Day 18: Rocky Mountain National Park - Bear Lake Area

The alarm clock wakes us up at 6 o'clock in the morning. I know it's way too early for vacation. There are several reasons for this. On one hand, it's not always easy to find a parking spot with the big camper. We also don't like the crowds of people who come at the 'normal time'. So we accept the early wake-up. It takes us half an hour to the park entrance. Today we have a special entry ticket. Entrance is only allowed with a ticket here. In the remaining park, one can pass without a ticket before 9 am and after 2 pm even without a booking.
We are allowed in this part of the park from 8 am to 9 am. We are early and have to wait half an hour in advance. At 8 o'clock sharp, we pass the gate and have to park at the Park and Ride parking lot and use the shuttle. Just before 9 am, we reach the starting point of our hike. The path is well paved and steadily leads uphill to the 3 lakes. The distance is 3 kilometers with 184 meters of elevation gain. After each kilometer, the lakes appear in their picturesque beauty. The last lake, Emerald Lake, is particularly impressive. Here the trail ends and we enjoy our second breakfast. Now we head back. Just before the end, the crowds of people are coming towards us. Right at the starting point is Bear Lake, which we quickly circle. Our strength is still sufficient, so we walk to Alberta Waterfall. It is always impressive to see the power of water. Then we walk downhill to Sprague Lake. The trail is deserted and takes us through forests, meadows, and past waters. When we arrive at Sprague Lake, we are quite exhausted. We have walked a total of 17 kilometers. The last stretch from the lake to the parking lot we use the shuttle bus, because we can't walk another 2 kilometers. Exhausted, we leave the park and are proud of our achievement. The kids have walked very well, with David telling whole novels. It's funny because he talks non-stop, but is very positive.
Since the milk went bad this morning, we have to make a quick stop at the supermarket and then we are back at the same campsite as yesterday around 5 pm. We were able to buy firewood cheaply and so a campfire warms us up.