It is that time of year! The majestic Sandhill Cranes visit Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge in San Luis Valley, Colorado–and so do we. Thousands of cranes rest at the Refuge each spring in preparation for their flight to nesting grounds in northern US and Canada. What a sight!
Last Wednesday I woke up to clouds down to the ground, we call fog, and temps in the low 20s. Amazingly, it was like that all day which is unusual in Colorado Springs. There were occasional snow flurries, but it never actually snowed. At times I could see what looked like ice crystals floating in the clouds. Ice/snow also seemed to be forming on trees. By the next morning we had clouds/fog mostly along the horizons, bright sun, and magical landscapes due to the heavy coating of rime ice. Come see!!
There is so much to explore around Trinidad Lake State Park. Let’s start by taking a noon-time walk on Levsa Canyon Trail not far from the Visitor Center. This mile-long loop trail is designed to help us explore the Piñon-Juniper forest, one of Colorado’s most dynamic ecosystems. Often called the Pygmy forest, this ecosystem is known for short, drought-tolerant trees; coarse, well-drained soils; only 10-20 inches of precipitation a year; and wildlife specially adapted for dry, sometimes harsh conditions. Speaking of harsh conditions, the wind is beginning to seriously pick up speed, so let’s go and enjoy while we can!
Hello from Trinidad, Colorado. Here for four days to explore the gateway area between plains and mountains. We are about 13 miles north of the New Mexico state line. The Weather Service has been warning high wind on Wednesday along the Rocky Mountain Front, almost the entire length of Colorado! So fingers crossed it won’t be too bad.
EE-gads! Here comes the wind . . .