Last year when Big Bore and I were at Rocky Mountain National Park, we hiked up to The Loch, 3.1 miles one way. As we sat on the rocks having a picnic, we admired a waterfall up in the distance, maybe a mile or so, and thought aloud that it would be fun to try to make it that far. A sudden snowstorm, however, thwarted that idea and we hustled on back down the mountain. The idea of hiking to Skyline Falls, however, stuck with us.
So, when we returned to RMNP after leaving Yellowstone, we decided we'd try again--even though Big Bore had been nagged by a sore left Achilles heel tendon ever since we'd left home. He'd suck it up and be all right.
So, off we went, and BB was, indeed, fine on the hike upwards, more or less. I kept checking with him..."Are you sure you want to keep going?" It seemed the longer we hiked on past The Loch, the farther away the blasted Skyline Falls became. He kept saying things like, "Just a little farther." It's not too far away." "I think it'll be just around the next bend." But it wasn't as close as we'd anticipated, and, at last, his heel was starting to hurt.
When some hikers who'd been to the falls approached us on their way back down, I asked about the part of the trail we still had to complete.
"Well, on up ahead you have to scramble up boulders to get to the overlook."
That did it. Big Bore and I are not the scrambling type. I was afraid he'd end up with his bum ankle permanently lodged between rocks. And he'd be like that guy in the movie "127 Hours" and require an amputation to get free.
So, we agreed to admire the falls from afar (above pic), have our little picnic, and then head on back to the parking lot before it started raining. A fine plan...until Big Bore discovered about 10 steps into the descent that going DOWN the mountain was a lot tougher on his Achilles tendon than going UP.
The pain showed on his face. Concerned people we encountered on the way down were patting him on the back and inquiring about his condition: "Are you okay?" "Are you going to make it?" "Are you dying?"
"Don't say that!" I chastised the woman who made the last comment. "I've got a bad back and can't carry him down!"
But he made it...eventually. "I don't have any other choice," he said, midway down the mountain.
I think it's safe to say that this may be the last we've seen of The Loch and its Skyline Falls. At least until next year.
So, off we went, and BB was, indeed, fine on the hike upwards, more or less. I kept checking with him..."Are you sure you want to keep going?" It seemed the longer we hiked on past The Loch, the farther away the blasted Skyline Falls became. He kept saying things like, "Just a little farther." It's not too far away." "I think it'll be just around the next bend." But it wasn't as close as we'd anticipated, and, at last, his heel was starting to hurt.
When some hikers who'd been to the falls approached us on their way back down, I asked about the part of the trail we still had to complete.
"Well, on up ahead you have to scramble up boulders to get to the overlook."
That did it. Big Bore and I are not the scrambling type. I was afraid he'd end up with his bum ankle permanently lodged between rocks. And he'd be like that guy in the movie "127 Hours" and require an amputation to get free.
So, we agreed to admire the falls from afar (above pic), have our little picnic, and then head on back to the parking lot before it started raining. A fine plan...until Big Bore discovered about 10 steps into the descent that going DOWN the mountain was a lot tougher on his Achilles tendon than going UP. The pain showed on his face. Concerned people we encountered on the way down were patting him on the back and inquiring about his condition: "Are you okay?" "Are you going to make it?" "Are you dying?"
"Don't say that!" I chastised the woman who made the last comment. "I've got a bad back and can't carry him down!"
But he made it...eventually. "I don't have any other choice," he said, midway down the mountain.
I think it's safe to say that this may be the last we've seen of The Loch and its Skyline Falls. At least until next year.
1 comment:
OUCH poor guy! Glad you didn't have to roll him down!
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