We had a really big driving day yesterday, traveling over 500 miles from Estes Park in Colorado to Cody, Wyoming where we are now to visit both the Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton National Park.

Needless to say, we did not have an early start this morning! We were on the road towards Yellowstone National Park when we came across a group of people standing on the side of the road all with seriously enormous camera lenses watching something. We stopped, I hopped out and some very kind gentleman brought me up-to-date. A Mummy Grizzly bear had just killed an Elk, and, together with her two cubs, the family was enjoying lunch! These are not great images, as the scene was too far in the distance for my camera lens, and I decided not to take-up Michael’s advice and wrap my head in bacon and move closer to get a better picture!

Driving into the Park, we came across a small herd of Bighorn Sheep grazing on the hillside. This is not the time of year when the sheep are really looking their best as they are shedding their winter coats. But they were very cute and kindly posed for photographs!

And, finally, the majestic Bison (also known as American Buffalo), who are grazing everywhere. They too are shedding their winter coats, but it was such a thrill to see and photograph them!

Sitting at an elevation of nearly 9,500 feet, the alpine lake rests beneath the sheer flanks of Hallett Peak and the Continental Divide; it was formed during the ice age by a glacier.

Several trails, from easy strolls to strenuous hikes, start from the lake. The Bear Lake road is open year-round, although it may be temporarily closed due to adverse weather conditions. Mike and I meandered around the lake enjoying the views, the warmth on our backs and, in many areas, the snow under our feet!

As you drive through the park, one notices that there are thousands of dead trees. Some are the result of avalanches, age, natural degeneration but in Colorado, specifically, millions of trees are being killed by native bark beetles. Burrowing through the outer bark of conifers, bark beetles lay eggs which hatch into hungry beetle larvae. Larvae consumer the living inner bark of trees. Recent warm winters and continued low rain/snowfall have combined to favour beetles and weaken many evergreen trees. These milder temperatures have aided a widespread outbreak of beetles during a time when trees are weakened by drought.

Material in these piles will be burned in winter when conditions are safest. To reduce the impact of smoke, fire management staff limit the number of piles burning at any one time. The piles are built-in a conical shape because as they burn, they collapse inwards ensuring that controlled burns don’t spread to the rest of the park.

The southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park boasts one of the loveliest portions in the park known as Wild Basin. The trails in this area access a wide variety of landscapes including gurgling mountain streams and fast-flowing falls, cascades and an alpine lake.

In hiking terms, the 1.8-mile trail to Calypso Cascades is categorized as easy! Those writing these descriptions don’t seem to take into account that the starting elevation is over 8,500 feet above sea level and that the hike is upwards!

The trail follows the course of North St. Vrain Creek as it flows out of the rugged high country and snowfields in the wild corner of Rocky Mountain National Park. After about 0.4 mile the trail splits – one side leads to five different backcountry camping sites which visitors can reserve.

The left-hand trail leads south towards Calypso Cascades along the Finch Lake Trail system. After crossing a large log bridge spanning North St. Vrain Creek, the trail follows Cony Creek to the site of Calypso Cascades. The waters of Cony Creek tumble over boulders and fallen trees in a moss-covered landscape. What makes Calypso Cascades unique are the Calypso Orchids, also known as Pink Lady Slippers, that, sadly, were not yet in bloom at the time of my hike.

En route to Calypso Cascades.

The photo opportunities were certainly worth the 1.8 mile hike to the Calypso Cascades!

So much easier going down hill!

Lily Lake lies on the eastern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park just off Colorado Highway 7, that runs parallel with the Roosevelt National Forest.

The beautiful 17-acre lake, was originally only small but it was dammed and enlarged in 1915. It is a very popular stop as there is no fee to visit it!

There are two trails to follow. The first, Lily Lake trail, is a level, gravel trail that circles the lake and is suitable for hikers of all ages and abilities or just to sit, have a picnic and enjoy the views.

The second short loop trail, Lily Ridge, which is the one I chose, climbs above the lake and offers great views of the water below and the spectacular scenic landscape of the Rocky Mountain National park which stretches in all directions.

Fishermen also cast their lines into the lake in search of Cutthroat trout, although the shallow lake is sometimes weedy. Fishing is strictly allowed on a catch-and-release basis.

My view of the lake from the Lily Ridge hiking trail.

Before starting the descent back down to ground level, this was the breathtaking view of Rocky Mountain National Park stretching to the horizon. On a really clear day I can only imagine how photographic the view would be!

The view of my hike – the Lily Ridge trail.

Spring in Estes Park, Colorado can be different from what you might expect! While a warm, sunny day can create the illusion that summer has arrived, the next day can turn cold and bring a heavy snowfall, as we found out today!

We set out to pay our first visit to the Rocky Mountain National Park three miles from where we are staying. The park covers some 415 square miles of U.S. government-owned land with an additional 400 square miles of U.S. Forest Service wilderness adjoining the park boundaries.

We ascend the park’s Trail Ridge Road in search of the Alpine Visitor Centre sitting at an elevation of nearly 12,000 feet. As we climb the mountain, the clouds descend and blur our view (and photo opportunities), and the landscape changes dramatically. As we continue upwards, the tree-line ends and the extremely thin soil, strong ultraviolet light, drying winds and bitter cold define life on the tundra.

Our day was turned upside down as a snow storm suddenly arrives and the Park Rangers have us stay in the car park of the Alpine Visitor Centre as they call-in the snow ploughs to open the road and enable us to descend down the mountain!

Me and Poppy in front of a wall of snow at over 11,400 feet elevation!

A view from the Alpine Visitor Centre – you can see where the tree-line ends due to the harsh winters and the altitude.

Waiting on the snow ploughs!

Pretty as a Christmas Card – I took this photo out of the car window on the way down the mountain!

On October 30th, 1974, horror writer Stephen King and his wife Tabitha were driving through Estes Park, Colorado as night approached when they came across The Stanley Hotel. They decided to book a room and on checking in, discovered that they were the only guests in the hotel as it was about to close for the winter season.

King and his wife ate dinner in an empty dining room listening to canned orchestral music. Except for the table the King’s occupied, all the dining chairs were sitting on top of the tables.

That night, according to King, he dreamt that his three-year old son was running through the long corridors of The Stanley Hotel, looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide open, screaming and being chased by a fire-hose! King reportedly woke up with a tremendous jerk, sweating all over. He got up, lit a cigarette and sat in a chair looking out of the window at the Rocky Mountains. By the time the cigarette was smoked, he had the bones of “The Shining” outlined in his mind.

The Shining was published in 1977 and became the third great success of King’s career after Carrie and Salem’s Lot. Room 217 of the Overlook Hotel, the fictional hotel in King’s book, features prominently in the novel, having been the room where King and his wife spent the night at The Stanley Hotel.  Room 217 remains the hotel’s most requested room!

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado is just down the road from where we are staying.

We are still in Colorado but have moved to the popular summer resort of Estes Park which sits at the eastern entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park at an elevation of over 7,500 feet.

Moose are the largest member of the deer family. The subspecies of moose found in Colorado is the Shiras subspecies which are smaller than that of the northern latitudes, particularly in regard to antler size

Mature individuals of the Shiras subspecies can weigh as much as 800 to 900 pounds. Typically their coat colour is black, although individuals with lighter coloured coats can appear tawny. Bull moose after often recognized by their large, palm-shaped antlers which they shed every year usually between the middle of December and the end of January. The new antler growth occurs during spring and the majority of the summer.

Mature cows typically breed for the first time when they are two years old. The healthiest cows are capable of having twins, however, in Colorado, Shiras moose more commonly have a single calf.

Moose are large and easily observed species. Under many circumstances the flight response of moose is less than that of other wild and free-ranging animals. When coupled with the unique and large antler characteristics of bulls, moose are often recognized for their value as a watchable wildlife species. That said, the docile nature of moose should not be taken for granted as they can quickly become aggressive when stressed by people or dogs.

Taking a drive around Estes Park we came across two moose enjoying an afternoon snack!

… Naughty! You think that I’m going to blog about Mike, HA! I couldn’t resist!

We visited the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument today in Florissant, some 35 miles outside Colorado Springs where we are staying.

Here, beneath pine-covered hills and grassy meadows lies one the world’s richest fossil deposits. Step back in time 34 million years and you would be standing in the midst of a warm temperate forest, at the edge of a lake. Redwood trees tower overhead. Thousands of insects flit and buzz. Prehistoric creatures roam in the distance, grazing on the lush vegetation.

A massive volcanic area existed 15 miles to the southwest. The volcanos erupt regularly and the eruptions mix ash, water and possibly snow to create massive mudflows called lahars. They can move 150 mph down the slopes and carry car-sized boulders. A lahar entombed ancient redwood trees in up to 15 feet of mud and volcanic debris. Eventually the parts of the trees encased in mud became petrified.

Redwood trees soaring some 250 feet into the air, now only grow in a thin belt on the California and Oregon coasts but exist here in Colorado as fossil stumps.

The Big Stump: a petrified giant Sequoia (Redwood) stump. This stump is one of the largest fossilized trees in the world and measures over 12 feet in diameter!

How many fossils can you see? 

Today’s park landscape features mountain meadows and rolling hills forested with ponderosa pine, spruce, fir and aspen. These trees stand in stark contrast to petrified giant sequoia stumps from the ancient ecosystem these fossil beds preserve. 

Today, Mike and I enjoyed a magnificent tour of the National Museum of World War II Aviation here in Colorado Springs, CO. It was not necessarily the content of the museum that made the tour so fascinating, but the stories our tour guide shared with us, two in particular I want to pass on. Here’s the first!

On March 22, 1941, executives from the Hollywood film studio MGM threw a farewell party for their departing star, actor Jimmy Stewart. The following day he was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps as an enlisted man and stationed at Moffett Field, California. His salary dropped from $12,000 a week to $21 a month!

A crowd of girls waited just outside the base’s gates, eager to get a glimpse of their idol. In got so bad that his commanding officer put a sign up requesting civilians leave Stewart alone until after he finished his training! In his nine months on the base, Stewart took extensive additional courses with the idea of obtaining a commission.

In January, 1942, Stewart received his commission and because he had logged over 400 hours as a civilian, he was allowed to take basic flight training and received his pilot wings. A month later, appearing in uniform at the Academy Awards, he presented Best Actor Oscar to Gary Cooper for Sergeant York.

Over the next nine months he instructed on different aircraft including the B-17 bombers and flew bombardiers in the training school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the autumn of 1943, Stewart went to England as Commanding Officer of the 703d Bomb Squadron. He began flying combat missions and in March 1944 was appointed Operations Officer of the 453^rd Bomb Group.

Stewart ended the war with 20 combat missions. He remained in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and was promoted to Brigadier General in July 1959.

Lt. Gen. Martial Valin, chief of staff, French air force, awards the Croix de Guerre with Palm to Colonel Stewart for exceptional services in the liberation of France. 

… the 21^stnight of September?

Am I showing my age, or are you by knowing that that’s the opening line to the 1990 hit song released by Earth Wind & Fire? Sorry, it will probably be in your head all day!

We are now in Colorado Springs where we were at the end of October last year. Magnificent places to visit such as the Air Force Chapel Academy, the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak that you have already experienced.

At the time of writing, Colorado is our number one state for a potential future retirement home location. We love the state for its magnificent scenery — the mountains, the parks and the outdoor lifestyle – there is just so much to see and do. That said, it’s not the cheapest place to live as there is a state income tax and property is not exactly inexpensive especially in the beautiful ski resorts such as Aspen where celebrities abound and the starting price for a home is $7 million and upwards!

We particularly like this part of the state for its weather. What’s really high on our hit list is days of sunshine. On average, the city of Colorado Springs has over 240 days of sunshine a year and this past winter it has had very little snow, some six inches, and because of the bright days the snow that falls overnight has generally melted by the middle of the morning.

Remember! The stunning Air Force Academy Chapel!