Bear bears, no bears

Wow 4 in a tent.
Oh me Oh my 2 kids- 2 1/2 & 4
We went to Rocky Mountain National Park to camp with the family and all survived.
I have visited Rocky MTN National Park many times but never to camp. Never with my family to go over night and to be honest very few camping trips with the family at all. I can think of 2 with the whole family. They were one nighters and they were in the camper. I also did two other nights out but that was just Jack and I. This was 3 days, two nights-in a tent. In the Rocky MTN National park, lions and tigers and bears oh my. Ok forget the tigers, But MTN lions and bears, and coyotes, big horn sheep, and Elk and moose, plus a few others, and otters too.
Ok so we start our day out with sending the kids over to a friends home so Rhonda and I can pack for the trip. Our 11 - 11:30 get us out the door at 12:30, not too bad. As we had read the reservation a day or so before our departure the camp site D151 said that it was a walk in site. Walk, was it so that meant that unless I could put the VW camper on my shoulders we would not sleep in it OR we would not sleep at camp site. We have an Outdoor world here in Denver and I made a trip to see a tent selection the day before. I found a nice tent that would sleep us all, I could stand up in it and on sale for 99.99. I have spent 3 to 4 times that for a small bevy tent so I considered this a good price. Good that we can share a tent and not be right on top of one another. There was a another tent which had two rooms, was much larger and cost 230.00 but not only was that much more in cost and size but the sales man thought that it was quite possible that this tent would exceed size limits of a national park. So with that knowledge in hand and not having bigger pockets I bought the smaller size which was on sale and going to be an easier sale on Rhonda too. I consider this camping , fat man camping. It has help this name for many a years with me. 1st as a joke as I would take hiking trip with my buddies, We packed in and out, carry what we needed and sleeping in a tent or lean-two and made fun of those that did not do so. The fat man in his BIG OL' camper on top of his ford 350, which carried in is big ass fishing motor boat or chair. You get the picture! We later revised that to our brand of fat man which we might pay a snow cat to carry in our food and beer to the 10th MTN huts that we did hike too. Now here I am thinking of two kids under or just 4 years of age. My wife and now my daughter asking about bears, Are there Bears? Are they going to eat me? and Are there any bears, it as if by adding the any it was a new question. My son too was scared but he was little more on the adventure side and wanted to go. He was so looking forward that this carried Sydney into the excitement side. So off we go. New tent in hand and riding in the camper, just in case we could use it.
Rhonda let Jack sit up front in the camper with me, as she and Sydney took the back bench. We were off and going do the road. We were all looking forward to getting away, and to camp. Jack loves being up front and was asking all sorts of questions, seeing everything from the front prospective of the camper and and then he hit me with, "Does this radio play my music?" I am not sure what his music plays but whatever was coming out of the one small speaker from my 1974 VW camper was not playing the right tune. I told him that we have to listen to what is playing on the radio, Hum, well can't you Jack ask, email some of my music to it. I just busted out laughing. I guess I can't blame him as his world is much different then mine. Oh God he I go sounding like my Grandfather or my own Dad, but I grew up with B&W TV, wood skis, a bike with no gears only to upgrade to 3 gears and no when this camper was built I don't think that even the military or AL Gore had email yet. So I had to burst his hopes and let him know that , no I could not do that and to look out the windows at the amazing views we were just coming into. Anyone that has taken this drive from Lyons to Estees Park will know that you drive by some of the most incredible rocks faces and mountain side, full of reds and brown colors and as this was the start of July and we had such big snow the rivers were flowing fast. Amazing stuff, but I still could not email Jack's music too this radio.
Along we go and make Moraine Park, our camp ground. They was a guard shack and two or three other cars in line, so we waited. I was curious as to what the camp ground was going to look like and looking forward to seeing our spot. We had been told by the person who we got out reservation that this was one if not the most remote camp sites in the camp ground and we were not to be disappointed. Jack looks over at that man standing in a box and talking, He says "and what's that man doing over there?" Well here was a sight that is becoming extinct but that man was talking on a phone in a phone booth. Again both Rhonda and I bust out laughing. I am sure by this point Jack can not understand what is so funny. So we tell him that they used to be everywhere and that it is just a phone booth that he is talking on. He's making a call to his friends.
The guard gives us our map, direction to camp site and a few rules. Times to this and that and no food around camp ground, don't feed the bears! We are driving further and further out of the campground and yes we do go to the outermost site of the camp ground. Past a sign that reads no generator in this area and then we see camp site D151, well let me rephrase that we see a sign that says D151. I get out and with Jack in tow walk up a little berm to see camp site, I see another small hill and walk up that. I see a tent to my left and a trail that continues down a small path. I would say it was not long but we are looking at a 1/4 of a mile to our camp site. This one I would say is the most remote in the grounds, and very nice.
Now I look forward to unpacking and bring our things down. Sydney of course shoe less is on the trail, with pillows in tow and ready to help out. I am moving things in and out, as is Rhonda and Jack and Sydney. I am amazed by what the kids are doing and helping out bring down to our site. Sydney makes this trip once or twice, in bare feet and Jack is doing his best to keep up. On my 3rd, maybe forth trip, we did have a lot as we are doing FATMAN camping, Sydney comes over that 2nd berm towards me and says "you really missed it" Missed what I said? Just as Rhonda clears the hill and tells me that not only did they see an elk or deer walk by the camp site but as they were walking back to the camper to get more things Rhonda say to Sydney to look to her left, which somehow she did and walking parallel along side her is an elk, larger then me is all I am told so over 6 feet and only ten feet from Sydney. Sydney stops, looks as this huge elk is here, our camp site and crosses the path in front of her, and that's what I really missed. Sydney is just fine, I think this is what she has expected, and is in so many books that she reads. So we finish the moving of things from our camper to the the camp site. I am almost thinking it would be so nice just to pop up the camper sleep on the beds in there, and only stay at the car park. But I say nothing and head down to put up our new tent. I unroll the tent. Unpack one piece , two pieces, three pieces and four, now there are poles in a bag, and no instructions that I see. I am not to worried as I am a man, that has camped before, and set up tents. That should work! Well as I did unfold the tent completely out of the bag which is more of a duffel bag with a sipper on the inside sew to the inside our some direction, but there are also some more within the tent as you unfold it.
1st direction, do not attempt to set up tent for the first time at your campsite, Don't set up in front of family and friends and when done spray tent down with goes to activate the water prof treatment the tent under goes at the factory. Well, everyone please turn your backs and I will get through this. With Jack as my helper we get to work, this is a good start because he can't read so he has no idea that the direction say Hey Fool, set up at home and practice. Tent goes down and of course the back side is where I want the front to be but that is no big deal. I have poles that work on a budgie cord. Easily put together, there are two huge one, two smaller one and one very small one, maybe two. So big ones are the cross poles and the hardest part is feeding them into the top of the tent. Now I did a little more reading tried to set it up with Jack but it takes a little strength and understanding as to what we are doing so I get Rhonda to help. The tent goes up easily BUT I still have, three or four more poles to connect, a rain cover, and front piece to collect dirt and divider and what is this? So tent is up, its looking like a tent and size is nice. Now it looks like rain and YES that's a rain drop, so waiting to put on the rain cover is not an option. I have left the direction somewhere around and I am flying on that I don't need no stinkin' direction bone that most man have and most women dread. Come out of the same part of not stopping to ask for directions. Thinking that this too will fade from the history books as GPS, phones and Gamin's now replace the need of anyone having to ask for directions. Well back to the camp. I am racing the storm to get the tent up. I figured out the rest of the rain tarp which covers the tent and it looked almost as good as the picture on the box. We set up dinner, cook a fast meal so we can go to the ranger talk that night.
At the ranger talk we arrive a little early and she ask Rhonda and I if we could both read for a park in her mock trial. The trail of the Badger, the predator is he guilty of being just bad or living in his and with his environment? Very entertaining show was put on by the ranger. Rhonda and I were both asked to read part of other defendants and the trail came to a not guilty verdict, as the Badger was just living in his environment to survive himself. Back to camp, back to our tent and back to the 1st night in the tent. Now I have done many a camping trips, slept outside many times, in a few times in just a bag or under some branches piles up to make some sort of barrier. Here we are, new tent, big tent all four of us together. I made sure the food was back in the camper, I made sure kids were not sleeping with candy, and as the ranger said the bears in these part have a hankering for flavored lip balm, I think cheery flavor- some fruity flavor, in any case we did not have it. I packed us all in, kids in there sleeping bag on top of mats, Rhonda and I on cots and settled in. I did fall asleep, but at night you hear things or I did. I hear wind, I hear so barking of dogs, maybe coyotes, I hear the horses down at the guided horse corral even making a fuss at one point and I am not sleeping. I never had any issue sleeping outside before why now. Only one difference my family. I am worried about them. What to do if I do hear a bear? Do I make a loud noise to scare it off? Do I throw the cots over the kids and wife to hide them, do I run outside and hope the bear follows me, do I just lay very still and quite and wait till he goes away and if that is the case wouldn't it be just better if I were asleep and getting rest and never be going though all these thought. Dam why do I have a family, it was so much better just thinking about myself. I just did not worry so much! So I make it though the night, the family survives all those scary noises and I am tired but that does not stop the day light from coming.
We cook breakfast and clean up to head off to the visitor center of Moraine park and get t talk on how the valley was formed and how many years it took place to do so. He said we would know ever rock in the park, And made some joke about if we did not know just to say it was a nice something, I can not listen as we have two kids, one 2 one 4 and unless you are throwing rock counts as learning about them. So I had to walk away with the kids several times, we enjoyed the hike in our own way but we did not get the full tour as they say. I did learn that a Moraine valley which is name of the camp ground was caused by a glacier that has receded and not that of a canyon which is caused by water, and some trees in the area, pine spruce on the west side where it is dryer and plants that are waxing which are better able to deal with dry climates and then fuller trees and many more close together on the east side where there is more moisture. In any case I will have to go back but we had a nice hike and then while we could have gone back to the camp ground I feared that if we did we might just stay there. Kids were voting for that. I instead turned the wheel up the mountain and proceeded up. I was not sure that the camper was up for the trip but hey thats living. So we go up. We are doing fine, there is food in the camper as we are keeping it from the bears which I am sure are just circling are tent at night, and there is plenty to drink also. We get up to the very first viewing area that has neat rocks to climb on, follow by a good fall off the mountain on the other side of the rocks. Both Jack & Sydney think they are excellent climbers, so again I lose so years off my life, hair gets a little grayer, that is what I have left as I try to corral them and keep track of just how far they are allowed to climb the rocks. I am amazed at the size of some of the campers, hell thy are mobile home that are making the trip up the park. huge and wide and driving mostly be much older folks, they are the only one able to afford the gas these days for them. I can just hear the bells ring as the pumps turn at the gas station, what do you think cost me 50 to 65 dollars to fill up, what is there bill-500-1000 dollars, If it were me I might just drive down the road to a local park and set right there if I had to pay that bill for gas. I mean your self contained, its really just another house does it matter where you camp in it. Ok so if they can do it, my 74 camper is ready to go higher, we proceed upward and see snow. I love it and we get out to take a picture of the snow adjacent to a waterfall which is flowing right along side. Water is cold if you did not guess- wow! So up we go, camper is running great and we reach the 2nd lookout that I love. Here we break for lunch. Could not be better, we had sandwiches, chips, ice tea and a view. Plus the lot is full, there are many people and here is one time we are aware of how many Canadians are around. If we did know there we be so many we should have thought so, with the currency and change in value of the dollar it is much more affordable to travel over here for them. Our trip up was full of looking at Elk along side of the road and brave (stupid) visitors that want to have their picture taken next to. AND I do mean next to sitting Elk. There was one daddy elk lying not far from the road and edge of the field, he was resting-for how long I do not know but there were those folks dressed as if they were on their way to a nice tea party. Closing in to have their picture taken not near but next to this elk with the 6 foot 8 point rack, amazing. He was resting but for how long I don't know and nor did they. He could stay there and let them snap a picture for their coffee tables or walls or he could just as well step up and make it so they could mount their own heads on the wall after he struck. I waited as if ready to see this unfold, but there the Elk stayed and they live to shoot another picture of themselves next to the next tragedy of errors around the corner. Makes me think I could do a good business of selling t-shirts with bull zees on the front, at least they and those that see these pictures would know the truth.
Ok so Rhonda, Jack Sydney and I are off to the top to have our next adventure. We arrive just in time for a talk on lighten in the park. There are lighted clouds around with flashes of bolts and some thunder to be heard. Jack and Sydney are so NOT into this that they go about trapping all the mouths flying around, they run out to the walk way in which the winds have picked out and of course Sydney has barely any clothes on. The people go from watching and listening to the talk to watching our kids run in and out. It all I can do just to sit but I am tied from our early exploration so I sit and try to learn about the lighten strikes. Well lighten does not come from the clouds it comes from the ground, hey was that Sydney flying by the wind, the sound comes from the air coming together, did Jack and Sydney just run out the door, the particles of high and low get agitated and start to move fast- oh shit I think I have to get control of my kids, well so much for lighten storms I have one of my own here. So we and those around us act out the storm, Jack and Sydney are the storm and off we go to collect our clothes and selves and get some hot chocolate. As we drive back down it is still only around 3 and feel to early to go back to our tent. I see a sign for Bear lake, I had not been here so off we go to the other side of the park. Bear lake is very wooded and a nice drive. As we get there the kids are sound asleep and my feet are hurting so Rhonda goes off on a hike around. She is off for around 3/4 of an hour and then returns saying we need to follow her back. Partially caring and some walking the kids we hit the trail, very nice lake. Great hike that is only a 1/2 mile around and very easy. The kids find some areas to dip their feet, some snow to freeze their hands and sometime to just be held and carried. Nice way to end our long day in rocky mountain park.
Camping is such a treat, I loved it as a kid, I spent many a great trip and times with my folks and sisters camping, now to pass on that love is fantastic.
We end up packing to one of lives toughest lessons. A mother deer and her 3 little doe's are jumping, and I mean jumping on the rocks behind our tent. These little guys had to jump rock to rock but where very good at it. I watch at first thinking they were large jack rabbits then I did get a good look at them. We watched, we packed up, we carried our belongings back to the camper and then we heard a scream. It sounded like kids fooling around at first, then when it did not stop and grew on volume we wondered around wondering what it was. There were 2 other camp sites close and they too looked. The sound was much to much to pass up. Some guesses a mountain lion has taken one of the doe's, others guessed bear and coyote. Some riders on house came around the bend and said that it was a coyote, sad but that too is the cycle of life and how the wilderness works. Kids learning, not always what you want them too but what they will and have too.
Trip was an amazing lesson for us all and we will go back.