The 'Never Summer' Mountain Range in Colorado

Clouds above the Never Summer Range, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

The Never Summer Range of the Rocky Mountains forms a part of the Continental Divide.  This mountain range is situated along the northwest border of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Many of the peaks in this range rise to elevations of well over 12,000 feet.  Although the photo was taken in late June, many patches of snow remain on the slopes and peaks.

I took this photo from the Medicine Bow Curve overlook along Trail Ridge Road (US Highway 34) in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Big Ol' Bison in Yellowstone National Park

American Bison (Bison bison), Yellowstone National Park

Pretty formidable-looking critter for a vegetarian, isn't he?  Hard to believe he survives and thrives on a diet composed mainly of grasses.

I photographed this fine male specimen hanging out in a meadow near the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Photo: Baby Ground Squirrel Following Mom

Baby Ground Squirrel following Mom

This is a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel mother and her baby.  I spotted these two healthy-looking specimens at a roadside rest along US Route 36 in Larimer County, Colorado.  The youngster followed closely as the mother checked around the parking area for any bits of food that visiting humans might have dropped or left behind.

Photo: Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

This good-looking bird is a Steller's Jay.  Like other jays, it belongs to the same family (Corvidae) as crows, ravens and magpies.  These songbirds are quite common in the Colorado Rockies.  I photographed this individual in Larimer County, Colorado.

Here is some good info about this species from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Steller's Jay

Wild Elderberry - Rocky Mountain National Park

Wild Elderberry flowers (Sambucus sp.)

These are the flowers on a wild Elderberry bush.  By the end of summer, each little flower on the cluster will have transformed into a berry.  The berry clusters will likely be fed upon by Deer, Elk, and Bears.

The photo above is a close-up of an Elderberry flower cluster.  Below is a photo of the dense bush on which they grow.  I photographed this elderberry bush alongside a trail near Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Wild Elderberry bush in flower

Post Office Photo: Custer, South Dakota

U.S. Post Office, Custer, South Dakota

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I "collect" photos of post office buildings when I travel.  This one stands on Mount Rushmore Avenue in downtown Custer, South Dakota.  Custer is a town situated to the southwest of Rapid City, SD.  It is near several sites popular with tourists, including Wind Cave National Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Park County Library, Fairplay, Colorado

Park County Library, Fairplay, Colorado

The town of Fairplay is the county seat of Park County, Colorado.  This brick edifice was built in 1874 as the Park County Courthouse.  In 1986 a new courthouse was built a short distance away.  This building then became the Fairplay branch of the Park County Library.

Hallett Peak and Tyndall Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park

Hallett Peak and Tyndall Glacier, Rocky Mountain National Park

Hallett Peak is one of the summits along the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.  The peak summit is about 12,720 feet (3,880 meters) above sea level.  This is a view of Hallett Peak from Sprague Lake.

In a cirque to the north of Hallett Peak (and to the right of the peak in the photo above) is the Tyndall Glacier.  The small glacier is on the eastern side of the Continental Divide.  An ice and rock glacier, the Tyndall -- like most glaciers these days -- is in retreat.

Click her for more information about the glaciers in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Welcome to Leadville, Colorado

Leadville, Colorado ~ Elevation 10,200 ft

Welcome to Leadville, Colorado.  At an elevation of 10,200 feet above sea level, it is the highest incorporated city in the United States.  Incorporated in 1878, Leadville became the focal point of the Colorado Silver Boom in the late 19th century.  The area around Leadville also produced significant gold, lead, zinc and copper.

The mines around Leadville eventually closed, and today the area is becoming a center for outdoor mountain recreation.  Situated high in the Rocky Mountains, the town is a popular stopover for mountain bikers and hikers traversing the nearby Continental Divide Trail.

Leadville is the county seat of Colorado's Lake County.  In fact, it is the only municipality in Lake County!

You Need Pie!

You Need Pie! - Most enticing slogan on a truck?

This should get an award for "Most Enticing Slogan on a Truck."  The truck belongs to the Estes Park Pie Shop & Bakery. It is parked near the busiest intersection in the little town of Estes Park, Colorado.  It is all but impossible to drive through Estes Park without seeing that truck, and the slogan is effective, I can tell you that!  Were it not for that truck, I may never have noticed the little bakery tucked in the corner of a small shopping center, and I might never have sampled their delicious, freshly baked pie.  And that would have been my loss.

Photos: Canada Geese in Rocky Mountain National Park

Canada Goose, giving me the eye

The scene: a grassy patch alongside a parking lot in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park.  The action: A pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) watching me as I watched them munching young spring-green shoots.  Above is a close up of the male goose keeping a wary eye on me as I moved in with my camera.  Below is his pretty mate.

It's not unusual to see this species here and there around Rocky Mountain National Park, but they seem to be more plentiful at this time of year.  I suppose some are permanent residents, while the greater numbers seen at certain times of the year probably are migrants enjoying a respite before continuing on their journeys.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Photo: San Juan County Courthouse, Silverton, Colorado

San Juan County Courthouse, Silverton, Colorado

The little town of Silverton (elevation 9,318 feet) is situated in Colorado's San Juan Mountains.  A former silver mining center, the town is now the county seat of San Juan County.  This fine courthouse building is situated on Greene Street,  Silverton's main thoroughfare.  The San Juan County District Court is housed here.

Photos: Hoosier Pass and Blue River, Colorado

Colorado State Highway 9 crosses the Continental Divide at Hoosier Pass, elevation 11,539 feet.

Hoosier Pass, Continental Divide, Colorado

A bit north of Hoosier Pass -- but south of Breckenridge -- is a tiny town of fewer than 1,000 residents called Blue River, Colorado.  Here is a photo of the building that serves as Blue River's Town Hall and Municipal Court.

Town Hall at Blue River, Colorado

Sign: Welcome to Estes Park, Colorado

This stone welcome sign is found at the eastern edge of Estes Park, Colorado, along US Highway 34.

Estes Park, Colorado - welcome sign

The town of Estes Park is situated adjacent to the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park at an elevation of about 7,500 feet (2,300 meters).

Photo: Silo Trees in Colorado

Trees growing in silos, near Lyons, Colorado

Occasionally we see a sight like this as we drive through agricultural areas -- trees poking out of the tops of abandoned grain silos.

The Missouri Department of Conservation's Web site has a page about Silo Trees, which offers this explanation of the phenomenon:

Silos, whether of wood, tile, brick or concrete, usually contain rich silage remains. Open to the rain and sun and providing protection from the winter cold, they provide a fertile if unusual habitat for trees.

Nature, a consummate matchmaker, finds ways to introduce trees to these special environments. Perhaps birds or squirrels bring tree seeds to these silos, or maybe the old foundations shift a bit to allow dormant tree roots to push up.

The trees in these narrow environments typically grow tall quickly to reach the sun. As they strive and flourish, they testify to nature's tenacity and to the bounty of life in Missouri.

I photographed these silo trees in Colorado along State Highway 66, just east of the town of Lyons.

Photos: Granby, Colorado

Town Hall at Granby, Colorado

Granby, Colorado is situated on US Highway 40 just east of the intersection with US Highway 34.  The town is about 15 miles from the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, and about 85 miles from Denver.  The elevation at Granby is approximately 8,000 feet above sea level.

U.S. Post Office at Granby, Colorado

Sign: Jackson Hole, The Last of the Old West

This welcome sign was spotted at the airport at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming - welcome sign

Jackson Hole is in Western Wyoming, at the edge of Grand Teton National Park.  The airport serves visitors to the park and to the nearby town of Jackson, Wyoming.

Photo: Welcome to Winter Park, Colorado

This is the first posting from my collection of photos of welcome signs.

Welcome to Winter Park, Colorado

Winter Park, Colorado is a tiny ski town located at the southern end of Colorado's Fraser Valley, in Grand County. US Highway 40 passes through the town.

As its name implies, Winter Park is snow-covered for about six months of the year.

Critters: Is it a deer -- or a kangaroo?

So I took some pictures of deer grazing near the side of a road on the outskirts of Estes Park, Colorado.  When I downloaded the photos from my camera to my computer I was surprised to see one close-up shot that looked like a kangaroo!

Female Mule Deer impersonating a kangaroo

Of course it really is a female Mule Deer.  Here's another shot of the same individual, showing her whole body.  Nope, definitely not a kangaroo.

Female Mule Deer  (Odocoileus hemionus) 

Sign: Bears frequent this area

I spotted this sign at a campground in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.  Obey the sign or you'll be fined -- unless the bears get you first!

Sign at a campground  in Rocky Mountain National Park