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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Aug 21 2014, 4:52am
Post #1 of 20
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Uncle Baggins and I went hiking along the edge of Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park last Sunday. That canyon has always made me think of Rivendell. Here are a few photos
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Cirashala
Valinor
Aug 21 2014, 5:08am
Post #2 of 20
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I need only to look at your stunning photos and feel like I am back there 
To be honest (and you are not lumped into this group believe me) I actually couldn't stand the people in Colorado (I lived in Aurora and Highlands ranch- a poor new kid with hand-me-down clothes that were way out of style and glasses amongst rich kids, our neighborhood being the only lower middle class one in the school district- yuck).
But every weekend during the summer, my family would drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park and walk the trails (though not as high up as you- we weren't in the alpine zone, but rather still amongst trees in the montane areas  ). We found out my sister had an extremely good natural talent with sketching, as she drew with pencil a deer from memory from the trip that day- and it looked EXACTLY like the deer we saw (it was sideways view, with the rear toward us but the animal was still turned enough that we saw the front of his body too). She also drew a mountain goat after another trip- same thing, lifelike.
I remember walking around trails, and stopping at turn offs for pictures amongst the rocks at the edge of ravines- my mother is deathly afraid of heights, but my sisters and I would scamper all over those rocks (with 100 or more feet drops below the ledges we stood on) and one time we went nearly all the way out- there must have been only about a foot between us and a straight downward fall. My mom quickly snapped the picture then told us to "Get our butts back there before we fell and broke our necks!" lol....and we scampered back just like three middle-school aged mountain goats 
Thanks for sharing your beautiful pics, and memories of some of the rare good times in my bad childhood 
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Aug 21 2014, 12:30pm
Post #3 of 20
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I'm sorry the people weren't nice.
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I grew up in Fort Collins and had a great childhood. But part of it may have been the times. Back in the 1960s and early 1970s, it seemed like there was an attitude of "do your own thing", and people weren't as conformist as they became later. Or maybe I just wasn't aware. I remember one girl in junior high who used to brag about her expensive clothes, but the other kids mocked her for it. So that shoe was on the other foot, I guess. At our school we had "jocks, freaks, and cowboys". I was a freak by process of elimination, but nerd would have been a better label. I hung out with the nerdy girls and the gay boys, and we had a great time.
My own kids, in the 1980s, had a rough time in school. But eventually each of them found one good friend, and twenty years later those bonds are still strong. All you need is one.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Aug 21 2014, 1:37pm
Post #4 of 20
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I've been on part of the Appalachian Trail here in the east and now I can see the difference that one veteran hiker talked about. She was surprised how difficult the hiking was here given the mountains are not as high. She was not prepared for climbing straight up and down - she was more used to going around and through. Our trails are constrained by population and even the mountains near us are closer together. Your pictures show how sweeping the vistas are out west. There is just more... room. It's beautiful and almost epic!
Speaking of epic - Uncle Baggins sports a truly epic beard! May it grow ever longer.
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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cats16
Half-elven
Aug 21 2014, 2:21pm
Post #5 of 20
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I never get tired of looking at your wonderful photos.
(This post was edited by cats16 on Aug 21 2014, 2:22pm)
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Aug 21 2014, 3:31pm
Post #6 of 20
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We have a few trails that go straight up and down
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mostly up cascades. I think of this little stretch as a Stairway to Heaven. And the trail up Timberline Falls goes right up the side of the waterfall (I'm to old and fat to do that one anymore.) But yes, most of our trails switchback up the slopes.
I've never done any hiking in the east, but I think I'd love the green woods. We get them in the little creekbeds, but they're pretty rare here.
And yes, the vistas are sweeping. I remember once I was hiking all alone on the North Longs Peak trail, and I was in this huge cirque, and I said out loud, all alone, "It's. So. Big!"
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Annael
Immortal
Aug 21 2014, 3:54pm
Post #7 of 20
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that kind of behavior is limited to one state. I grew up in a wealthy suburb of Seattle & that kind of attitude was strong there. But my folks had moved out West to get away from the snobbery of the East Coast and they said it was worse there . . .
To be sane we must recognize our beliefs as fictions.
- James Hillman, Healing Fiction
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Tintallė
Gondor
Aug 21 2014, 6:14pm
Post #8 of 20
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Wish I were there. Keep the photos coming!
Is that a sunrise or a sunset that is illuminating the world with such splendor?
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Aug 21 2014, 10:50pm
Post #9 of 20
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And peaceful. The kind of place one can take a long walk, yet afterwards feel refreshed.
Do you park at that visitors' center to get on the trail?
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Kelly of Water's Edge
Rohan
Aug 21 2014, 11:33pm
Post #10 of 20
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of the episode of "Frazier" when Martin lights into Frazier and Niles about their snobbery and says their mother would be ashamed of their behavior. I found Seattle one of the most cosmopolitan cities I've ever been to, and from everything I've read the standard of living is high there. Have to say I saw no attitude, but I wasn't there very long.
Personally, I think we New Yorkers are often rushing around and might be leery of scammers and have an eye out for disturbed people off their meds, which may lead to an impression of unfriendliness - but if you genuinely have a question or seem lost the majority of us will be pretty quick to try to help you out.
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Kelly of Water's Edge
Rohan
Aug 21 2014, 11:44pm
Post #11 of 20
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the west has more spectacular scenery, and we have the majority of sightseeing-worthy cities as well as Revolutionary and Civil War sites, so it evens out.
After finally seeing Savannah and Charleston this spring, I really only have Chicago, San Francisco, Portland and a return to D.C. (once the Smithstonian dinosaur hall renovation is done in a few years) left as far as cities, so I've really got to start cracking on the National Parks!
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Aug 22 2014, 9:57am
Post #12 of 20
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the Nathan Hale homestead in Coventry, CT. I've been interested in him all my life. But I'm not a traveler, so it probably won't happen.
I've been to San Francisco and Portland, and probably Chicago and DC as a baby, though I don't remember them. I'm not much of a city person; I hate going to Denver, though we do from time to time.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Aug 22 2014, 10:00am
Post #13 of 20
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Yes, the trailhead is at the visitor's center.
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Uncle Baggins was struck by the light of the sunset reflected in its big windows, and suggested I take a photo of it. I'm glad he did.
The only downside of that trail is that it goes downhill first, so you have to climb back up to return. Or, as an alternative, you can take two cars. The trail ends at another parking lot four miles from the center. Ironically that second parking lot is on the Continental Divide, even though it's downhill from the start. There's a lake there, with water that flows into both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Aug 22 2014, 10:04am
Post #14 of 20
(510 views)
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We've been there at sunrise, when Uncle Baggins caught this photo that has always made me think of Rivendell.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Aug 22 2014, 2:08pm
Post #15 of 20
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... just.... wow... beautiful... !
OK, now I need to win the lottery. I've just added another place to my bucket list of places to see.
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Aug 22 2014, 3:42pm
Post #16 of 20
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whenever you're able to travel out this way!
Yes, he's a popular figure around here.
But I don't appreciate it when developers put a housing development on one of my favorite strawberry-picking fields, then name the road "Nathan Hale Drive"! I think Nathan wouldn't approve, either.
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Kelly of Water's Edge
Rohan
Aug 22 2014, 7:22pm
Post #19 of 20
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Come on, Aunt Dora. Go for it!
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See and do what you want in NYC, and before or after get a rental car and do the upstate and Connecticut sites you want to see. October is a great time of year to also include the sites in Sleepy Hollow and see the fall foliage north of us.
I have to say Denver was okay, but nowhere near the best U.S. city I've been to (it does have my favorite airport though - I love the Rocky Mountain architectural motif of Jeppesen Terminal, and the "welcome to the gateway to the west" guitar and piano jingles on the shuttle), so I certainly wouldn't judge cities by that. My favorites are:
Boston - Lovely walking city, with the Freedom Trail literally laying out for you the path through many of the most important sites of the first phase of the Revolutionary War and one of the best aquariums I've been to.
San Antonio - The Riverwalk might be the prettiest urban area I've been to in the U.S., and the Spanish architecture of the Missions is something you don't get to see everyday if you don't live in the Southwest. Also one of my favorite foodie cities, with Tex-Mex, Barbecue and German options.
New Orleans - Full Disclosure: some of it looks a little run down and you do have to do a little research to make sure you don't go to the wrong place at the wrong time, but with the French Quarter, Garden District, tour of St. Louis Cemetary 1 (not safe w/o tour group), evening ghost and vampire tours, the Audobon Zoo and excursions to the bayou and plantations - not to mention ever present jazz - there's easily enough to do for a 5 day vacation if you take full advantage.
Honorable mention: Savannah/Charleston combo and Colonial Williamsburg if you add Busch Gardens Virginia and Colonial National Historical Park.
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Annael
Immortal
Aug 23 2014, 4:52pm
Post #20 of 20
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Well, I have to put a plug in for Seattle of course. Go any time from late July to mid-October for the best weather. SO MUCH to do: the Experience Music Project, the Aquarium, the Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and more playhouses than anywhere besides New York! Ride a ferry across Puget Sound, take a day trip to Mount Rainier or Mount St. Helens, then spend a couple of days at a B&B in the San Juan Islands or in my little town Port Townsend, one of three official "Victorian seaports" in the US.
I love Vancouver BC as well. Feels like a European city to me, very diverse. Walk Robson Strasse for the shops &restaurants, walk around Stanley Park (a peninsula attached to the downtown), play on Granville Island, go out to UBC to see the totem poles, take a gondola ride up Grouse Mountain at sunset.
I'm fond of SF as well, Portland Oregon is worth a visit (has the BEST bookstore in the world, Powell's!). I second the vote for Boston, my "other" city (my family were Bostonians for 10 generations).
I visited Chicago (& entmaiden) once and had a delightful time. Amazing architecture, great museums, and the side trip to Oak Park to see all the Frank Lloyd Wright homes was a high point.
San Antonio is fun; walk the River Walk through town, or ride one of the boats that ply the river. Visit the Alamo. For me it was too hot in April; I'd go in the winter, next time.
And everyone really does need to go to New York City at least once (ditto London, Paris, Rome, & Edinburgh . . . ). I spent five days there, walked from one end of the island to the other, from the Cloisters to the Battery, and loved every minute. Buy a transit pass! I got one and used the value within two days. Also, if you pay to go to one museum you get into others on the same day for free.
To be sane we must recognize our beliefs as fictions.
- James Hillman, Healing Fiction
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Aug 23 2014, 4:54pm)
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FYI for anyone near a National Park
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