Our first destination was Dream Lake. Or maybe just Nymph Lake. Can't we just go to Bear Lake and then go back to the cabin? <sigh> No. We're going to Dream Lake and we're going with all the other kids ranging from those riding in packs to third grade, Jack. That meant Lilly and Henry were the oldest and strongest on the trail. (Clara hasn't yet been cleared by the doc for snow travel. She was not pleased.)

One of the great things about our National Parks is the way they provide access into wilderness. 95% of Rocky Mountain National Park is designated Wilderness. (Yes. "Wilderness" with a capital "W".) Within a few steps of leaving the trailhead at Bear Lake we were in the Wilderness and on a single track trail slowly climbing through the forest.

Just like last time, we were quickly winded by the high altitude climb. A trailhead at 9,400 feet meant we weren't going particularly fast. The kids were both wearing traction so the icy trails posed no problems for them. Henry wore MICROSpikes and Lilly had my trail crampons, but that meant I was slipping and sliding all over as we collectively struggled up the hill.

Nymph Lake was the first possible destination we came to. As mountain lakes go, it wasn't much. There was a minor view over the trees, but the big thrill came when we walked across the ice. Don't worry, it was plenty thick to support us and it made for a quicker way to get to the trail on the other side. (Why did the family cross the frozen lake? To get to the other side! HA!)

Being a Deuter Ambassador event there were ambassadorial duties to be performed. For us that meant posing for photos and picking up trash.

I'm not talking about the sort of pictures I make the kids stand for. These were professional headshots with fancy lighting and everything. (Or, since we were in the mountains, a photo umbrella thingy and a professional that knew how to use it.)

And the trash. We worked on filling up our new Deuter Dirtbags. They look like small dry bags, and in fact they are. But more important than keeping my puffy dry is providing a place to put all the trash we find. And having a "mission" like filling our Dirtbag inspired the kids. They were keen to keep going to look for more garbage for the bag. (Happily, we found little to pick up. Sadly, it was likely because of a couple of inches of fresh snow.)

With the promise of lunch at the lake, the kids pushed higher in spite of the snow that started falling sideways. (Falling sideways? Oh, yeah. Wind.) Even though it had only been just over a mile and barely 500 feet of elevation gain we were all dragging like we'd climbed a proper mountain. It certainly felt like far more than our usual hike up to our home waterfall. Over a final hill we were rewarded with the views of a foggy lake basin surrounded by towering cliffs.

Those views lasted at least for a minute. Then the snow really began coming down. Dumping and blowing tiny, perfect, little snowflakes. The kind you see on a science show, but never in real life. At least not in the Northwest. We bundled up and braved the storm long enough to finish lunch and then head down the hill with the whole crew that had caught up to us.

Walking downhill is boring. Duh. Why walk when you can slide? Don't think we were skiing or, heaven forbid, snowboarding. No. We were penguin sliding. Kind of like a face-first glissade that would absolutely end in tragedy if done on a steep slope, but perfect for little kids on little hills.

We fell just short of 10,000 feet, which is a special accomplishment for the kids. However, not being as nerdy as I they didn't really seem to care. When we got back to the cabins they were more interested in telling everyone how awesome the hike was and the cool blue bird (a stellar jay) they saw. In retrospect, that was the big win for this adventure. Forget about the numbers and focus on the experience. I'm glad they've got that down. Maybe I'll figure it out someday.