Vacation in the Mountains, Day 2 (Part 3: The Lodge & a Hike)

After exploring Manitou Springs we separated into two groups.  One went to the grocery store while the other headed back to the cabin.  Grace, Steven, the girls, and I were in the group that was cabin bound.  Once we arrived Grace had the idea to visit the Lodge because we had yet to see it.  It is something that all of the guests of Pikes Peak Resort have access to.  There are suites located in it or for those of us who stayed in a cabin, it's a place to grab a movie and a game, or just relax and enjoy the view.  That is what we chose to do.  Here are a couple different views of the entrance (I was trying to be creative with angles).

Inside you are greeted by a great room and a large picture window.  Just outside the window are spectacular views. 

Outside there is a waterfall and pond.

Here are some close ups of the waterfall.

Steven, Audrey, and Gracie  

I love this picture for the way Steven is looking at the camera.  You can almost see him nodding and saying, "what's up"?

These are a few shots I took of the surrounding trees located in Pike National Forest.

Later in the evening we "grilled" burgers in the oven.  Due to the extreme risk of a forest fire we were unable to use the grill or fire pit.  After dinner Steven, Scott, Natalie, Gracie, my dad, and I went for a hike in the forest that surrounded our cabin, while my mom stayed back with the girls.

They could not get enough of the hot tub.

As we were preparing to leave Steven was busy taking pictures.

This is the fire pit that we could not use due to the risk of a forest fire.

I think we all wish we had our very own back porch with a view.

Cumulonimbus clouds forming over the mountains (yeah, I threw in a big word).

These were dubbed the "Mashed Potato Clouds" by Scott.

As the sun started to set Steven and Natalie started rapidly taking pictures; trying to freeze frame the way the light enveloped the mountains.

Natalie could often be found crouching in the brush to get the perfect picture.

Steven and Grace were the comedians of the group.  Here they are giving each other a fist bump with flare.

The view of our cabin from down below.

Gracie and I racing up a mountain.  I found that running up is the easiest way to do it. 

I never found an easy way down, though . . . I strongly dislike that part.  I am not graceful and have horrible balance.

One of the few things we saw was this animal bone; a stark reminder that we were not alone in the woods.  We were accompanied by lions, tigers, and bears!!  A thought that was never far from my mind.

Gracie was particularly interested in the wildflowers and was often pointing them out.

Some revealing pictures of the scorched trees that I mentioned in my first post.

Even though obviously devastating, they are beautiful in their own right.  The bare trees tell a story of what was once there. They remain standing, boasting their strength. I wanted my picture taken with these mighty trees.

This finally concludes Day 2.  Day 3 brings a trip to the Florissant Fossil beds; Madeleine's favorite day of the trip.  To be continued . . .