The sign said it was 1.7 miles to the lake, and even though 3.4 miles was a long hike for the kids, we all felt up to the task.
Everyone's energy and spirits were high and we were enjoying the fresh mountain air.
Everyone took a turn hanging from a tree.
Because in our family, everything is a competition.
And no one will be left out.
About half way up, the girls started getting tired. We couldn't blame them, as the hike was 1.7 miles STRAIGHT up the mountain, with the entire trail being made up of huge boulders and loose rocks. But nobody wanted to give up.
The views along the way were amazing.
The last half mile up to the top was a killer- everyone's leg muscles were burning to the point of exhaustion and Jessie was scaling rocks with every step that were chest high. Several other hikers we passed along the way kept telling us to keep going, that we were almost there- only we weren't.
Nobody was willing to give up- except for me Mike and I- and we did finally make it to the top. It wasn't quite as spectacular as we had envisioned, but it definitely was pretty.
Taking a break before the long climb down.
The only way we were able to bribe Rian and Jessie to walk on their own two feet the whole way down was a promise to go to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on our way out of Estes. Trust me, it was the best $16 worth of gummy bears we've ever spent!
