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Published: October 1st 2009
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Cascade Falls
Getting my "Zen on" in RMNP. Horsin' Around In June 2007, my sister, three college friends, and I went to Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to hike the Cascade Falls trail. It was a beautiful sunny day that turned out to be relatively warm and smelly. Smelly in the "horse trash" sort of way. A long stretch of the trail is shared by horses. We actually met a few on the way back. We knew many more had been there, given the "remains of the day". Unfortunately, this required looking down as much as out on the forested trail.
The western side of RMNP is much greener than its eastern counterpart. The mountains are smoother, and the ground is almost impossible to see because of the thick canopy. This side is wetter, and typically, the scenery is considered inferior to the drier leeward landscapes. I disagree, because I think comparing the two is comparing apples and oranges. They are both fruit, but their flavors are totally different. The majestic beauty of Longs Peak or Flattop Mountain is stunning, but the vastness of the trees amidst the enormity of hills and mountains clinging to the west side of the Continental Divide are just
Natural Toothpicks
A beautiful field of aspens on SH 82 near Aspen, CO. as magical. Part of the magic is in their lack of appreciation. The hike was quiet, with few run-ins with others the entire beautiful, sunny, weekend day. Solitude boosts the power of natural wonders, and the roaring sounds of the tumbling waters, the whirring of the leaves and the pines in the wind, and the birds chirping their happy tunes under a big open sky hidden only by the very trees that support them made this a particularly fun day in Colorado. Even if there was a little altitude sickness.
Natural Toothpicks State Highway 82 southeast of Aspen climbs to Independence Pass, a beautiful summit on the Continental Divide. On a trip through this area in June 2008, three friends and I discovered that the climb up featured a peculiar forest of aspens. The forest looked like an endless field of toothpicks. Aspen toothpicks, with the trunks glimmering in the bright sunlight. It was a marvelous sight.
The scenery up the west side of Independence Pass is nearly insurmountable in Colorado, and the habitats change quickly. The open tundra near the top quickly turns into subalpine forest, crudely masking the towering peaks that overlook the region. The
snow-covered triangular mountaintops are hidden by vertical lines jutting upward everywhere. The only sounds were of the aspen leaves and the rushing waters of a mountain stream and snowmelt. Pure nature, just off the road. It doesn't get better than this highway.
Smile Near Aspen are the famous Maroon Bells, called the "most photographed" mountains of Colorado. After visiting, it is not that difficult to see why. The jagged peaks of the Maroon Bells are natural masterpieces. Even in late June, mounds of snow striated the sides in a scene seemingly right out of a painting. After an hour taking hundreds of photographs of the mountains and Maroon Lake, my friends and I hiked to beautiful Crater Lake, which sits right underneath the Pyramids and the Maroon Bells. We noticed at the latter portion of the hike a rock formation on one of the mountains. The formation looked like a face, and with closer inspection, the face was in a crevice that hid a waterfall. Sometimes, even nature knows when to smile.
A Lazy Walk In RMNP in 2008, a beautiful hike to Dream and Emerald Lake was followed by a quieter hike around Bear Lake.
Smile!
Near Crater Lake, CO. A classic subalpine lake, surrounded by trees and, because of the popularity of the area, nearly a hundred people, Bear Lake is a beautiful stroll. About a quarter of the way into the hike, I see someone sitting on a rock just looking around. Across the lake, through the trees, and to Longs Peak staring back at us in the distance. The sight startled me, and continues to do so to this day. If ever there was an image that I think of whenever my imagination wanders to the mountains, I'll remember that one. It remains one of my favorite photos and favorite moments in the mountains.
Quicksand Colorado is home to Great Sand Dunes National Park, one of my favorite locations in the world. Here lies a small but clean desert of sand dunes amidst mountains and valleys that are commonly green. A sheer coincidence of nature often leads to the finest of locations. The climb to the second highest sand dune peak was memorable for the heat, the altitud
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