It's all about the flowers.........

I figured you'd seen enough of the mountain trails on a day to day basis, so I'm just giving you a compilation of a couple of trips.     We did an easy group trip one day up to Chalk Mountain.   Beautiful views of the nearby peaks and of Leadville.    As we climbed higher, we came to the 

 area of alpine tundra.   It is a crumbly surface with low scrubby growth and few flowers.   You can see your footsteps

 if you should walk on it.    There are various organizations that protect the trails and local Jeep clubs promote  good trail use.    Environmental groups monitor the use of the trails and some have been closed due to abuse.

I had to halt the parade this day to jump out to get a pic of the Mariposa Lily.    The root was used for food by the Ute Indians and the Mormon pioneers.    The bees were too busy to fly away.

A bluebell.......

 Isn't this pretty......pretty typical along this particular trail.

 Larkspur.........

 A mountain stream above treeline.....

We arrived at Slide Lake.....in order to see it, we walked about a half mile each way.   It was a gentle climb but at 12,000 ft, nothing uphill is particularly gentle.  

 It was a small lake and not brilliant blue like so many alpine lakes, but it was crystal clear.

 Along the edge, nearly in the water, was this flower called Elephant Head.  Note the fern- like leaves. Only very specific bees can pollinate it.

 Fleabane and Queen's Crown.

 On Friday, after wandering thru Vendor Day, just the 3 of us wandered off in Mike's Jeep.  We headed up Weston Pass, very easy and mild but it brought us to the historic town of Alma which is the beginning of the trail to Mosquito Pass, which was our real destination.

 This area was a rich mining area and many structures still exist in various forms.

 But the highlight of the entire day was finding an area filled with Columbines.    This is the state flower and it is illegal to pick the unusual blooms.   In it's natural state it is mostly varied shades of purpley blue....     Altho it was very breezy, I was able to crawl around and get some pretty good pictures.   I could have posted about 25 but not sure you were up for that today.......!

 I didn't notice the bee at work until I viewed this on the computer.

 There was a guy poking around the mine tailings looking for a nugget or two.    The shafts go down 1000 ft....and there were several around this one.    Because the shafts are partially buried or in precarious states, they are very dangerous for the curious or children to be around.

 We started the climb to the top.....this side wasn't too bad , just rocky and narrow...

 At the top is this reminder of just how high you are.....and why you can't jog too fast.

 But then, you read this plaque, dedicated to a minister who went over the pass in the winter on a regular basis to deliver the mail to Leadville from South Park....on snowshoes.  

 The ride down was more intense, a bit tippy, narrow and very rocky.....some of the curves required backing up to make the turn.  

In the "It's always something" category.....yesterday, we were doing nothing and enjoying it, when we heard a strange noise.   I put my tin ear to work and thought I heard water running : (    I narrowed it down to the front bathroom....but altho I definitely heard rushing water, there was none visible anywhere.....and then, I looked under the sink and found a real gusher pouring out of a line that had come disconnected from the pipe.     Most of it managed to find it's way outside but the wastebasket managed to catch some of it.     My on-board Mr Fix-it.....he has a T-shirt that confirms that title.....managed to get the water turned off pronto and then fixed it for a part that cost UNDER a dollar....unheard of in a vital RV part. !!     Makes us want to turn off the water whenever we leave ..... and also concerned that there is enough of an opening that most of it went on the ground.  

Day 2 Halfmoon Creek Trail

This was a beautiful trail ride and a popular one.    We stayed in the trees for quite awhile.   The trail

follows the creek and is a busy camping area on the weekends.    We forded the stream a few times.

Coming out into the open, the mountains circled us.  

And at about 12,000 ft, we came to the well-preserved Champion Mill.   Built in the late 1800's, it mined both gold and silver.   It is a massive structure and I always wonder just how they did it.  

How did they get the lumber up the mountain, how did they work so hard at that altitude, how many horses did it take to get the heavy metal equipment up those slopes??

It leans a bit......it wouldn't surprise me to see it all in a pile after the heavy 

winter snows.  

And old boiler and bricks.

Some people wandered inside to take pictures and look around......I wasn't that confident in a 120 year old structure.   

Nearby, there was a field of thistles.....

I love the lens on my camera.....I can get REALLY good close ups of the busy bees.  

Note the pollen grains on his head !

Old log structures still exist.    The slopes near all the mines that we saw are full of tree stumps....just as they were left so long ago.

Coming back, we forded the creek again, this time a bit deeper and longer.    Our lunch stop was in the trees next to the stream.....very pretty.  Small biting flies made it a bit uncomfortable.  

We took another fork of the trail and headed up to Iron Mill.   This route was rougher and we really

didn't get to any mine structure but did see remnants of cabins.  

The Dusky Beardtongue is very prevalent along the roads and in the meadows.   Note another busy bumblebee.  

I have no idea what these spikes are.....they came in different colors but they aren't in my flower book....but enjoy anyhow.  

On the Iron Mill trail, there is an "obstacle".    I couldn't get a decent picture but this Jeep is about to drop into the chasm....and the crowds are hoping for some action and trouble.!

The trail was very rocky and narrow and then we came to the creek, surrounded on both sides by large boulders.   Of course, the rock crawlers and adventurous types seek out these challenges.   Mike had no trouble getting thru altho I thought he went a bit fast ......I'm not sure our Jeep would have made it but the guys were all prepared with their winches and lifts.  

This trail ride was a favorite of the week....minus the above.....It was beautiful in the trees along the streams and then glorious vistas greeted us above tree line.    Weather was perfect.............By the way,  time spent in the mountains is not deducted from your life !!

Day 1 Hagerman Pass

Good News !!   We're back down to where the oxygen is plentiful and the WiFi is Fast !!!  

It was a wonderful week at All 4 Fun.   About 400 Jeeps and 800 adventurers were in attendance.    Leadville rolls out the welcome mat as this is a big boost to their economy.   

This is the view from our front window......a very large gravel pit about 5 miles out of town.   RV's congregated around the edges and tents and smaller campers headed for the pine trees.    A very large event tent was off to the right.....evening music and entertainment along with all of the free beer you cared to consume.    They had activities for the kids and Friday was devoted to Vendor Day.....all the tricks and toys you could ever want....including Jeep jewelry.      Dry camping was a non-event and we even came home with surplus water.   They did offer pumping out services on Wed but I think we would have done OK without.    We had excellent cell service and Direct TV and only ate out one night!    It never got hot and jeans and sweatshirts were the fashions of the event.     

This is Michael, trying out the course for the races later that evening.....he didn't win.   Later in the week they made obstacles out of large boulders and a mini mountain to climb.   

 Each day, there was a choice of 12-15 trail rides to go on.   They ranged from the mild but scenic to one called Carnage Canyon.    We stayed in the middle.      Our first choice on Monday wasn't offered so we opted for Hagerman Pass.   This follows a railroad bed built in 1885, linking Aspen to Leadville. It was the highest standard grade railroad in the country.   The line only operated for 6 years.   Remnants of the trestles and tunnels are still visible.

We lined up at 9 am , with a Wagonmaster in the lead and a Tail Gunner at the rear.    Depending on the number of Jeeps (or other 4x4 vehicles), it can be a slow drive.

 Lizzie, at 15, has been driving in this event for the past several years.   She stayed up with us when

 Alex and Becca left the next day.

 Looking down on Turquoise Lake as we climbed.    It was an overcast day with occasional drizzle.

 Our group shot at the top of the pass at 11,925 ft.   Alex seems to think it's warm out.

 On most trips, there are streams to ford.....some were quite deep and can be impassable in the spring.

 This is a mushroom.   They were quite plentiful and some were very red with white dots.....I expected to see little fairies sitting on them.    I haven't looked up their name yet.   And don't know if they'd make a good lunch or a good poison.

 We stopped for lunch along the lake.    Most, if not all, of the jeeps have CB radios and the Lead will point out things of interest, people comment and the Tail Gunner announces when we've all caught up. Sometimes it's interesting, sometimes it's very quiet and sometimes it's just tedious chatter from those who like to hear themselves.    We did stop for photo ops and for the all important 10-31.......potty break.   Men to the left, ladies to the right.    I don't know if there are snakes at 11,000 ft but I kept my eyes to the ground on my walk to privacy.     We always had a stop before we climbed above treeline !

 We decided to take a different route back to camp and headed over the mountains to Eagle...west of Vail.

 The entire day, we spotted no wildlife, unless this large bunch of bovine counts as wild.   Actually, this one didn't look too friendly.

 If there is mud, Alex has to make sure it ends up all over the car..........

 We drove thru aspen groves....would be a beautiful drive in the fall.

There were wildflowers everywhere.....fields and fields of them.    I will post some impressive pictures as the week goes on.

This was our one night out.....At Tennessee Pass Cafe in Leadville....note the tin on the walls.   A unique menu was a nice surprise.  

Going off the grid for a bit......

We're leaving on Sunday for the Mile High Jeep Club's annual All 4 Fun event in Leadville.   Known as the TWO Mile High City, at 10,152 ft., it has a long and colorful history.  Due to a brief gold and the silver mine boom, Leadville was the 2nd most populace city in Colorado in the 1880 at over 40,000. Closure of mines (molybdenum) in the 1980's caused serious hardships and now  tourism and outdoor recreation , coupled with it's history has rejuvenated the town of over 2,000.    We'll be trying out our dry-camping skills (no hookups).   But there's always the trusty generator to run the refrigerator, TV, phone chargers and hot water heater.......after all, we're not that serious about ' real' camping.
Paul and I and Mike will be there for much of the time with Becca, Alex and Lizzie coming up when schedules permit.     Each day, there are group trail rides, rated 1-10 in difficulty.   At our age, we'll stick with the mid numbers probably and avoid the 10's that threaten to destroy you and your Jeep.  

Supposedly, we'll have cell phone service in camp and if there is decent 4G, I might be able to post  some pics.....or find a hot spot in town.   If not, we'll reconnect in a week or so.  

Meanwhile, we have been busy with my Botany Class ....ask me anything about pistils, sepals and flower reproduction  and  Paul's Parker Pickler's group.  A number  of snowbirds from Arizona are his partners.  

Lousy connection tonight so no pics ..... you'll just have to come on over and see the sunset over the mountains for yourselves.  

Mountain peeks...........

I've decided not to overload you with views of scenic peaks and distant valleys and give you just a sample so that you'll want to see it for yourself.   But, might I suggest, you not do it in July and August.     We headed up to Bear Lake, one of several scenic roads off Trail Ridge Rd in Rocky Mountain NP.   The Park is extremely busy and as we approached the parking lot, we were greeted with traffic control Park Rangers.   There is a shuttle to several popular areas of the park but we had no initial plans to park, just a drive-by.    But, we were able to slip into a empty spot and stretched our legs on a 1/2 mile walk around this high alpine lake.  

We were not alone.    The families and young and old couples and groups with Rangers swarmed the trail and the lakeside.    

I was surprised at this quiet part of the trail, except for one handsome grandfather, and had to capture the moment. 

  But, I'm  gratified to know that so many people are enjoying Mother Nature's beauty and sharing with the children.   

 Later, we went in search of a hiking area we had done many years ago.   I knew it was beside a lake and also that it was along the Peak to Peak Highway, west of Boulder.    We finally found it but my, had the area changed in 20 years (and so have we).    It's called Brainard Lakes in the Indian Peak Wilderness  and has been completely redone to include a large campground (no hookups but storage containers to ward off bears at each site).

The rain clouds were hovering late in the day so we didn't stay but we  made ourselves a promise to come back in a week or so.  The elevation is at 10,000 ft and the trail climbs to almost 11,000 ft but we remember much of it as being rather gentle.    We got caught in a downpour that long ago day so next time we'll start earlier.   

 Our CG at St Vrain State Park, near Longmont, was situated on the prairie with several large ponds.   It was a haven for wildflowers and birdwatching.  

 These cormorants and pelicans were preening themselves in the mirror-lake for their photo-op.

 This toad had no such hope of changing anything........................