Family Nature Summit 2012

This
has been
my
favorite
Summit!

You
can't
beat
a
location...

like
Rocky
Mountain
National
Park!

And
you
certainly
can't
beat...

the
friends...

and
the
faculty...



of
a
Family
Nature
Summit!

And
this
year...

I
got
to join
every
group...

for
their
various...

activities!

Day 1 -

An
early
morning
birding
ramble...

Rock
climbing
with
the
young
adults...

and
exploring
Eagle
Rock...

with
my son,
TJ!

Day 2 -

I leave
the
kids...

to
their
coloring...

and
the
bigger
kids...

to
their
human
knot...

while
I
join
the
adults....

for
their
field
trips!

Not
everything
goes according
to
plan...

but
we
have a
great
time...

visiting
an
organic
farm

and
a
conservation-
minded
ranch.

What
I love
most
about
the
Summits...

is the
opportunity
to
meet
people...

who
are
so
passionate...

about
their
work!

Day 3 -

dawns
bright...

Another
early
morning
ramble...

with
the
famed
Bruce
Lampright.

A
deer
in the
morning
sun....

a flit
of
a
bird...

We
love
these
early
outings.

We return
to see
the
young
adults....

leaving
for
tonight's
camp-out.

Good
luck
TJ!

I'm
off
with
the
younger
set...

to
go
exploring...

the
pond!

And
look!

There's

Calvin's

group!

We
see
Summiteers
everywhere!

Hiking...

Netting...

In-
ves-
tigating.

I
just have time
for a
quick
lunch...

before
I join
the
teens...

for
their
wet
water
class...

and
a
drier
orienteering
experience!

They
learn to
use a
map...

and
a
compass...

They
get
a
little
bit
lost...

But then
they
find
their
way!

A
good
night's
sleep...

And
Day
4
begins!

It's
a
hike
on the
Tundra...


with
the
Junior
Naturalists....

and  

three

awesome

educators!

This
is
my idea
of a
classroom!!

We
hike
back
down...

to
the
montane
zone...

more
flowers...

more
trees...





more
beauty.

The
journey
back....

a
glimpse
of
elk!













.....
Day 5
.....

Our
last
Summit
day.

And
we
start
with
bikes!

It's
the
Orienteering
Adventure
Race!













Biking...

Mapping...

A
Frisbee
Challenge...

and
a
dash
for the
Finish!




We
did
it!!!

And
the
day's
not over
yet!

We
still
have our
weeding
to do!

We
are out
to rid
Rocky Mountain
National
Park....

of
the
evil
invasive
thistles!

Yay
for
us!

Summit
2012
is almost
done
now....














It's
time
to say
good-bye...

to
Summit
friends.

I've
taken
so many
pictures....

I've
seen
so much
beauty...

I've
had
so many
great
experiences...

I
just
can't
wait...

until
Summit
2013

in
Bar
Harbor
Maine!