Estoy agredecida por las montañas.

 Hold up! Change of plan. I'm buying a Subaru and moving to Denver! ok, ok perhaps not actually happening and I may say that about any place I visit if you know me well enough. But seriously, if given the option, I would pick mountains 110% of the time. 

Jenna Wiegand, Amanda Virkler & I (nicknamed the Wolfpack by Jenna's sister) have been blessed to travel together over the past 5 years. After Jenna married, Amanda & I planned to continue our travels, which were put on hold by COVID. At the same time, Ethan & Jenna Hartter moved to Denver, CO from Hoboken, NJ last year as the pandemic pushed them both to work-from-home capacity in their respective careers. As a result, two years have subsequently elapsed since our last escapade, and it was high-time that was remedied. Due to job restraints, time restraints, and of course the virus, the logical solution was a reunion in Denver.

After collecting Amanda from the airport, Jenna & Ethan settled in for a full day's work, and Amanda & I went out exploring. We went to Red Rocks, on watching as the stage was being set up for the nights performance I set about looking for tickets that we could return and experience it... all sold out. 

We hiked the short paths surrounding the amphitheater at Red Rocks. 

We tracked down the Molly Brown house museum. But timed it poorly and were not able to enter.

So decided to sit on her front porch for a hot second instead.

Colorado capitol building.

Larimer Square.

I was very impressed to find these two set up in Larimer Square with signs saying, "pick a topic, get a poem" I couldn't resist, and gave her the topic of "Wolfpack". 

She did pretty good, no? 

Howl with me

And I know,

we sit solitary,

filling loneliness with

telephone wires

separated by God and cartographers.

But we're here now,

Under the light of the 

same moon glowing,

so howl with me,

know we're all screaming for each other's company.

and soon we'll

be a choir in perfect harmony.

~ Corvo

Our hike on Saturday was a comedy of wrong turns, but we were so bound and determined to get lost in the mountains, that we continued with the flow and ended up with an amazing hike from the Hessie Trailhead up to Lake Jasper.

Hike to Lake Jasper

Howl with me

It's tradition!

Iconic Wolfpack

Cracking up because we had just realized Ethan had been videotaping that whole time (see above two photos)

Talk about finding your inner peace...

Lake Jasper

Relaxing at Lake Jasper

Lunch break at Lake Jasper

Lake Jasper

We explored the shores of Lake Jasper a bit before heading back down the mountain.

Climb the Mountains.

Stopping in Boulder, CO for dinner on our way home.

After church in Denver we headed to Chatfield State Park for a stroll and a swim.

 

Granted our "swim" consisted of standing toe deep in water and chatting until the wind picked up and threatened a storm. 

The next day Amanda and I got to take the Subaru off-roading to a hike even further up the mountain. Hiked the 4th of July trail.

I am not one to typically focus on the flora of my surroundings, but the mountains were absolutely bursting with color. I don't have it represented well in any of the pictures I'm posting, because it does not come out well in these 2D representations.

So many streams and waterfalls along the way.

Arriving at Diamond Lake.

Diamond Lake.

Diamond Lake.

Amanda humored me with a bit of rock climbing and scrambling trying to get around the lake.

But hey, had to get to the other side! Diamond Lake.

Enjoying ice cream at Yum Yums. Delicious flavors such as Vincent Van Goat, and Absolute Thyme.

For our last morning, I had wondered out loud if we should perhaps need to be more chill.  Silly me. Not the wolfpack. Jenna moved some of her meetings around and we squeezed in one last hike prior to heading back to the airport.

Nice hike up Belcher Hill.

Thankful for our time together, the trip, and the mountains. Sufficiently distracted myself. Now back to reality. 

Much Love and Prayer.