Rocky Mountain National Park--Day 2: Horseback riding

We had planned to hike near Cub Lake on our second day in the park, but when we arrived at the trailhead we spontaneously changed our minds.

Because horses.

We did a 2 hr loop with mountain and forest views.  Here are the cowgirls, rarin' to go.

Waiting to mount our steeds

This was A's horse, Eeyore

Tulip's horse Ana was well-behaved for the most part.  Bear's horse Dino, on the other hand, kept trying to put his head down and eat during the entire ride.  We were instructed to not let the horses do this, so poor Bear spent the entire ride yanking up Dino's head so he would keep walking.  She was a good sport and did a fantastic job.

This was my horse Bumper

The poor kid in front of me got a horse that didn't want to stay in line and kept trying to pass whatever horse was in front of him.  The kid didn't quite ever get the hang of how to keep the horse in line, so eventually he went up and rode along with the guide the rest of the trip with her holding a guide rope for the smaller horse in addition to the reins of her own horse.  Our guide was incredibly patient and outstanding through the whole situation--we were impressed.

We learned from our guide that Aspens grow in groves with a mother tree that controls the root system of all the smaller spawn trees.  If one of the trees becomes diseased the mother tree has a way of isolating the root system to the sick tree so that it doesn't infect the rest of the grove.

Here we are with our guide, Emma.

After our horseback ride, we continued over the pass.  At Milner Pass (10,758ft) we had to stop and take the requisite airborne photos.  

We were taken with the marmots that were running around everywhere at the summit.  They are nearly impervious to humans being close, as I'm sure lots of people feed them.

And of course, the other wildlife....

We continued out through the western side of the park and stayed in the lovely Vintage Hotel in Winter Park.  A prime spot during the winter months--the ski lift is in the parking lot of the hotel!--it was a downright bargain this time of year.