Bears, oh my!

In keeping with the hiking theme, I have another adventure to share. Last week, my dad and I decided to take on a hike that we had done as a backpacking trip when I was a kid...(I was probably 11 or 12?). We did it a couple summers in a row actually. From what we remembered, it's a gorgeous hike in (all downhill) and a grueling hike out...uphill. However, we decided it was worth a shot.

Starting near the trailhead, there was snow!
Plenty of it. Apparently the snow is a little slow to melt this year...seeing as how it's August and it's still here! We crossed a few slippery snow fields before heading down into the valley - headed to Grand Lake. We were lucky enough to see a grouse, a few marmots, a 4-point buck, and of course plenty of birds and chipmunks.

After lunching at Grand Lake, we decided to trek up a little farther to Moose Lake (only about half a mile beyond Grand Lake). Moose Lake is also beautiful and was so quiet and peaceful. We wandered around the lake for a bit until my dad grabbed my arm and pointed across the lake - a black bear! There she was just hanging out by the water's edge. We stood mesmerized and watched her (I named her Georgina) for a good long while until suddenly, her cub came bounding out of the woods! With that she turned and headed back into the trees. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience...and made the uphill trek out totally worth it!