I was on a hike with my childhood friend, Shane, and my sister, Emily, in Colorado's Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It began as an almost-perfect day... not a cloud in the sky. Though we had trouble finding cell reception to contact Shane about where to meet us in his car, we met up for our hike after a few failed attempts with a pay phone at the ranger station.
Two miles of switchbacks and rock scrambles later; we reached the summit of Ralston's Roost. We took some much-needed group pictures for the parents, then watched in awe as a storm cell rushed over the snow-capped Fourteeners that lay just over the horizon. We hiked back down to our cars for a much-needed beer, laughing about the need for a Coors Lite after seeing that beautiful vista of Rocky Peaks.
And then the storm hit us. Heavy rain and tiny pellets of hail crashed down on us for the last half-mile of the trail. Not the worst storm anyone has travelled in, but certainly something to be reckoned with. Though we slipped on mud and slick rocks a few times, we found our balance on tree branches and the helping hands of a buddy.
When we finally got back to the car, the storm had passed us. We sat in the gravel roadside lot for a while... just talking as we watched pillars of white steam rise from the evergreen mountainsides that loomed around us. But we were thirsty and still had five more days in Colorado. We were tired of breathtaking nature and instead needed calories.
So we drove back into Golden and huddled over a few rounds of beers at a brewery nearby the park entrance, thus completing our quest.
Did you know that now we offer a VIP membership? Create your Personal Portfolio Page and let us share your published pictures with over 300,000 members and followers.
Benefits of VIP membership:
• Your Personal Portfolio Page – click here to see a sample
• We promote all your pictures to over 300,000 followers via our social media pages
• Download all new issues of the magazine
• Download all back issues
• Download premium eBooks worth £19.45.
• Your uploaded pictures/posts stay attached to your page for as long as you are a VIP member, which could be forever
• Fast Support – we aim to reply within 12 hours
• Submission Priority – your submission goes to the front of the queue
Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor