Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park

 A day trip to Rocky Mountain NP

During the 2025 spring break, we booked a day hiking trip to RMNP from Denver. Our tour guide was a seasoned hiker, and very knowledgeable about Denver-Boulder and RMNP. 

The loop we went on is quite flat, but a good 4-mile hiking, with great views of the snow mountain tops along Cub Lake. 

It was a 4-person group. Our guide even provided lunch for us.

View of Long Peak, the highest mountain of 14,256 feet (4345.22 m), a fourteener in RMNP. 

View of Long Peak in RMNP. Had a glimpse of RMNP this time; will come back.

Hiking Red Rock Park

 Red Rock State Park 

A week during 2025 Spring Break at Denver, Co. Had a day trip to Red Rock Park and Amphitheater; took Uber for less than half an hour from Union State at downtown.

Lost photos taken at the amphitheater. Refer to one from Wiki

On the day we were there, there was a band rehearsal for upcoming concerts. Sound effect was amazing. 

             Huge red rocks in the park.  Trails are well built and maintained. A few artists painting in the park.

Cross this road is Morrison Mountain, which we decided to climb. There's about 2,000 feet of overall elevation gain with the summit at 7,881 feet. 

Views from Morrison Mountain.

 It is said fossil is buried under the mountains in this area. Mount Morrison overlooks  a large portion of the Denver metropolitan area.

       View of Rock Mountains from the top of Morrison Mountain

There is the red free Mall Ride buses looping around the downtown area, and the Union Station step is the transportation center to other places (e.g., Airport). During the week, we also went to Rock Mountain National Park, RiNo Art District, Denver Art Museum, Botanic Garden, etc. 

Hiking Sierra Nevada Mountains in Spain

 Sierra Nevada in Summer

 

Spent a week at Granada in Spain during the 2024 summer break, and went on a day trip to hike Sierra Nevada Mountains. These mountains are the backdrop of the magnificent Alhambra Palace.

                               

Sierra Nevada is a popular ski resort, to which there are daily shuttles from Granada in Winter. However, in Summer, only one bus operates once daily.  We took a taxi there that day, and caught the bus on the way back.

The trails are well maintained. There were few people on the vast mountains, so we freely roamed where ever we liked to be. 

Glaciers were visible on the mountain tops even in the hot summer. A pretty stream runs down with cool water melted from glaciers.

A ranch at the foothill.

This place hosted Winter Olympic Game. It  has a Astronomy Observatory, the highest one in Europe at 2896m  (9,501 ft). We enjoyed a lunch break with tapas here.

Wild horses and goats enjoying the cool ice patches down in the valley

During the week, we also visited Alhambra Palace and Royal Chapel, walked around downtown Granada, visited Malaga, and enjoyed seafood (our favorite dishes include tapas, grilled Octopus with potato, and grilled Sardine)

Hiking Smokies

 Great Smoky Mountain National Park

                Layers upon layers of mountains at New Found Gap

There are many great trails inside the NP. Because it was during the Christmas season when we were there, some trails were closed, including the Clingman Dome. However, it was still a great time for hiking, and the trails were less crowded.

We had been at the NP several times. This time, we finally went up to the Chimney Rock peak.

Alum Bluff

We also reached the peak of Mt. Le Conte in a raining and windy day. The out and back trip to the peak was about 11 miles. On our way down, we met two groups of hikers on their way up - it was dark and slippery, and we suggested them to turn back. If you plan to hike it, give yourself 5 to 6 hours for the trip. 

On our way out the park, a locked traffic barricade blocked the road  because of the storm. We called and waited a good three hours in the dark and rain at the traffic barricade, for someone to unlock it, with the other two cars (yes, the same two groups we met at Mt. Le Conte).

At Cades Cove, we caught a glimpse of a black bear and saw other wild animals.

A photogenic coyote

The views in the park were amazing, let alone those along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive.

We spent seven days on the trip. We enjoyed our time on the mountains, at Pigeon Forge, and inside Dollywood Park.