Alpine Animals

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Colorado is made up of large flat plains to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west. I spent the weekend in the mountains trying to adjust to the altitude. The high altitude makes you feel a bit strange as the air is much thinner than down at sea level where you are at school. The thinner air means that you breathe in less oxygen and need to take things a bit easier than normal - even a short run can make you feel exhausted!

I arrived in Colorado with the autumn, the aspen leaves are changing from green to yellow and there is a definite chill in the air, but there is crazy wildlife everywhere just waiting to be stalked and photographed.

The animal extravaganza began with some small critters: ground squirrels that look like striped versions of our British grey squirrels, delicate little hummingbirds whose wings beat so fast you can hardly make them out, and the noisy pika which is like an over muscled hamster and screams in disgust at any anyone who dares approach its hole too closely.

I also spotted some bigger beasties, the most impressive of which was the moose. If you imagine what a foal looks like when it is first born: tall, spindly legs that look way too big for its body, well that is what a moose looks like but on a considerably larger scale. And let’s not forget its bottom, which is enormous!

I fly to the British Virgin Islands on Sunday so will let you know next week about the start of my journey in the Caribbean.

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