beam skills. When I later looked at this picture below, I thought, “What the hell was I thinking?” And, “Why didn’t BB stop me?” Oh, that’s right, he didn’t want to get close to the water.

Well, Rocky, old pal, thanks for a fun trip. Wish you were here.