The Amish Family in Routt National Forest

It surprises me that things that didn't bother me in the least when I was younger, now bother me to the point of being almost phobic. Like going to the dentist. What's worse is that I'm going to the endodontist to have work done on an errant molar that already has a crown on it. Have you ever had a glued-on crown removed? All I can picture, while it's being done, is a giant troll with a claw hammer trying to pull a huge nail out of a board. In my mouth. While I want to freak out and run. But can't. That's going to be my morning.

So I'll go to my happy place for a while.

While in North Park, we drove up into the Routt National Forest to the west of Walden, and visited an area called Big Creek Lakes. The large lake is one of those bucolic mountain places that is at a high enough altitude that the weather can turn dramatic at any time. I can't wait to go camping there sometime.

We met a Mennonite couple who were camping there in a large RV. They had an Amish family of ten people with them. The couple takes the family on vacation, for money, and had already been to Kingman, Arizona and the Grand Canyon. They said they do this every year.

The father has hunted for elk in this area, and had a trail ride planned for himself and the two oldest children for the next day. I have to wonder how they discovered this beautiful, off the beaten path lake in the first place.

Later, Steve was sitting down the beach playing his guitar and I was sitting at a picnic table doing some writing. Because of the large cooler to my left, I didn't notice the family standing there until the father spoke. It's a bit startling to look up and find ten smiling faces checking you out. We had a pleasant chat, with Steve being the focus of their curiosity. 

The family had stood in the road earlier and listened to Steve play guitar for quite a while. I had resisted taking their picture because I was afraid it would seem rude. Then the father produced a large and expensive looking camera and took some pictures of Steve. Funny.

Then the skies starting booming and the lightning arrived so we packed up and meandered our way back to North Park. 

Now part of Amish legend.