The Unspoken Beauty Surrounding Laramie

I started summer classes and work yesterday, so it was a pretty long day. So when Matt came home from work at around 5:30 and wanted me to go "help" him catch a fish, I thought it would be nice and relaxing.
We drove about 20 miles outside of Laramie (kinda toward Cheyenne) to Curt Gowdy State Park. There's a reservoir there so I thought we'd just go and fish, but Matt had other plans. We started to hike. I really do like hiking, and it looked like a pretty easy trail so I went with it even though I didn't plan on strenuous activities. The trail went up above the reservoir, and it was really pretty to look down on the water. After hiking for awhile, we saw a little trail map nailed to a post and saw that the one we were on was 2 miles long, and ended at a "hidden falls." We both wanted to see it, so we decided that we could make the journey; 2 miles there, and 2 more miles back. Along the way we crossed a few neat bridges, identified trees (a fir is flat and friendly), climbed rocks, and heard animal sounds.

When we finally arrived at the hidden falls, it was a disappointment. Pretty I suppose, but alas, not what we thought it could be. So Matt decided we should climb up on top of the cliff to look down at the falls to see if it was more impressive.

That was the hardest part of the hike because it was just flat out climbing rocks, but the end result was worth it. I didn't take a picture of the falls from above, cause it just looked like a river, but the view was really pretty, and we had to climb pretty steep to get there. We're a lot higher than the pictures look, you have to kinda look at the trees down below to get perspective.

Matt climbing with me waiting on top. heh heh

At the top. Man I'm outa shape!

Next we headed down the path and about half way back when Matt stopped me and said "Mel! It's a bobcat!" I hurried, as quietly as I could, over to where he was hiking, and low and behold...! not a bobcat. BUT it was a cute little baby fox scampering away from us. I got out the camera, but it was too late and we couldn't find him again. Then Matt, being the outdoors man that he is, decided we should leave the trail and pave our own way back. It was pretty fun and not too hard but I was attacked by a couple of trees and small birds along the way. Then we (well, Matt) fished on the reservoir but didn't catch anything.

Matt always gets me out and about to hike, fish, climb around on Veadauwoo, (if you don't know what it is, google it) and other out doors things. I LOVE that about him, cause I'd be too lazy to do it on my own. I know that I love it when I get out there, but it's hard for me to be motivated. So it felt really good yesterday to get a 4 mile hike work out in (yay! met my goal) and see nature. I had no idea how beautiful it is around Laramie until I met Matt, and he has shown me a ton of it. I'm tired of people who think it's ugly, and if any of you still think it is, come visit and I'll show you that you just have to go 20 miles in almost any direction and you will find BEAUTY!