Last weekend, Karl took me on a birthday trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Lo and behold, he also invited our friends Greg, Emily, and Lauren to join us!

Here we are driving on the highest road in the country.

At the top, walking in the tundra at 12,000 feet.

We hiked, we did some white water rafting, we toured New Belgium Brewery, we napped beside alpine lakes, and, of course, we experimented with campfire cuisine and open flames. Everything tastes better at high altitudes.

Lauren with smores

Karl found a smore technique that yields the most beautifully browned morsel of marshmallow. Put the smore close to the cinders, but away from the fire. Rotate.

Greg is always eager to make blueberry pancakes, eggs, and bacon for a pre-hike breakfast.

And, in an act of McGuyver genius, he took the pancake mix and some leftover beer and used it to deep fry chicken the next night.

Evidence of its finger-licking goodness.

I tried and failed to make a bloomin’ onion.

So I took the Chris Schlessinger route and grilled some chicken instead.

This is what happens to a bag of La Choy chow mein noodles at 7,000 feet!