stories & adventure
Chasing the Light: Best Places for Sunrise and Sunset in Rocky Mountain National ParkBy Jamie Palmesano
The high country of Rocky Mountain National Park is famous for many things—towering peaks, alpine lakes, bugling elk. But for photographers and hikers alike, nothing rivals the drama of sunrise and sunset in these mountains. In those fleeting minutes, light transforms the landscape into glowing golds, fiery reds, and deep purples. Keep Reading... |
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Top Five Sunrise Hikes in
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Survival of the Prepared: What Every Hiker Should Know Before Things Go Wrongby Sharon Saternus
Founder/CEO, Femme Trek: www.femmetrekltd.com It can happen faster than you think. You miss a turn, lose the trail, or get caught in a sudden storm. Your phone has no signal, and the sun is dropping behind the ridge. In the backcountry, survival isn’t just about gear, it’s about mindset. Keep Reading... |
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Moving Forward, Together:
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Up, Up, Up!
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Mastering the Craft of Backcountry Travel in RMNPBy Ryan Jordan
Backpacking is fundamentally simple:
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Spring Training: Four Stretches to Get You Ready for Another Hiking Season in RMNPby Dave Rusk
If you want to prepare yourself for a summer of marvelous day hiking, now would be a good time to try to work any one of these stretches into your daily habits. Keep Reading... |
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Remembering Kent Dannenby Dan England
Back before the Internet, hikers only had one tool to explore Rocky Mountain National Park. They simply called it the Dannen book. Even experts, the guides who led hikes at the YMCA of the Rockies, for instance, had a mantra: What Would Dannen Do? The book Kent Dannen wrote with Donna, his wife at the time, simply titled “Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park,” was the first comprehensive guide for traversing the national park when it was released in 1978. Keep Reading... |
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Where the Mountains
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A Gift in Return: Preserving RMNPby Trenton Ming
Rocky Mountain National Park, a breathtaking natural wonder of Colorado, offers endless beauty and adventure. Its majestic peaks, serene lakes, and diverse wildlife draw millions of visitors each year. With as many visitors that make their way here each year, there are just as many unique perspectives and experiences within the wilderness of Rocky. As we immerse ourselves in its beauty, it's crucial to remember the importance of giving, and not just taking. Keep Reading... |
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RMNP's Hiking Women from Kansas!by RMDH Staff
What began as a few friends who love hiking together in Kansas has now grown into a group of 70+ women who love to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park! How did this community of women come together and what is it they gain by hiking together? Rocky Mountain Day Hikes asked a few questions to Jeri Brungardt and Cindy Coughenour, the founders of Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond (WHKSAB), to find out how this love of hiking brought scores of women together from the lower elevation undulating terrain of Kansas to the steep and high altitude trails of Rocky Mountain National Park. Keep Reading... |
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Kiernan.
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Changed by the RMNP MountainsBy Ally Anderson
He was an uninspired kid, most often seen indoors playing video games, lacking the desire for exploration or challenging physical feats. ”Prior to hiking, I was a gamer. I spent a lot of time online. There's a lot of toxicity online. I didn’t get out much. Hiking allows me to clear my mind.” - Ely The mountains are the first and only thing that he's seen dramatically motivate him to get active. He has gone from an unmotivated child to a driven athlete looking forward to the next adventure, overall more enthusiastic and motivated about life as a whole. Keep Reading... |
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How to Make Photos in RMNPBy Jamie Palmesano
Making photos is one of the most delightful parts of hiking Rocky Mountain National Park. We live in an age where nearly everyone now carries a camera in their pocket. Whether you have a DSLR or an iPhone, a few tricks of the trade can help you create outstanding photos to commemorate your hiking adventures. These are my favorite five tips for creating powerful scenic images and capturing the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. Keep Reading... |
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When Lightning Strikes!by Murray Selleck
There’s not much you can do when you’re inside a thunderstorm cloud with lightning flashing and thunder pounding simultaneously. The crack and flash of lightning hurt our eyes so harshly that even with them closed the light penetrated through eyelids squeezed closed tight. Being inside the belly of a timpani drum while the drummer pounds out a rhythm might give you an idea of the ear punishing thunder but it wouldn’t describe the anxiety of being caught out and exposed in such a mountain storm. Keep Reading... |
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You Earned It In Rocky Mountain NP!Collecting trail tags is a rocky mountain tradition.
by Jamie Palmesano Nicolette Sowder once said, “Children deserve to grow and learn in a place, and alongside a force, that is as wild and alive as they are.” Wild and alive is a perfect description of Rocky Mountain National Park! The trails of Rocky Mountain National Park are filled with children of all ages experiencing the joy of nature and a sense of adventure. Though the journey itself is satisfying, there is something powerful about a small incentive to help those little legs reach the destination. The reward is called Trail Tags. Keep Reading... |
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A Solstice Morning,
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An Early Morning Hiking
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Breathe Better Hike Better!Book Review by Murray Selleck
Breathing is a pretty natural thing. We humans average 25,000 breaths a day without even thinking about it. How would it feel, though, if we did think about each individual breath and reap the benefits of more efficient breathing? This is what I’ve been trying to practice for awhile since reading the book, BREATH - The New Science of a Lost Art, by author James Nestor. Keep Reading... |
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Sure it's snow. What kind is it?by Murray Selleck
Snow is not monolithic. There is not one kind of snow and it is constantly changing as it falls, as the wind blows, or as temperatures rise and fall. With those thoughts in mind here is a list of snow types, conditions, and a bit of winter time slang that you may encounter in Rocky Mountain National Park. What follows is our best attempt at naming all the different kinds of snow we could think of and a brief sentence on how to use it in a conversation. Keep Reading... |
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A Rocky Mountain National Park Valentineby Staff, Friends, and Contributors
Have you ever thought to send a Valentine to a national park? Neither had we until we decided it was well overdue! Sending a Valentine to someone (or some thing) shows love and kindness and thoughtfulness. With our Rocky Mountain National Park Valentine we asked our readers, contributors, and friends to write how RMNP affects our health, well being, and daily lives - just being there. Keep Reading... |
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Wintertime Mythsby Murray Selleck
Winter is magical. It is awe inspiring and... mythical. Some of the mythical part comes from people believing in lots of misconceptions about winter. These wintertime myths keep far too many people cooped up indoors. Repeated often enough folks believe these myths to be true and they wind up resenting winter or worse, hating it. Their misery only intensifies as the days become shorter and the snow deeper. Symptoms like seasonal affective disorder (sad), boredom, depression, and lethargy are no way to live. The cure is to not believe everything you hear about winter. Keep Reading... |
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Search and Rescue on Longs Peak, '79-'81by Chris Reveley
Climbing rocks, ice and big snowy mountains is dangerous. Sometimes people get hurt and occasionally they die. The job of search and rescue (SAR) first-responders is to deliver to the injured an appropriate level of care as efficiently and safely as possible without making matters worse. In the case of fatalities, body recovery is pursued whenever and wherever possible as long as the risks to SAR personnel are minimal. Keep Reading... |
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Nostalgia: Winter at Hidden Valleyby Bronte Brooke
I stumbled across Estes Park this summer and completely fell in love with the area, so it was a surreal feeling getting to experience Rocky Mountain National Park in winter. Then a friend told me about Hidden Valley: an abandoned ski resort nestled in the heart of Rocky. Of course, as an avid skier, my interest was piqued. Keep Reading... |
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Winter Wonderland in Wild Basinby Rebecca Detterline
The golden peach light hitting the December snow on these shortest days of the year always brings me to a place of quiet contemplation. Pausing at the Saint Vain bridge 2.4 miles from the Wild Basin winter parking area, I breathe in the cold winter air and reflect on the past decade. When I moved to Allenspark in 2012, Wild Basin quickly became my sanctuary. Keep Reading... |
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Hunting Big Wind on Longs Peakby Chris Revely
In the late 1970s, rumors of high winds around Estes Park had reached the East Coast. Meteorologists working on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, where a long-standing world-record wind speed of 234 mph was measured, wondered if that record might be broken along the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. As a Longs Peak backcountry ranger, I was recruited to assist with the construction of a wind measuring device on the summit of Longs Peak. Later, the project would require more extensive, personal involvement. Keep Reading... |
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Backpacking with Kidsby Rebecca Detterline
“Auntie, my legs are feeling tired. Can you carry me?” Of course my niece, Adeline, is completely oblivious to the fact that I am already carrying a 45-pound backpack and both of my hands are occupied with the trekking poles I am using in an attempt to keep myself from tripping and falling, adding more scrapes and bruises to the bodily evidence of my backcountry clumsiness. Keep Reading... |
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Old Fall River Road: a Classic Driving Tourby Barb Boyer Buck
Right around July 4 every year, Old Fall River Road opens for the season. It's a very short season for this “motor nature trail,” so I encourage everyone to try it at least once before it closes in early October. It's my favorite driving tour in Rocky and every visitor I've hosted has accompanied me on this drive. Keep Reading... |
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The Photography of Erik Stenslandby Cindy Elkins
As a self-proclaimed hermit, the insightful photographer and naturalist Erik Stensland is the entrepreneur behind the Images of Rocky Mountain National Park Gallery in downtown Estes Park, Colorado. He is drawn by the natural world and has a deep passion for wilderness education and preservation. As an author, photographer and program developer, his unlikely path to RMNP was filled with adventure. Keep Reading... |
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Ice Skating in Rockyby Rebecca Detterline
In the winter of 2017, while making plans for a hike to Blue Lake, a friend asked if I owned ice skates. Growing up in Minnesota I think every kid had ice skates, but somehow mine never made the journey to Colorado. I consider myself to be relatively athletic, but with the skates that were a couple sizes too big and Blue Lake being covered in miniature ice moguls, I looked like Bambi attempting to learn to walk on a frozen pond! Keep Reading... |
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Snowshoeing to Subalpine Lakesby Marlene Borneman
Finch and Fern Lakes are destinations I have been to many times in every season. People often ask me if I get tired visiting the same places over and over. The answer is always “no.” For me each outing in Rocky is different. On January 9th I started with friends to snowshoe to Finch Lake from the Wild Basin trailhead located in the southeast corner of RMNP. Keep Reading... |
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Ascending Rocky's 126 Named Peaksby Marlene Borneman
It began innocently enough, in 1974. l came to Colorado for a summer job at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. I arrived from New Orleans (yes, below sea level) in mid-May of that year and, being a proper young lady from the South, l wanted to make a good impression on my new employer. l wore a sleeveless silk dress (rather short as I recall), stockings, and the cutest little heeled sandals you ever laid eyes on. Keep Reading... |
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Missourians in the Mountainsby Nevin Dubinski
As someone who has spent nearly his entire life in Missouri, visiting the Rockies is a treat. As we were growing up, my parents would take us west once every year or two and each time, I would learn to love it more. But of course my view of the mountains was insular, only visiting during the summer months and omitting the harsh winters that I heard so much about. I began to dream of reaching the peaks once the snow had fallen and I could partake in even wilder adventures. Keep Reading... |
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Conquering Peaks and Navigating Valleysby Barb Boyer Buck
Colorado resident Simon Vogt has summited 57 of the state's 14-ers (mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation); he only has one left: Culebra Peak in the Sangre de Cristo range. Mountaineering in the high peaks of Colorado's Rocky Mountains has become a metaphor for the new life he is developing for himself: one of sobriety and focus. “The summit is the goal, but it's not the reason,” he said. Keep Reading... |
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Meeting Lake of Many Windsby Rebecca Detterline
The snow at Thunder Lake was definitely deeper than anticipated on a recent attempt at a few remote peaks in Wild Basin. It quickly became obvious that our original plan would be thwarted by the slick conditions resulting from the first snowfall of the season. Knowing that our hike would be considerably shorter than we had prepared for, my two girlfriends and I hopped from rock to rock, following the steep trail that leads hikers from Thunder Lake to Lake of Many Winds, occasionally post-holing into calf-deep snow. Keep Reading... |
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