We are having an amazing spring/early summer here in Colorado Springs! It rained more than not in May, more than usual in June, and July we are seeing rain most every day, much of it overnight. So what does the rain bring? Grasses taller than expected, vivid greens across the landscape rather than golden grasses, and wildflowers rarely seen here and some I’ve never seen in my life. Join me on a walk to explore the beauty brought by the rain!
It has been quite a while since we hiked together, so it’s time to head out for a three-mile hike in Garden of the Gods. Arriving at 6:15am, we have golden light, trails you have never seen, and huge rocks, particularly red rocks, everywhere. Now I know what so many country songs mean when they talk of “red-dirt”! We’ll be brushing it off our shoes and if our shoes “breath”, we’ll be washing it out of our socks. Ready to head out? The Bretag Trail awaits!
When autumn arrives, it is time to head north to savor the unique and beautiful Western larch, called tamaracks in western Montana. Our first stop in Swan Valley is a marvelous view of Swan Peak, the second highest peak in the 99-mile Swan Range. Swan Peak stands at 9,289 feet, with the highest peak only 67 feet taller. Swan Valley ranges from 2,000 to about 2,500 feet giving us a spectacular 6,000+ foot rise to mountain tops. This time of year the mountains gleam with the tamaracks’ autumn gold. Let’s explore the grandeur of these glowing yellow trees of the North.
Up, up, up into the mountains above Lamar Valley, with summer flowers and grasses waist-high. Walking poles become test devises for holes we can’t see in the lush foliage. Careful, there are holes deep enough to be up to your thigh with only one leg. Falling is always possible, but trusty poles help. These tripping dangers are the result of bison weight in the mud last spring, Uinta ground squirrels’ burrowing systems connecting their large community, and nature’s backhoe and rototiller, the badger, that digs holes up to 30 feet long and a foot in diameter. We will take our time, watch our step, and revel in the beauty of the hillsides that call us on.
Sitting in the shade of the conifers, bit of marsh below, resting against a rock, we are cushioned by deep, soft needles. Decades of needles absorbing random noise. Horsetail plants thriving in the dampness of the marsh, tall grasses waving in the breeze. A nap is not out of order.
Slow down, stop talking, enjoy the wind, the rustling grasses, and bird song. Is that a stream we hear or the wind blowing though the conifers? A chipmunk scampering along a downed tree, a chickadee we hear but cannot see. Flickers and Clark’s nutcrackers high in the trees adding their voices to the day’s chorus.
Aspens trembling in the breeze adding their black on white texture to the landscape. Sticky Geraniums presenting a symphony of pink. Indian Paintbrush popping scarlet staccatos. A crescendo of scattered white and yellow flowers. Always the conifers standing guard and keeping time. Take a deep breath, soak it in . . .
Welcome to summer in the Rockies!
