It’s hard not to get excited about waking up Saturday morning in the mountains. This morning was the first morning that the mountains received a light blanketing of fresh snow. We were not feeling really motivated to hike, as there was a chance of rain, so we hopped in the Tahoe and drove into Rocky Mountain National Park. Unlike the midwest and northeast, the fall colors in the Rocky Mountains are just a little bit different since we primarily only have Pine and Aspen trees.
The Aspens were showing their true fall colors, from vibrant orange to the classic golden yellow dotted in groves along the drive to Milner’s Pass. Looking out towards the Never Summer Range, there was a grove of Aspens that blazed orange in color and stood out prominently amongst the lodgepole pines. Arriving at the pass, we noticed the gate was open, meaning the road was open to Estes Park. 
Along the way to the Alpine Center, just past Poudre Lake, we found a bull Elk staring right at us. Once we had arrived at the Alpine Center, I had attempted to take a few photos but the wind was gusting and variable, thus blurring my camera.
Back in the Tahoe and out of the wind, we headed back down to Base Camp. Our last stop for the day was Grand Pizza!
Sunday started very similar to Saturday, except that when I let Aspen out for her morning potty, there was a female moose staring at us. Aspen, wondering what the heck that beast was at the entrance to our site, began barking. Me, not wanting the moose to charge, quickly ushered Aspen back into the trailer, grabbed my camera, and made my way back outside.
I noticed it was the mother moose but I was unable to located her calf. A few moments later, the calf wandered in near our fire pit. 
So after a little excitement to start the day and really nothing planned, Stella and I sat down for breakfast. Deciding against the hike due the weather, I grabbed my fishing gear and headed to the east end of Grand Lake.
Settling in along the shore, I found that I had the lake to myself. And, I caught my first Rainbow Trout of the year, using a Parachute Adams fly. But as I reached for my net, the fish spit the hook and escaped back into the depths of Grand Lake.
Bummed, but not discouraged, I continued to fish a bit longer and had another bite. However, I lost the fish in the rocks as well as my only fly. Moving on, I placed a spinner on the end of my line and tossed the line back into the water a few times, but the only thing on my mind was replacing my lost fly. Back at Base Camp, I quickly prepared my line for the following weekend. We are planning to grill some trout, but maybe I will be able to provide the catch of the day to grill instead of what we get at our seafood counter at Sprouts.
