Rocky Mountain National Park

Over Labor Day weekend I went to Colorado to visit family. One day my brother Nick and his wife Lauren took us all (Mom, my other brother Chris and I) up to Estes Park.

It was cold as heck (or so we thought--it was to get a lot colder later on in the day). We stopped once we reached the top off Devil's Gulch Road to enjoy the view.

Nick decided he would rain down the lightening onto the fair city and terrorize the village.

You know, his usual weekend ritual.

We drove into Rocky Mountain National Park and stopped in at the rock slide area that is always neat to visit.

I can't remember the exact history, but not all that long ago, the mountain here basically came tumbling down, creating a huge rock slide which took out everything in its path.

It killed all the old trees but now new ones are starting to sprout up everywhere, and there is a lovely stream that flows down the path.

This is an area where I love to take pictures. It's so scenic and clear of any modern obstructions. I asked Chris and Nick to sit up on the large rock so I could take a picture of them.

Ten years ago, my brothers reluctantly sat on (almost) the same rock for a picture.

Boy, how time flies when you're making your brothers do corny things they have no interest in doing.

Nick decided we should go up Trail Ridge Road (the highest continuous paved road in the US) to the pass. I sat on the wrong side of the car. Therefore, the entire trip up the mountain was spent digging myself into the back passenger seat in pure, unadulterated terror.

They don't believe in guard rails in Colorado. I think it's their way of weeding out the tourists from the natives.

I survived, despite hyperventilation, heart attack, stroke and an aneurysm, and once we reached the top (approximately 12,000 feet) I finally was able to extract my fingernails from the seat in front of me and enjoy the scenery.

It was bitterly cold (30 degrees not counting the windchill), but absolutely beautiful.

When we were in Estes Park I kept searching for the Elk. Those kids were hiding all the way up here.

Somehow I don't think they had to sit in the backseat of a Corolla while staring down the sides of very steep cliffs to get up to this area. They look entirely too calm and relaxed.

I'm serious. I'm on medication now.

Forever a flat-lander at heart,