Between the hours of 9 and 5, you can find DMC engineers programming PLCs, designing and developing PCB schematics, working on-site with clients, and assisting on the production floor. You can even find some of us running tests on boosters for the next generation of rockets. So, when we aren’t on the factory floor, running avionics tests, or designing schematics, DMC engineers are equally passionate about hobbies and extracurricular interests, like camping!
The DMC Denver team recently planned a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park for a weekend of hikes, great food, and team bonding. Everyone chipped in to set up camp and plan our activities for each day, and ended up having a great time, despite less-than-perfect weather. The trip was a great success, and we think all of the pictures speak for themselves.
The First Night: Setting Up Camp & Cooking Dinner
The team arrived at Rocky Mountain National Park on a Friday evening this past August. Our first evening at Glacier Basin Campground was spent setting up tents and gear and cooking our first dinner: steak!
We had to get a little creative with dinner on the first night due to the Level 2 fire restrictions in Colorado at the time, so we cooked the steaks on a griddle on our camping stove. The steaks turned out perfectly, and we paired them with dehydrated mashed potatoes, which felt very appropriate since we had a whole discussion a few weeks earlier in Seattle during the YOE about how good they are for backpacking.
While it didn’t feel quite the same without a campfire, someone brought string lights, so we added those to our campsite for ambiance. Between the steaks, the lights, and the beautiful views at the campground, we couldn’t wait for the 9-mile hike Eliana had planned for the next day.
Day Two: Hiking Sky Pond Trail
On Saturday morning, we woke up to a perfect day for hiking, and everyone cooked breakfast together. Eliana Storekamp, a newer addition to the Denver office and seasoned hiker, planned our Saturday hike on Sky Pond Trail, a 9-mile trail that starts at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead.
“The shuttle to the trailhead was across the street from our campsite, so it was really convenient. I showed everyone the trail on a map, and then we got started. For Colorado standards, it’s about a medium-difficulty trail,” Eliana explained about getting to the trail that morning.
The Sky Pond Trail begins at Glacier Gorge along Bear Lake Road. From there, hikers encounter a number of beautiful sights, including Alberta Falls, Loch Vale, Lake of Glass, and Timberline Falls. Glacier Creek snakes along the left side of the trail for much of the climb, and hikers gain approximately 1,700 feet of elevation over the course of the hike.
The sights were beautiful and included some of the most popular alpine lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. After the trail junction, you come to Lake of Glass, which many people confuse with Sky Pond, which is just beyond it.
The entire trail is relatively easy, but there is a small scramble that can be steep and slick if the rocks are slippery. The hike took about 5 hours out and back, and Eliana gave us all her stamp of approval: “Everyone did a really great job on the hike! It isn’t too hard, it’s just long, but everyone did very well.”
The Last Day: Breaking Down Camp
On the last day of our trip, some people broke down their sites and headed home, while others hung out around the campsite, chatting and spending time together. Eliana and Clayton set out early for one last hike before heading home.
“We hiked Flat Top Mountain on Sunday,” Eliana explained. “It was really cool because it’s in about the same area as the Sky Pond hike we did the day before, but it’s higher, so you can see the trail we hiked the previous day.”
The visibility wasn’t very good that day, so they weren’t able to take in the sights quite like we did on Sky Pond the day before. I made sure to snap a picture from camp where they were on the mountain for reference. When Eliana and Clayton got back, we headed home.
Bonding on the Trail
From the beautiful sights to the amazing food, we all had a great time on our camping trip. It’s always nice to spend time with coworkers outside of work, whether that’s going to happy hours together, playing games, or doing a physical activity. Experiences like these strengthen relationships and help us to collaborate more effectively when we are in the office. We will definitely be doing another camping trip in the future with another challenging hike and more steaks.
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