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| Campground at Mary's Lake in Estes Park |
Friends Dottie and Gerom and in-laws Lola and Sil joined us for a shakedown cruise in Estes Park and provided much pop-up camper lore. Dottie and I were best friends in junior and senior high and hadn't seen each other in nearly 30 years--great visit! We celebrated Gerom's birthday, the guys got in a day of fishing, and we woke during the night to the sound of elk bugling.
What we loved: Overnight in the mountains. Comrades. Lola's salsa. Driving up to the summit. The herd of dark shapes moving through the twilight in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sadie warming our feet through the night. Rosy-fingered dawn. The furnace blast warming the camper in the morning. The yellow aspen dancing among the pines.
What we didn't love so much: Walking across the campground to the outhouse in the dark of night. The wind rattling the canvas sides of the camper. A cold lunch when we couldn't get the propane going. Too much wind to light a fire. Not having the strength to snap down the lid of the camper without sitting on it.
Our enthusiasm for camping is undiminished as we investigate remedies.