Who has the best view on our hikes?? That would be Lizzie Leigh of course. In our hiking backpack, she’s privy to the best vistas – no matter who’s doing the heavy lifting.

Today we hiked to Emerald Lake – a lovely mountain trail in the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park and I was the lucky one to start off carrying our sweet girl.

The hike wasn’t too long but we gained a fair amount of elevation (650 feet). With 23 extra pounds on me, I definitely had to stop a few times to catch my breath. The higher altitude also affects this – we started out at over 9,000 feet.

On the way to Emerald lake, we passed two other gorgeous glacier-fed lakes, a couple waterfalls and had to cross a few babbling brooks. All in all, it was a beautiful trail with magnificent vistas of the mountains.

And I can’t forget the wildlife! We encountered an elk feeding on alpine grass just off the trail. When we stopped at Emerald lake to picnic, the chipmunks were ready for us. It was obvious they’ve been fed by many a hiker as there was no hesitation coming up to say hello…oh yeah, and to try to steal our food.

Lizzie is really taking to hiking and loves saying “hi” and waving to passing hikers. This brings a lot of laughs and smiles. I think she’s catching the hiking bug early. 🙂

Tomorrow JR and I will tackle horseback riding in the Rockies….