Cub Lake, Our First Ride in RMNP This Summer

For a couple of old(er) retired folks, we sure don’t let the moss grow under our feet. While our Cub Lake ride in RMNP didn’t happened until late July, it was because for the bulk of June we were in Africa! Not only that, but we have done a thing. We have decided to sell our Colorado home and become permanent Arizona residents. More on that later… suffice it to say that we’re pretty busy between travel and preparing our home to go on the market.

A BRIEF report on our trip to Africa

First, a quick summary of our amazing African safari and mission trip. We joined 11 other members of our Kansas City church (we still worship online) and started our trip with a medical missions week in Malawi. Perhaps I will write a blog someday just about this mission trip. (Let me know if you’re interested?) We saw nearly 800 people in 3 days. Due to major Delta Airlines snafus, we arrived in Malawi 2 days late and missed two clinic opportunities, but we packed many people into 3 days.

Not only did the Malawian people share their beautiful smiles, but they also shared their really nasty bronchitis. I realized I was sick the day before our safari started. On the first day of our safari, we had arranged for our SIXTH time taking wedding vows. The lodge in Arusha, Tanzania, went above and beyond to make the day special, even though I was quite ill. Note my authentic Maasai clothing and beaded choker.

I saw two African doctors (THAT was an experience!) and spent the entire safari not only taking photos but also taking copious amounts of drugs. Nevertheless, the safari was amazing. We saw thousands of zebras and wildebeest in the Great Migration on the plains of the Serengeti. Did you know that zebras have brown stripes until they are about 2 years old? Did you know that they typically lead the wildebeest, except under one circumstance? This is a minute fraction of the photos I have, not to mention what I learned about the animals. Would anyone like a blog post about the safari?

Cub Lake, not a long trail but a technical one

Because we have been traveling and extremely busy, the horses are not as legged up as I would like, especially for longer mileage on tougher trails. With that in mind, we decided our first trip to the park would be Cub Lake. We rode for several days in Hermit Park early this month, but those trails are not nearly as rocky and technical as what RMNP offers. To be honest, I had forgotten that Cub Lake was as “challenging” as it is. Compared to some trails we have ridden in RMNP, it’s pretty tame. But compared to flatter, less rocky trails, it’s technical.

RMNP still requires entrance passes, and the Bear Lake Corridor is still the hardest to get. I snagged a pass at 7 PM the night before, and we were headed to Estes Park by 6:45 AM. Despite the record heat we are experiencing, it was cool and windy when we left.

Parking in RMNP for private horse trailers is still challenging. We have permission to park at the now-unused Moraine Park livery. Last year, we parked by the hitch rails up by the barns, but this year, that driveway was blocked off. Apparently, there was a fire up there and park personnel are doing some soil testing.

I prefer to ride this trail counterclockwise. The hardest, and by far the most technical portion of the trail is the climb to Cub Lake. The ride to The Pool is easy and beautiful, notwithstanding the destruction caused by the Cameron Peak Fire. It is always a bit emotional for me when I visit The Pool, as that is where we scattered my parents’ ashes. As soon as you leave The Pool, you begin the rocky climb to Cub Lake.

It is not difficult to understand why this mountain range is called the Rocky Mountains. There are many areas where the trail is solid rock comprised of large boulders spanning a dozen feet or more. If you are not traversing a large boulder, you are often navigating a trail that is more rock than dirt. There are multiple places where a foot can get caught.

When Alan and I joined forces, I brought the horses to the relationship and he brought a boat. He had been boating since he was a child; I had been riding since I was a child. When we are on the lake, he is acutely aware of every boater and jetski in the water… I’m blissfully unaware. HOWEVER, when we are on the trail, I note every stick and potential hazard, and HE is much less aware.

As we were riding along, I noted a large branch sticking up on our left side. I legged Kadeen over and was ready to immediately remove my foot from the stirrup. Alan was looking off to the right and got nailed. Sadie was calm and cooperative so nothing terrible happened. We discussed the similarities of assessing the landscape just as he does on the water. It’s not just about observing what is a few feet in front of you, or worse yet, right next to you.

The trail is hard on shoes

We keep shoes on the horses year ’round now since we ride in the Dragoon and Chiricahua Mountains during the winter. Alan’s mare Sadie was just reset less than two weeks ago, and yet she had a front shoe come loose on this trail. She’s also somewhat of a clutz and always ends up with a few nicks and dings on her legs. My gelding Kadeen is like a mountain goat and returns to the trailer with nary a scratch!

Finding a farrier on our mountain has been a nightmare, and we have resorted to trailering the horses to meet a guy who is actually competent. I was not excited about having to coordinate schedules to simply put one shoe back on. I had an epiphany as we were nearing the end of our ride. I called my connection at the local RMNP livery to see if perhaps Zach would be able to reshoe Sadie. Turns out the livery farrier was there at that moment! Thirty minutes later, Sadie was getting reshod.

Several other trails that are relatively easy and beautiful are next on our list. While this will be our last summer of living in Colorado, it will not be our last summer of riding in RMNP. We have purchased 37 acres of land that border the Dragoon Mountains in Arizona. Our lot is a mere stone’s throw from where we camped last March. The lot is at 4700 feet and has amazing weather most of the year. The worst heat and the rainy season are from June to August. During those months, we will take our motorhome and all the critters and head north.

We have come to love many aspects of living in Arizona, but we also appreciate the alpine forest. There are many places we’d like to visit in other mountainous areas in Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. We will also plan on a couple of weeks dry camping at Hermit Park and riding all of our favorite Rocky Mountain trails. We thoroughly enjoy traveling in our motorhome and this plan will allow us to get our alpine mountain fix without having to support a second home.

The wildfire risk

We certainly don’t escape wildfires by living in Arizona, but our escape options are much better for the home we will build in Arizona. Our mountain home has one access road and therefore, only one way out. It is distressing to see the wildfires that are once again consuming our country. Are you ready for fire and hurricane season? Do you have an evacuation plan? If not, why not?

Let me know if you’d like to see a blog about the mission trip, or the safari, or both. Usually, I only write about horse or veterinary-related topics, but I did write up our amazing Grand Canyon rafting trip. Both the mission trip and safari were quite memorable. I have many videos, including one showing hordes of kids running alongside our bus, shouting “AZUNGU!” (“White people!”) We will go back, hopefully in 2028, only THIS time, the safari will precede the mission trip so if I get sick, I can recuperate at home!

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