Blogging about our time in Colorado, when here we're happy to see the high temperature at only 95, is almost a torture. But it's also a pleasant reminder of cooler days.
And better scenery...
My last recreational activity before heading home was a very enjoyable hike along the Continental Divide near Monarch Pass.
I have blogged about these vantage points before, and have hiked this particular trail more times than I can count. But it's always a delight.
And it's so easy! You just park at the Monarch Crest parking lot and take off walking south along the trail. You can walk as far as you feel like walking (or, rather, half as far as you feel like walking) then turn around and come back. With scenery like this, you certainly don't mind going over the same ground twice.
We walked as far as Mt. Peck, probably a couple of miles, and at one time thought we'd take a sidetrip and climb it, but decided to be a little lazy and just stop at this saddle, where I took a 360° video, to try and capture the heavenly view. I don't think it does the place justice, but you might get a small idea of what it feels like to be on the top of the world.
Strolling along the trail, I became rather taken with the flowers and tried taking some ground's-eye-views of them...
...as well as some more conventional shots...
It was great that there were still so many flowers blooming in spite of it being almost August. Which, in the high country, is really the end of summer. The unusual amount of rain we'd been having might have been the reason for the profusion.
But no matter how often you look down at the flowers, your gaze is always brought back up and out to the spectacular mountains. From this trail they seem to blanket the whole world!
These two peeping over a lower hill have an especially interesting story to go along with their rugged beauty. On the right is Mt. Ouray (climbed by some of our family members many years ago) and on the left Mt. Chipeta. They are named for a Ute Indian couple that are well-known figures in Colorado history. I think it's pretty nice to think of them being together, in spirit, anyway, forever.
Or at least until these mountains erode to the sea. Which, I think, pretty much counts as forever in most frames of reference. At least I know they'll still be there when I go back next summer!
2 comments:
Conventional shots or not, nothing can beat those views and I never tire of your Colorado photos. My favourite is the photo of the hiker from below.
That's Henry! Thanks. I don't know why I never thought to set the camera down on a rock to get a different angle. I'll have to try it more often.
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