Summer Kick-off Hikes~ The Loch and B-17

The first two weekends of June we did some pretty incredible hikes. The first was to Loch Vale Lake in RMNP.  Emmrey had just hiked with a friend a couple of days before and has a rule of not hiking two times in three days 😉 so it was just the four of us. 

Emm and Bella at Disappointment Falls

 The out and back trail is roughly 6 miles. It started out pretty flat, but ultimately has an elevation gain of 1,000 feet. 

 These two are good hikers

Early in the hike we ran into Alberta Falls, an attraction in itself. 

For many, this is the destination point where they turn around. The die-hards keep on trucking to The Loch.

The girls made it to the lake before we did. 

Just as we arrived the sky changed quickly and a light drizzle was starting to come down.

We realized we were in for a good rain and quickly tried to find some shelter. We still got pretty wet. 

It rained for a good while. 

 Mark was eager to get out and fish so as soon as it let up a bit he was on the lake. 

 It was so worth the climb and the rain ... absolutely gorgeous!

We stayed for an hour or so and it did eventually clear off enough to be enjoyable. On the way down we gave into those slippery snow covered sections and just skied down them.

It was such a fun hike with lovely people and scenery.

The following weekend we hiked into the Stormy Peaks to the B-17 crash site. 

[Mark took great photos so I am stealing his]

Bailee was camping this weekend with Makell so it was four of us again. The trail starts out innocently enough, but to get to the crash site there is some significant elevation change. I went into this 5 [turned out to be closer to 7] mile hike with the understanding at the climb was just the last 1/4 mile. In reality it was a climb the entire time with an even steeper climb [straight uphill] the last 3/4 of a mile. 

By the time we got to the site, I was hot to say the least. Once I cooled off I was able to appreciate the magnitude of the event. 

In October of 1943 the Army bomber was doing a nighttime training flight from Rapid City to Denver. A combination of wind and an inexperienced crew proved to be fatal. All eight of the crew were killed.

We enjoyed a snack lunch and then Mark and the girls did a little more climbing up and down the hillside to get the good pictures. I was content to take it all in from the rocks.

 It was worth seeing despite the grueling climb. A very sobering scene to say the least.