RMNP: Day 1 - Part 1. Getting There.

As any diligent reader of this fabulously popular site knows, I spent 4 days, 3 nights camping in RMNP (Rocky Mountain National Park) at the end of last month. The posts are somewhat tardy, but better late than never? Or is that better never than ever?

I don't know if I was brain dead or what, but my plan on getting to RMNP, and my camp site, didn't include looking at a map. A paper map or Google map, that is. I decided to put my trust in a Magellan GPS.

Plan A: Type in the name of the camp ground, Moraine, into the GPS and select that as the destination. There was no Moraine camp ground listed. Go to plan B?

Plan B: Look at a map before it's time to leave, bonehead. Plan C?

Plan C: What if we just put Moraine in the GPS? It does come up with Moraine Museum, Estes Park. Is that close? I don't know, but what the heck, lets go with that...

The drive takes about an hour and a half to two hours. I found that following GPS directions for long distances when I had no real clue as to where I was (or if the destination I selected was close enough), was more than a little disconcerting. After 50 minutes or so into the drive I was really jonesing for an old school map to look at. I tried zooming out the GPS to give me some perspective, but I was on a road that was too 'small'. The GPS software would not draw it when zoomed out even a little. In fact, when I was at the max zoom out where it would still draw it, it was the only road on the map. Kinda hard to get a perspective from that...

As luck would have it, Moraine Museum was actually in the park, and only about a mile from the campground - there were signs that I could follow from there.

My site for night one was D-0151. A walk out. Means you gotta lug your gear from the parking spot to the camp site - in this case about 120 yards. I could not see the site from the car, so I headed out with just the tent to scout out the spot. I hadn't gone more than 15 yards when a blue Element pulled up behind the FJ. Wow, Dave and Christa have awesome timing. Two more people to lug gear. ;-)

The trek to the site was worth it. Good views, a picnic table next to a stand of trees, and no other camp sites close by. In fact I could only see parts of two others a ways away.

Koal and Amber were enjoying themselves at their new home. Koal was perky and energetically wagging his tail, while Amber was rolling around on her back in some grass. Too bad this site was only available for one night - gotta move to another tomorrow.