Pike's Peak or Bust

This weekend's Airstream outing landed us atop Pike's Peak for breathtaking views of Colorado scenery.  We boarded a bright red cog railway car in Manitou Springs and enjoyed the hour and 15 minute ride through a ponderosa pine forest, along mountain streams, past pristine mountain lakes, and across boulder fields inhabited by marmots and mountain goats.  The 14,115' destination provided a vantage point far above treeline where on a clear day you can see four states.  This was just one of several side adventures we took while camping at Mueller State Park in Divide, Colorado.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Campsite #120 nestled in the Aspen at Moraine Park Campground

 This was my first visit to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) since the epic Colorado fire season last year.  I had heard that fires burned near the Moraine Park Campground where I was staying.  Fortunately, the campground was spared, but I didn't have to venture far to see some of the burn scars left by wildfires last year.  The destruction left by the fire makes me appreciate the beauty that remains all the more.