photography

Another walk in the park

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We rallied ourselves and drove south west to a trailhead in a different part of the park. We took the back way through Rocky Mountain National Park, where the views were stunning.

Our goal was a short string of lakes created by the Tyndall glacier. Even though it was only 3.2 miles, we took our time because the hike begins at 9,500 ft elevation and rises to slightly over 10,000 ft.

I noticed one steep portion above us on the way in. On our return, a National Park volunteer, like us!, pointed out a small avalanche caused by a skier earlier in the morning.

The lakes, Bear, Nymph, Dream, and Emerald, were still frozen and Flattop Mountain set our course.

Emerald Lake

We’re smiling now because we’ve eaten our lunch and our return trip is almost all downhill.

The sky over the Park is always lined by contrails.

When we returned home, I baked a very tall loaf of whole wheat bread. I tried the bread machine but didn’t set it correctly. I have since downloaded the manual rather than randomly pushing buttons. I had to take it out of the machine when it risked popping the lid open. I put it in the only bread pan I could find and salvaged a delicious loaf.

Tim is a very lucky man!

Our neighbors

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They usually visit when we can’t see them. Now that there is snow on the ground, bobcat footprints reappeared.

We met 4 large bull elks down the road when we returned from town. On another trip, we ran into a traffic jam, as a large herd of elk slowly crossed the road. Finally a cowboy left his vehicle and moved them along. That really sped things up.

Mule deer were in the meadow last night but this could mean a mountain lion may visit to have them for dinner, literally.

Unlike the Adirondacks, the skies are usually bright and blue, probably due to altitude. Here the sun was in mist, setting before the snow.

Backyard view.

We finally explored a little more of Rocky Mountain National Park. We haven’t been motivated to venture afar because it is so beautiful right here. These are some views from Bear Lake. I think they are different views of Longs Peak and the needles.

The happy caretaker out shoveling.

Two hikes and an elk road block

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We were lucky to have family visiting for a few days and did some exploring with them. We walked the trail ridge at Lily Lake and saw great views of Longs Peak and the northern Front Range.

Yesterday I returned to Gem Lake, 987 ft elevation change, easily, and have acclimatized.

Front Range Clouds and Contrails

The view from the Stanley Hotel may have been even better.

We had a paper airplane contest up the hill, behind the ranch, which offered a view of this valley.

A rock wrapped in paper (?!) travelled the longest distance but a complex design had the longest float. Both winners!

Here is a coaster I wove on a rigid heddle loom. It was a slow but gratifying process because I had to select all the pattern threads by hand.

We needed an image of Shrek for a card and I got to try another watercolor.

This morning, the trees are bending in the wind with gusts to 70 mph. They continue to look beautiful after they die. Hopefully none will fall on my car.

The highlight of the visit was when the local elk herd decided to change pastures and cross the road. The kids said it was the best thing they saw, so Tim turned the car around to watch them some more.

Nary a beep was heard

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It snowed about 5″ overnight and before the plows came, I skied the road, which has a nice gentle slope.

Ranch from the road

On my way back, I heard, “pardon me” from behind. I expected to find someone on foot, but it was a couple in a red pickup looking for the trailhead. The snow was so soft, I didn’t hear them roll up in back of me. Luckily, the plow was just behind them and cleared the parking spaces.

I skied almost to the end of the dead end, but got spooked by large cat tracks, and turned around. Again, from behind me, I heard, “pardon me” from another truck.

First time this ever happened to me and it happened twice in one morning! So polite and unexpected.

Stormy Mountain

Hello kitty

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Bobcat enjoying the sun

The baby bobcat was back this morning, enjoying the sun on a cold blustery day.

The elk herd moved up the road a piece. They were gone by the time we returned.

Snow and icicles are back. The wind howled most of the day and created drifts we needed to clear.

But first we tried a little cross country skiing. The snow wasn’t quite deep enough.

Someone is getting a homemade Valentine’s Day card this year. To the one who shows me these adventures!

Guardians of the Valley

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I am reading a wonderful book about a pair of sisters, The Dickersons, who lived on the Mummy Range in the early 1900’s, called “Apples of the Mummy’s Eyes”. They viewed the profile of the “mummy” from the off the grid cabin they lived in for 80+ years! From the age of 5-6, they worked with teams of horses to pull stumps and did all sorts of hard labor. Helen was a real homebody, like me, and made pine needle baskets, candies, woven blankets, which she sold at a store on the edge of their property.

Here at McGraw Ranch, we have two guardians, Pulpit Rock and Indian Head. In fact at some point, the ranch was called the Indian Head Ranch.

It just seems like a strong profile to me but nonetheless, he is our protector. The first thing we see every morning.

We took advantage of several beautiful, warm days this week and hiked in the backyard. Tim went to Balanced Rock. I opted to skip the elevation gain and looked at pine cones instead. We have beautiful Ponderosa Pines all around us and their pinecones reminded me of a rose.

The next walk we took was along the Northern Boundary trail into the Comanche Peak Wilderness, where we caught a glimpse into the next valley. It’s easy to imagine what it must have been like to ride horses into this territory when this was a dude ranch.

We didn’t realize we could see Longs Peak, the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park at 14,256 feet, for a good part of the walk but it was clear to us on the way back.

There was a sundog on the way down. A sundog occurs on either side of the sun when it is low on the horizon and is called a sundog because it sits beside the sun like a loyal dog. My best capture of this was in Maine when we wintered at Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park.

But now the weather is turning colder once again, single digits for the next couple of days. Space heaters are back in use and water is left dripping from all the faucets.

We stopped by the Stanley Hotel, the setting for Stephen King’s “The Shining”, while in town yesterday. They have special rates, more not less, for rooms with paranormal activity. Stephen King shot his own miniseries here but the hotel promotes the Jack Nicholson version.

What’s not clear is that it sits right at the edge of Estes Park and is not at all remote.

Although we are only 15 minutes from town, our setting is remote. Just the way we like it.

All sewn up

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I didn’t bring any of my 5 sewing machines out west. There was a limit to how much could fit in the car. It was my choice.

I was contemplating how to finish the napkin hems, without any fringe, by hand, when I read the Estes Valley Library has sewing machines and lots of other things to lend.

So today I got myself a visitor library card and took out a book and a sewing machine.

They had a wall filled with items you could sign out, including scanners, knitting kits, microscopes, telescopes (something else I left behind), trail cameras and more.

I chose a sewing machine. The kit included white and black thread, extra needles, a sharp pair of scissors (or sharp scissors) a beginner’s guide to sewing, instruction manual, and materials to sew a drawstring bag.

Napkins have been zig zagged, cut apart and washed. I’ll sew the hems after they dry.

Now I have to think about what I’d like to borrow next.

A walk in the park

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Yesterday, we finally took our first hike in Rocky Mountain National Park and hiked to Gem Lake. Should have.been a piece of cake. It wasn’t. Apparently I am not acclimated to the altitude yet. With any climbing, my heart rate increased to the 140’s and was mildly uncomfortable. Nonetheless, the views were lovely with several optical illusions, at least to my eye, or maybe it was oxygen deprivation. Elevation gain 1000 feet, give or take.

Love these clouds, getting ready for strong winds to arrive.

There were loads of cool rock formations. This is one of them. Not quite sure how such a perfect round hole was created.

Rock formation in a different perspective.

I see a monkey riding a dog. How about you?

Bowels of the owls???

The lake was most remarkable for the rock formations, which surrounded it.

The walk out was a breeze.

Once you spot one, that’s all you see

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I finally saw my first elk and then that was all we saw on the drive into town to swim. It’s also the first time the clouds cleared enough to reveal the mountain range.

This one is much smaller than the two Tim saw at the ranch but he was a beauty. Then we saw a field filled with elk, lounging about.

These two had a little tussle and then hung out together and snacked.

After 12 days at 8,000 ft elevation, I didn’t feel sick after swimming. I read it would take me 22 days to get used to this altitude. I’m definitely getting there.

Finally this morning, I saw two bull elk grazing from my front porch.

And here are the adult and juvenile bobcats walking along the field off the dining room.

This mountain chickadee hopped towards me to say hello on the porch. Not as imposing as an elk, but adorable.

Here’s a view of the ranch from the road. Pulpit rock, in the background, is very impressive.

I’m having fun with new to me gadgets: a ninja blender (very powerful), an electric floor washer (not convinced yet it’s better than a mop) and this jar opener. I was dubious at first but it does the trick.

If it wasn’t labelled, I wouldn’t have noticed it.

And finally a fiber update. I started this hap shawl in October and finished it last week. I plan to give it as a baby gift but I have to confess, in the meantime, it is keeping me warm.

It’s from Heirloom Knitting’s Shetland Hap Shawls: Then & Now. I’ll wear it now and give it then. The Jamieson and Smith shetland yarn is so soft and warm.

Footprints and hoofprints

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Tim saw the bobcats cavorting in the yard before dinner last night. There were paw prints under the bedroom window this morning. Could this be a peeping bob?

Bobcat tracks at the cabin

Today, I slept in and, while I snoozed, Tim saw two elk walking through the field. I shouldn’t be surprised because our first day here, a checkout cashier asked me if I had seen any elk in town yet.

Pulpit rock was aglow with sun and snow.

This weekend was the first ever skijoring event in Estes Park. Yesterday was cold, windy and snowing but today was perfect.

It was a hoot.

I had heard of skijoring with dogs but this was with horses. There were more cowboy hats than I could count.

Catching air

A good time was had by all.