“E”arth

I love visiting the mountains and although I grew up and lived most of my life in Denver, I never spent enough time admiring nature. I was always working or traveling elsewhere.

Trees in foreground, snow covered mountain in background “Long’s Peak from North, Rocky Mountain National Park,” Colo. The U.S. National Archives.

My dad liked to go fishing with his work buddies or go camping with the Boy Scouts. Sometimes my brother and I would go along and hike the trail before the entire troop went camping overnight. Again, I wish I had spent more time in the mountains when I lived nearby.

One of my first Colorado mountain experiences was when I was in third grade. I went up for a half-day mountain/state park excursion bus trip to Balarat with my public school. When we arrived, we were taken on a tour of the grounds and went on a hike to identify plants and wildlife. It was so beautiful and interesting that I even momentarily forgot about certain blood-sucking ticks that were waiting to feast on us. We were certain to wash our clothes and shower when we got returned home, though, just in case.

I went to college at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and worked as a secretary to earn money for school at the National Wildlife Federation Law Office. It was here that I learned about the terrible, lasting effects that we humans can have on nature, as we drill for oil and strip mine. I typed up legal briefs written by environmental lawyers that included broken reclamation project agreements after companies vacated the properties. I learned to have incredible respect for God’s creation, Earth, the delicate eco-systems and wildlife that inhabited nature’s precious land.

View at timberline, dark foreground, light snow capped mountain, gray sky, “Rocky Mountain National Park. Never Summer Range,” Colo. The U.S. National Archives.

One of my favorite drives is on TrailRidge Road in the Rocky Mountains. The road climbs about 4,000 feet in a matter of minutes, going from lush forest of aspen, blue spruce and ponderosa pines to the wind-whipped treeline and brush, succumbing to the alpine tundra. Depending on the time of year, you may even see snow. I loved seeing the hearty birds, marmots, elk and chipmunks. Did I mention that the road in many places is narrow, especially if you turn onto Old Fall River Road, which hugs the mountain in a single-file road? It’s not uncommon for one car to pull over to allow another to pass close-by.

When my husband and I were dating, we suggested that his parents, Bernie and Dorothy, who were visiting Denver, go up to Estes Park and take the scenic Trail Ridge Road drive. With a leisurely drive to and from Estes Park, including the trip over Trail Ridge Road, and a nice lunch in town, the entire journey can take the good part of a day.

I planned to work a half day and meet Joe for lunch. We figured we’d see his parents mid-afternoon in time to make plans for dinner. I arrived at Joe’s dorm and was greeted by Joe and his parents. I said how sorry I was that they didn’t get to go to the mountains.

They remarked that they did make the trip! They had thoroughly enjoyed breakfast in Estes Park and then drove on Trail Ridge Road through the mountains to the other side. It seems that Bernie was quite the expeditious driver and made the trip in about 5 hours, while Dorothy prayed the rosary during the entire narrow mountain road.