Wake the Mummy!

“Late July, Rocky Mtn National Park. This is one of the more prominent peaks in the Northern Front Range. Its not a 14'er, but its over 13 and presents quite a challenge.

From the Lawn Lake Trailhead to the summit of Mummy is more elevation gain than climbing Longs Peak.

We'll do it over two nights three days.

Whos in?

I'll do a pickup at the Denver airport if need be.”

“Mummy Mountain is located in the heart of the Mummy Range and is the 8th highest peak within the borders of Rocky Mountain National Park. Because of this mountains long approach, it is not visited nearly as often as other Peaks in the National Park. This is a good summit if you are looking for relative solitude. While you are likely to see other people, it will be few. From the Lawn Lake trailhead, climbing this mountain requires nothing more than a tundra walk when approached from it's southeast slopes, and nothing more than class 2+ to 3 when climbing its northwest slopes. See the routes section for more details!

Being a prominant mountain, viewed from Trail Ridge Road and seen peeking over Lumpy Ridge from downtown Estes Park, it had always stirred my interest. It is a wonderful climb on a well established trail, through all types of terrian you could possibly expect from the National Park. Not only is there classic scenery, the area also provides a habitat for many types of wildlife, including Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Mule Deer, Mountain Lion, and Bobcat.

Round Trip: 16.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 4,885feet”

“I think I'll go. Can you pick me up at the Airport?”

“u mean the Loveland airport - your apartment is closer to the trailhead....

goofball”

“but I won't be there.”

“dat's ok stik, we'll piss off the top in your honor.”

“Answer your ##$%^@&% emails”

“I did dammit”

“I wanna go :(”

“If you build it they will come.”

“well come on then carlette!

don't pout, just git your buns out here!”

“I did that trail two years ago. It was my last trip as a heavy packer, using an external frame pack and carrying my convertible tent. I also got my first taste of altitude sickness. Ugh!

Anyway, its a great hike. Take time to look at the damage caused by a flash flood next to the trail. I did see a lot of animals and took tons of pictures (before I got my digital, though).”

“big flash flood came down and ripped the gorge a new one...the results are the Aluvial Fan where the falls come down into Morraine Park. I took my mom to the Alluvial Fan falls and she climbed all over the rocks. its a really nice water fall.”

“Thanks, Stik. I couldn't remember the year or the specifics any longer, but I sure remember the damage I saw. The Fan is an awe-inspiring area, to think of the sheer force that ripped through that area.”

“Hi Roam! I'll be in CO Sunday through Wednesday - maybe I'll bump into ya'....”

“whereabouts?”

“the free guided ranger tours whenever possible. RMNP has a lecture series too. Mom and I attended one on called "preserving the historical buildings in RMNP". It was great...and FREE!!!”

“Denver-Vail-Denver....”

“I'll be in Denver Sunday morning and then most of the day!

Email me at:

roam@roamaroundonline.com”

“Ya' got mail!”

“
Next on NOVA:   "The Perfect Corpse"

http://www.pbs.org/nova/bog

Tuesday, July 8 at 8 p.m.
(Check your local listings as dates and times may vary.)

In a morbidly fascinating new documentary, NOVA gains exclusive
access to forensic scientists and local police authorities
investigating two mysterious murder cases. As police unearth stunning
evidence of brutal, ritualistic killings, they quickly realize they
are the wrong people to solve these crimes. Archeologists step in and
find evidence pointing to violent deaths in the prehistoric Iron Age,
over 2,000 years ago. Found by accident in waterlogged Irish peat
bogs, the corpses are almost perfectly preserved. Although the
ancient perpetrators are now well beyond the reach of law, the bog
bodies will yield fascinating secrets if modern science asks the
right questions. In "The Perfect Corpse," NOVA probes how these
people lived and why they died.

Here's what you'll find on the companion Web site:

America's Bog People
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bog/america.html
In a peat pond down the road from Florida's Disney World,
archeologists unearth an 8,000-year-old cemetery.

Bog Bodies of the Iron Age
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bog/iron.html
See where discoveries have been made across Northwest Europe and
examine a dozen spectacular finds.

10 Ways to Make a Mummy
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bog/ways.html
Find out how peat bogs and other environments preserve corpses
around the world.

Tollund Man
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bog/tollund.html
Meet the most famous bog body of all and learn how scientists
reconstructed his final hours. Also, hear Seamus Heaney's poem
"The Tollund Man."

Also, Links & Books, the Teacher's Guide, the program transcript,
and more:

http://www.pbs.org/nova/bog

”