Olive Ridge 2012 Ouzel Falls

We camped at Olive Ridge Campground.  So nice to have a great campground so close to our house, only about 40 minutes.  Here's our little camper, happy in his hammock with his favorite book: Sharkopedia!

And reading by flashlight in the tent: Star Wars!!



We hit a few trails on our first day there and enjoyed bouncing all over the Rocky Mountains again. 

We got to an overlook at Storm Mountain and were able to see some of the devastation of the High Park Fire just north of us.  Devastating is a pretty accurate description.  Some of the most beautiful placed near us and some of favorite places to explore and gone or in danger.  Now over 90 square miles are gone and it is no where near contained.  We could see the smoke in the far distance and would have gladly taken torrential rain shortening our camp trip is it meant helping the fire.  Hopefully rain comes soon.




We decided to hike to Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Last year we had wanted to so badly, but alas, I was still on crutches then, so our goal was to make it there this year!!!  Jadeyn was such a great little hiker: he did the entire 5.5 miles all on his own two little feet!! Not bad!!!

















Of course there were several stops along the way to investigate every army ant on the trail, every creek crossing, two jelly beans about every ten minutes for a burst of energy, but he did great!


















The hike had a variety of terrain to clamber over: smooth trail, rock obstacles, tree roots, and steps carved into the granite which were especially cool.















There are three waterfalls on this part of the trail each with unique qualities. Copeland Falls was a pretty standard waterfall but still exciting to see the massive amount of water rushing over the rocks.  Calypso Cascades was a very wide waterfall which split and spread itself out over quite a bit of area.  Lots to look.

 Here's the funniest part of the hike.  The ENTIRE way back, Jadeyn was non-stop chatter with stories about sharks and mermaids, dolphins and pirates and more mermaids.  We had finally asked him to try a different subject beside mermaids when I saw something in the dirt on the trail.  It was one of those smashed flat pennies.  I turned it over to see what impression was on it and I couldn't believe it.  Honestly, it was a Mermaid!!!!!!!  What are the odds of that!  Jadeyn was so excited about his new treasure!!!


 Finally, Ouzel Falls was our grand finale.  A high waterfall crashing down.  Hiking to the base showered us in fine mist and circled us in rainbows! 

 Success and a proud happy boy.

I was so happy to be able to finally able to do this hike.  My foot held up pretty week, but boy, did I pay for it in the morning.  A very stiff foot and pain again.  Hopefully its gone soon.

How dirty can one boy get camping?  Well, Jadeyn survived pretty good the first two days, but on the third day, this is what he looked like just in the time it took us to pack up!!