RMNP Adventure Day 3: Flat Top Mountain

Bunny eyed the clear blue sky, sized up the snow christened peaks and hopped into her travel pouch. Then, matter-of-factly, she announced:

"We're going to the Alpine Zone today."

Bob and I looked at each other, slugged down our coffee and took heed. The Bunny meant business and we knew better than to doddle. So beginning at a lofty 9,475'—we set a course for Flattop Mountain; a 2,849' elevation gain over the course of 4.4 miles topping off at 12,324'. We were indeed going Alpine, that life zone above the tree line where few things live, let alone thrive.

We had prepared ourselves for a rigorous grade but were pleasantly surprised by the relative ease at which we were making progress. Each step seemed to offer views of verdant valleys, twisting rivers, and glistening lakes. And the higher we climbed, the more spectacular the views.

And the chillier it got.
And windier it got.

Until we found ourselves in a world of tornadic snow vortexes and ear-snapping wind chill. Ignoring the elements, we simply threw on another layer and plodded on, thinking the summit was within easy reach. But as we followed the ridgeline, conditions worsened. Quickly.

The snow got deeper, the winds more vicious and the trail obscured beyond recognition. Suddenly I could see our Foo family featured on the nightly news: "Led by a finger puppet named Foo, two lowlanders from Northern California died during a futile summit attempt of Flattop Mountain in Estes Park today. Back to you, Jim!"

So 500 vertical feet from the top, we turned around.

Sure, we were crushed. But we knew in our hearts that we did the right thing despite Bunny's protests. And as luck would have it, Bob would find a Cheeto trail back to civilization. Stopping every now and again for sustenance.