@detour.with.em: Next up in my National Park series: Rocky Mountain National Park Growing up in Ohio, where the land is flatter than a pancake, the mountains of Colorado felt like another world. The first mountains I ever saw were here, and for years, Emerald Lake was my Windows desktop screensaver. I dreamed of hiking to it someday. So I finally did it. Plot twist: nobody told my Ohio self that hiking in Colorado at the end of April meant hiking through snow. 😂 The lake looked nothing like the picture I’d spent years staring at. But after dreaming about this hike for so long, I wasn’t about to let a little snow ruin it. I rented crampons, bundled up, and made the most of the adventure. The goal was accomplished, just not quite how I’d imagined it. And honestly, sliding back down the mountain on my butt made for a pretty great plot twist. Would I have willingly planned a snowy mountain hike? Absolutely not. Did I end up having an incredible time anyway? Absolutely. And yes, the hike ended with me sliding down a mountain on my butt. Because apparently, grace and dignity are optional when you're making memories. Sometimes the reality doesn't look like the dream. Sometimes it's colder, messier, harder, and completely different than you imagined. Go anyway. Adapt. Laugh at yourself. Make the most of what you get. The unexpected version might just become your favorite story. #RockyMountainNationalPark #NationalPark #Colorado #HikingAdventures #NatureLover

Detour With Em

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Tuesday 13 October 2026 20:33:31 GMT