On the Edge......

We just arrived home from an AMAZING trip to Colorado to visit family! Some of my favorite childhood memories are times we spent here....climbing the waterfall, skiing and just being kids. I have always loved the Rocky Mountains for the view and because of the memories. There really is a lot more depth to this story, but for now, we'll keep it on the surface. I was so excited to take the kids to the waterfall. Zach was a bit apprehensive when we talked about it, but when we pulled up, he was out of the car and to the rocks in no time. No rock, or should I say boulder, was too large for his attempt. Raegan was a little shy at first, but was not about to be left behind! Even sweet Ella (my 3 year old niece) was keeping up with big kids! Surprisingly, even with camera in hand....I kept up too!

This first picture is the beginning of the "hike". Rather than using the path leading up to the waterfall, my cousins created a game requiring us to stay on a rock or a tree the entire time. I did have to bend the rules a bit here in order to get some good shots.


Take a close look at the image below....see the "cliff" in the background...this was our destination for the first day. It is kind of difficult to see in this picture, but the journey to the top was a little hard on my nerves...especially b/c Zach was trying to keep up with my cousin's daugther, Carin (she is in the green shirt). Note the length of her legs compared to Zach's! Something that factors in when climbing the face of the "cliff".


The kids had a BLAST jumping from rock to rock. They even crossed the stream at the bottom of the falls. Remember the video game, Frogger? Believe it or not....I crossed too (only because I was exhausted from all the climbing and it was the quickest way back)! No one got wet....this time anyway! More fun tales from our second trip to the falls later!

This is me crossing....everyone else was already on the other side so a self-portrait was necessary. Not the most flattering angle...but it's about capturing the moment, right?

Here are some more fun shots along the way. Most are self-explanatory, however the one below may need some additional info. The kids took running jumps to climb the really big rocks. Well, they didn't always consider how they would get down. Sliding was the preferred option, however this one was a little steep. I had to hand my camera off this time!


This is my favorite picture of the day...the only disappointment...you can't see the full size of the boulders! Carin spends a lot of time in the mountains, so she is a much more experienced climber than the rest of us!


The next pic should give you a reference as to the size of some of the boulders. This is E, my niece, taking a little break!


That's it for now! Impressive, huh? Two posts in a week! I have a lot more to share from our trip! Check back in a few days! Until then....back to business as usual!