For about a week, my coworker Sierra and I had talked about doing a hike somewhere. We'd cancelled once, and finally found a day that we both had off at the same time. Although she's lived her whole life in the Front Range of Colorado, Sierra had never been to Rocky Mountain National Park. Truly sad.

We had a beautiful clear morning. We were running late as we pulled into the Glacier Gorge parking lot. The Smith women were waiting for us. After a brief introduction, we set off towards Alberta Falls and Glacier Gorge.

If you've never hiked with these girls, you won't quite understand their energy. Every rock bigger than my shoe got climbed by all three. For every step that Sierra, Lori, or I took, the younger Smiths took about 10. Their energy is inspirational. And tiring.

We stopped along the trail to enjoy Alberta Falls and the views back towards Bear Lake Road. Sometimes the road can seem a bit confined to me, as it snakes its way towards the lake. However, from our vantage point, you can really see how expansive the area is. The views of the distant peaks are beautiful!

As we climbed across the last rocks before Mills Lake, we came across an area full of downed trees. We watched as a few baby ducks followed their mom through the water. This must have been Sierra's first time to see ducks 'in the wild'. (Needless to say, she was not prepared for the ducks begging for food as we ate lunch later.)

We found a perfect rocky outcropping on which to eat lunch. Lots of wildflowers surrounded our perch - mostly elephantheads and daisies. Chipmunks, ground squirrels and ducks encroached on our spot, begging for handouts. While the Smith girls and I just shooed them away, or chased them around, Sierra became a bit nervous. Apparently, our little furry and feathered friends did not suit her taste. Sierra kept a smile plastered on her face the rest of the day, although I could tell that she wasn't 100% comfortable in her surroundings. I wished I could have convinced her that she was safe.

While we were sitting and eating, we saw a man walk by with a RMNPForums.com t-shirt on. We all introduced ourselves. He turned out to be Glenn, the famous Fatheads pub owner from Pittsburgh. Lori and I finally got to put a face to his name. (Last winter, Glenn had sent me some of his Fatheads gear, including two stocking caps that I have worn numerous times!)

The little girls ran around looking at the wildflowers, the fish in the lake and the various animals feeding near the lake. They enjoyed themselves, climbing on the rocks and splashing in the water. They reminded me very much of myself when I was younger.

After lunch, the funniest thing happened. Rebecca picked up a large stick and started marching around with it held high above her head. She dubbed it "the stick flag". Hannah and Elizabeth started making up a pledge to the stick flag. They repeated it and repeated it throughout the remainder of the hike, even when the stick broke and Rebecca tossed it to the side of the trail.

The hike down was quick; the girls ate their way through my bag of taffy and some rice krispy treats back at the parking lot. It was a good day for most of us. The Smith girls always make me smile, and spending lunch time at my favorite lake in the park didn't hurt either.

Even now, several weeks later, the "Pledge to the Stick Flag" can be repeated by all three girls. That is one memory that won't fade too quickly.