A Morning With My Dad On the Mountain

The day before, the whole family had decided to get up early to try and spot wildlife. We were awake before sunrise and set our sights on Bear Lake inside Rocky Mountain National Park. It was great to get up there before the crowds flooded the paths and cluttered the otherwise pristine landscape. But in the end, we did not spot any wildlife. Everyone was a little disappointed, but spirits were still high and we all enjoyed ourselves. In our hurry to get to the lake, we had passed up photo opportunities of incredible views in the emerging sunlight. So my dad and I decided it would be worth another pre-dawn excursion to catch these images we missed the first morning.

Alone in our enthusiasm, we hopped in the van the next morning, while the rest of the crew continued to slumber. We set off with a specific picture in mind. There was a valley on our side of the mountain that would be perfect as the sun rose just behind it. After reaching our destination and snapping as many pictures as we could rattle off in the the rapidly brightening scene, we realized we were plenty awake and already halfway toward the other side of the mountain. So we took the opportunity to travel over Trail Ridge Road, into the western half of the park. We wanted to try and spot any moose that might be lingering around the marshy area outside Grand Lake, CO. And even if we did not see any moose, we figured breakfast would be a great consolation prize.

While driving over the mountains, a large group of elk distracted us for a short while. Being up so early, traffic was slow and we were able to take our leisure in admiring the landscape and the elk herd. The photo that follows is a picture of my dad taking a picture of the elk. In the background you can see the mountains, almost eye level to us.

I know that the picture below will not win any photo contests and there is nothing extremely striking about the scene, but it is still special none the less. You see, to me it is not just a man sitting by the side of the road taking a picture. To me it is a reminder of a morning spent exploring with my dad. In this picture, I see a man who, like myself, was enjoying the morning sun, the solitude of nature, and the joy of capturing the landscape and moment around us. My dad and I are alike in many ways, as is evidenced by the fact that we were the only ones willing to sacrifice sleep to look at the mountains. And that morning was a time of sharing in the experience as much as anything else. These times have become more important as of late because they are actually soon going to be very rare. In the not too distant future, my wife and I will be moving out of the country for several years. We won't be making any trips to see family over Christmas or Thanksgiving. No extended weekend trips for family get togethers. And simple memories like a morning drive over a mountain and searching for moose will be much more precious than others might be able to understand.

Dad on the Mountain Top, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park