LYONS - They say it’s easiest to hurt the ones closest to you, and I can’t help but wonder why this is. Is it comfort that makes this a fact, or something deeper that’s not meant to be understood?

My heart was broken a few days ago, in my opinion because of something that could have been easily avoided or handled differently. The reason I hurt wasn’t because of the situation but because of who it involved.

Nonetheless, my heart broke, and I had no idea what to do. At the onset of any drama, I tend to shut down. I become quiet—more than usual—my mind goes numb, and I draw inward. This is my process, and it has been this way for a long time.

Knowing I can always find comfort in nature, I headed for the Lion Gulch Trail. The trail offers access to one of the homesteads established in the late 1880s, the Homestead Meadows National Historic District, which was inhabited through the 1940s.

The almost three-mile hike begins at the trailhead. During late spring and early summer, when the stream is flowing, hikers enjoy the soothing sounds of water. By mid-July, the creek is essentially non-existent.

The Lion Gulch area is also part of the winter range and migration corridor for elk. Though on this particular day, I bumped into a cow moose and her calf. It was a quiet afternoon, with thunderstorms rolling across the peaks.

With only two other hikers in sight, I enjoyed the peace the forest showered me with. The distant sound of twigs snapping caught my attention when, at a bend in the trail, a momma moose was feasting on willows. Off to her left, her baby.

I kept my distance to observe and take photos. A few minutes later, she and her calf took over the trail as I followed a safe distance behind. When they stopped, I stopped, staying a minimum of 50 yards away.

We shared the trail until the moose decided to climb uphill, off the trail. A few more steps later, I turned around, wanting to avoid getting drenched by the threatening clouds above.

I was drowning in my sorrows too deeply and failed to stay alert. At one point, I took a turn, seemingly into an adjacent path, assuming it was part of the trail. I ended up lost, crossing the dry creek and into another misleading trail.

Luckily, my AllTrails app was working and I found my way out. As I unloaded my backpack and camera equipment, I realized that pain, much like being lost, is only temporary and there is always a way out, even if that requires a little help.

Lion Gulch Trailhead is located on Highway 36, 13 miles west of Lyons and 8 miles east of Estes Park, near mile marker 8.