Imagine for a minute, a cold, dark night high in the Rocky Mountains. The wind is shaking tiny snowflakes from nearby tree limbs. The moon is bright in the sky and the cold is creeping through your sweater. Light is shining through a few windows from a cabin up the hill. You can smell the scent of hamburgers on the grill. Hearty laughter drifts out of the cabin. Last winter, a few friends of mine threw a birthday party for me on such a night. We were all gathered in a cabin at McGregor Mountain Lodge, eating burgers and chocolate bundt cake, and sharing stories of our adventures in the park. That night, a little icon met a flower (thanks, Dixie!), and became permanently a part of our Forums group.

Little did I know that the friend I met that night would travel with me this summer.

Fastforward six months...

My Mom flew out for a visit in June. We had lots of places in Fort Collins to visit, and three days planned for a road trip to Estes Park. I had the time off and spent hours before Mom's arrival planning our itinerary. At some point, my little friend, Fatheads Jr., spied my planning and asked if he could go along. Not to be left behind alone, Rocky the Bighorn asked to go too. Apparently, he missed his cousins pretty badly.

When we got to Estes, the park was our main destination. Fatheads Jr. wanted to try a bit of mountain climbing. He had numerous choice destinations. After all, at his height, even the parking lot barrier rocks seem gigantic. Atop a large boulder, he turned to me and asked if we could capture the moment for all posterity. Soon enough, along ran a chipmunk who really showed Fatheads Jr. how to stand on a rock and beg for attention. Rocky was off frolicking in a meadow with some of his cousins. Sadly, I couldn't get a decent shot of his antics.

After our stop in Horseshoe Park, we headed over Trail Ridge Road. It was time for a hike amongst evergreens next to the Colorado River. We picked the Coyote Valley trail. As often as we've been to the park, Mom and I had never been on that trail. The Boys were generous enough to let us pick this trail and our destination. For those who haven't been there, the Coyote Valley trail is flat with spectacular views of the Kawuneeche Valley and the surrounding Never Summer Mountains. This has always been my favorite part of the park. The valley is so calm and green in the summertime. I always imagined myself living in a log cabin somewhere in this valley.

But as we had Boys along, the serenity was interrupted frequently with requests for pictures. At the trailhead, by the sign, on a bench, by the river, in the river.... You get the idea. I won't bore you with all of the pictures here, just the best are posted to the left.

Our walk was beautiful, but a bit warm. Mom and I decided that lunch would necessarily be ice cream in Grand Lake. Grand Lake Chocolates is a great place to get a refreshing treat on a hot summer afternoon. Mom got scoops of malt ball fudge and peppermint, while I had some concoction of coffee and chocolate. Not to be left out, Fatheads Jr. decided he was hungry and begged for some ice cream. He'd learned all about begging from the chipmunks we'd seen earlier in the day.

On the way back through the park on our way to Estes, Mom stopped to take the traditional picture of me at the Continental Divide sign. When I was much younger, my brother and I would pose by this sign for a picture every summer on our family vacations. My brother may not have been on this trip, but the Boys wouldn't let me star in a picture by myself. You'll notice they wanted to be on each side of the great Divide. By this time, I was a bit annoyed.

Nearby, a sign caught Fatheads Jr.'s eye. Apparently, he had a bit of daring left in him for the day, and his rock climbing earlier hadn't entirely satisfied him. So, defying Park Service rules, he climbed a fence and took off up the hill behind the Divide sign. It took me a minute to catch up to him (he's a quick little bugger) and get him back where he belonged. Notice the mischievious grin on his face as he poses on that fence. I couldn't get the rebel out of him. He's worse than a little brother.

Finally back across Trail Ridge, the boys posed in front the RMNP entrance sign as a last hoorah for their day in the park. I knew I was going to sleep well that night.

(This trip report has been written for and dedicated to anyone else who has ever tried to travel with their Fatheads Friend, especially my Mom, Aaron, Sandy and Glenn.)