Rocky Mountain National Park feels like home to me. Growing up near Denver, Colorado, the park was close enough that I can’t remember how many times we went to visit as a family. With the mountains right on Denver’s doorstep, it always felt like one big backyard to the city. But going back working on this project, I saw it with new eyes. I was only able to spend one day in the park on this trip, before I had to move on to others, but I was able to take the trip with my dad.
Still in the thick of winter, we bundled up in as many layers as we could and set off on a short hike in the snow. The trails were still under several feet of snow in some places, worn slick and icy by other hikers. The lakes were still covered in ice and snow, just empty white fields. Soaring purple peaks, dusted with snow were framed by silver, knotted trunks of aspen, with branches grasping towards the sun.
I settled onto a rock on a snowy slope, as my dad sat below, chatting with the people that hiked and skied past, advertising my upcoming book to anyone who cared to listen (and some who didn’t). We were both chilled to the bone by the time I finished my drawing, and hiked back down to warmer elevations.
In the lower valleys, we found herds of elk and mule deer grazing in the frozen meadows.
A thawing stream, lined with red willow thickets, slowly shed its icy shell with spring on its doorstep.
It was very special for me to experience this park, so close to home, with my dad as a part of this project. Because my dad works for the National Park Service, my brother and I grew up visiting parks around the country, but Rocky Mountain always held a special place in our hearts. That such an incredible place could feel like home, was part of the reason that I made this book. Growing up with parks like this as part of my childhood left an enormous impact on my life, and I hoped that this book might inspire more families to make the parks a part of their home.