A Memorial, from The Field

I spent this past Friday alone, in the field, at my beloved Brazos Bend State Park.  I spent the day doing what I most love:  watching my feathered friends in their native habitat and taking photos, as they allowed.

It was a perfect day in the field.  With only my thoughts of this beautiful day to keep me company, I drove home, excited about the day's sightings and hopeful for the day's photos.  A peaceful tiredness was my companion.

When safely home, I took a long hot bath.  In silence, I prepared my dinner and a favorite drink, retiring to the living room to put up my tired feet; to eat; to relax in front of the TV, ready for some mindless viewing to keep me company.

And it was at that moment that the TV brought me the news of this day’s seemingly impossible horror at a small elementary school, in small town America.   Newtown, Connecticut.

I have no words or thoughts to blog; my silence is mournful.  And as surely as every other healthy adult, I have not stopped wondering how this culture of ours could have enabled such an event; such a horrific tragedy.

I simply want to share a few photos from my Friday in the field. I believe first graders would enjoy them. I know first graders would have loved my day at Brazos Bend. 

An Eastern Phoebe gives pause, seeming to contemplate the events of this day:

 

A juvenile White Ibis (left) receives what appears to be adopted parental protection from a different adult Aves species, the White-faced Ibis (right).  It was powerful imagery to watch the adult follow the juvenile about, demonstrating what appeared to be maternal protection rather than male breeding aggression:

 

The beauty of this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker brought color to this overcast day:

And this photo of a Yellow-rumped Warbler reminds me of the importance of the human spirit, given flight, to pursue life’s hopeful possibilities: 

All Good Things

It is time for me to go home.  But I’m not really sure what that means any more.  Home, that is.  The condo-on-wheels seems to be the “place” where I best understand myself.  The “place” where I seem to most purposefully live each day, at least at this period in my life.  The condo-on-wheels is where I most often step outside and feel that outside is my home.

These nine weeks of travel have mostly been good to me.  I’ve learned a lot about myself.  Before beginning this trip I understood that a day exploring outdoor destinations would have one thing in common with a day spent indoors at work:  it would mean that I and my loved ones were mostly OK on that particular day; it would mean that I and my loved ones were mostly healthy and in no need of medical treatment or facilities; it would mean that I and my loved ones were not in harm’s way.   I learned that lesson years ago, and try never to need reminder.

But I am not a “full-time RVer” and I don’t want to be.  And so there will always be an appropriate time to go home.  It will feel good to bask in the luxuries of a foundational house:  a bathtub; a washer/dryer; and all the luxuries that go with middle class ‘burb living.  

This trip has reaffirmed what I already knew:  my life seems best spent when I am surrounded by Mother Nature’s creation.  I will write future blog posts to unpack some of my lessons learned and some of my human experiences from this first extended travel.   But today it is time to bring this trip to closure.

I take one last solo walk at my beloved South Llano Park.  Walking the bottomland that hugs the river gives me sanctuary to reflect on this almost perfect nine-week and four-state trip. 

 

 I contemplate one of my favorite expressions, and one that remains a dichotomy to me:  “All good things must come to an end.”

Those who have gone through the ups and downs of life’s situations and circumstances may embrace a personal understanding of this age-old quote.  Those who believe in the creation of Mother Nature’s fabric, a secret-sauce recipe that superimposes matter and energy into an eternal tapestry, may partly question this human-sourced quote.  And those who contemplate the “I Am” instantiation of Mother Nature, as present-tense-only, may simply throw this quote into the huge bucket of human-made dogma.  

I stop and listen to the sounds of wrens, chickadees, titmice and woodpeckers, all going about the busyness of their lives. Turkeys and deer cross the path ahead and a Belted Kingfisher raucously flies down the middle of the river on my right.  I am not important to any of them as long as I don’t impact their little corner of this world.  

  

I walk down to the river and drink in the view.  I remind myself of the human pretense of solitude and the human need for relationship and community.  I think of the sisterhood of friends that have come into and mostly gone out of my life.  

It is time for me to go home.  But if only, oh sisterhood, we could go down to the river to pray…

The Long Awaited Guadalupe Mountains National Park

After two incredible months wandering throughout several beautiful parks and forests of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, these past two weeks on Texas soil have made for a wonderful coming home party.  A picture perfect week at Davis Mountains State Park only got better when followed by 5 nights at South Llano River State Park.  Davis Mountains is one of the rick-man’s favorite places; South Llano River is one of mine.  These two weeks have made for great camping, but the absence of cell coverage and wifi was a reminder of the remoteness of these two beautiful west Texas parks.

Before arriving at the Davis Mountains, our first two nights under west Texas starry skies found us roadside at a KOA in Van Horn, Texas.  This two night stay provided the convenient base camp for a long awaited visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park has been at the top of my “wish list, but never been list” of Texas Parks.  Ever since I started acquiring Mickey Little’s wonderful park guides for Texas, I have wondered about this national park’s 80 miles of trails that explore desert, canyons and highlands of the Guadalupe Mountains.  My research of this locale confirmed that it is not an easy reach for any west Texan, much less an Upper Gulf Coastie resident.  And I knew that this park, by reputation and infrastructure, is mainly a backpacker’s paradise.  The convenience of a campground is constrained by no hookups and camping slots (visualize a small parking lot) for rigs much shorter than the Airstream’s and Suburban’s almost fifty feet. 

I realize that those who know this park well would be embarrassed by the idea of a simple day trip as a way of claiming an experience in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  But this long awaited visit is my beginning, and I have every intention of going back and spending much more time exploring the trails and the habitat of this rugged, remote and beautiful place.  Oh, wouldn’t it be nice if I still had my Sportsmobile; and if only I had those twenty-something backpacker legs and knees of long ago…

The Guadalupe Mountains span an elevation range from 3,650 to 8,749 feet, with Guadalupe Peak being the highest point in Texas.  I learned that this Permian basin includes the Capitan Reef, the most extensive fossil reef from the Permian age on record. 

The early morning drive, headed north on TX 54 out of Van Horn, was a beautiful drive--remote with few signs of human habitation.  The early morning light and cloud cover provided playful lighting on the mountain range:

 

And this morning’s eastside view of the White Mountains accentuated the reason for their name:

This one day trip was more about scouting several areas of the park and less about experiencing long hikes in any one area.  But partial hikes around Hunter Peak and McKittrick Canyon provided beautiful views:

The McKittrick Canyon trail provided opportunities for viewing a variety of plants and wildlife, with the textures of tree bark again drawing my attention:

 

A last stop at the GMNP's Frijole Ranch site provided a perfect ending to a perfect day: adding the Sage Thrasher to my life list.  I have chased after habitats throughout the Texas valley longing for truly good views of this thrasher, only to get BVDs (better views desired) that did not warrant life list status.  And here two Sage Thrashers were, in perfect habitat, dancing and prancing alongside the trail in open brush.  “Look at me; look at me; look at me.”  I will, when I come back and stay a little longer.

The Grand Canyon: Postcards from the Rim

Today is the rick-man’s and my last full day in Arizona.  Almost three glorious weeks in Northern Arizona will not be followed by an intended multi-week adventure to the Tucson and south border area.  It is just too hot down south.   And so tomorrow morning we head off in a different direction, continuing our chase for good weather.

This last day will not find me on any trail.  Today is mostly about making preparations to move this condo-on-wheels to more remote locales with a good supply of house-hold provisions, groceries and clean clothes.  The rick-man is out and about running errands.  And so I find myself with an interlude of mid-day alone time inside the Airstream.

The want of precious alone time is no complaint directed toward the rick-man.  Nor is it a pronouncement of weariness with this lifestyle where our condo-on-wheels provides a mobile homestead of approximately 180 ft2 of living space for two people.  It simply is what it is: time alone indoors is a precious commodity when traveling with an RVing partner.

And what is my first action as the rick-man starts up the Suburban and drives into town?  I am nothing if not consistent:  I plug my iphone into the Airstream’s speaker system, turn up the volume, and select “Shuffle” for four of my favorite Joni Mitchell “albums” in my playlist.

Ms. Mitchell has kept me company during most of my therapeutic alone interludes for some forty-plus years.  But my consistency for love of her unique voice and melodic arrangements also comes with a kindness to those less appreciative—I save listening to J.M. until no one else is about.  “Good” grief from roommates and life partners in “the early years” did not present a mission for redemption of my musical tastes or theirs.  It just made any alone time all the more precious.  

Sometime around the age of fourteen I sat alone in my childhood home’s bedroom, and listened to “Blue” with the angst and introspection common to that age’s archetype.  And although I wrote many a stilted poem as part of my routine when alone with J.M., it was my shortest poem that has stayed with my memories and my life-personality all these years later:  Sometimes I Wonder, Sometimes I Wander.

With Joni Mitchell as my mid-day companion this last day in Northern Arizona, I would like to be able to share that I walked the South Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon this week and was overwhelmed with a depth of introspection that warranted a written journal of cascading thoughts and spiritual relevance.  But my 4+ mile leisurely stroll along the south rim was accompanied by only one repeating thought:  It is too big—it is just too big for me to personally understand.  I cannot relate to its vastness from the rim trail.  A baptism into the Grand Canyon’s meaning would, for me, require a trek to the canyon floor.  I am fairly certain of one life destiny:  I will never make that trek, at least not during this lifetime.  The Grand Canyon will remain for me a place too big and too distant to impact my life’s journey.  All I can give it is my respect.  All I can take from it is the photographs of a casual tourist.

And so I relegated my role to that of a pedestrian tourist, attempting to create photographic postcards that family and friends would probably view with ennui.  But I needed to feel some small purpose when in the presence of a place so grand.  I stood at rim’s edge (as close as my fear of heights would allow) and took digital snapshots.

The late morning’s full-ball sun gave my eyes a natural overexposure that would make capturing the vibrant canyon colors a challenge.  The rim’s angle of attack for viewing the canyon walls would make framing the extremes of depth and perspective a greater challenge.  I fought off a feeling of smallness; a sense of futility for my accepted mission.  But I turned and framed and shuttered my camera.  Again; and again.

I share with you my postcards from the rim.  I kind of like them.  But they only model a reality that is too big for me to understand.  Sometime I’ll wonder about this grand place.  Tomorrow I’m going to wander to another corner of Mother Nature’s homestead.  But today I wanted to share my Grand Canyon postcards with you.

 

The West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon

Just north of Sedona (off of route 89A) is one of the loveliest hikes that you will ever find.  My first experience hiking the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon was in late May of 2007.  That almost-summer hike offered multiple sightings of the beautiful Red-faced Warbler.  This week’s mid-October hike brought beautiful fall colors and cool temperatures, few bird sightings, and multiple musical calls of well-hidden tanagers.

The rick-man and I arrived at the trailhead midweek at 8:30 a.m.  The parking lot was mostly empty but enough cars to confirm that this popular hike, during perfect fall weather, would not be a solo adventure.  A $9 fee is required to enter the parking lot.  A bathroom building with pit toilets is available near the trailhead.

My photo of the trailhead sign was not meant to be an abstract self-portrait of myself clad in binocular and blue jean attire:

I took a photo of the trailhead sign to document the 13 stream crossings that would be required of this hike (translate to a total of 26 water crossings for the out and back 6.6 miles).  You see, I am fairly graceful on a tennis court.  And I am fairly surefooted over rough and rocky trails.  But when it comes to crossing creeks I’m as clumsy as I would be attempting to walk a gymnast’s balance beam. 

I’ve watched my friend Mary quickly and gracefully skip and jump from rock to rock over streams in Arkansas campgrounds.  I will follow her at a snail’s pace, with multiple teetering of balance to avoid wet boots. She will encourage me to move faster, urging that I never pause from step to skip to step.  I will playfully accuse her of unfair advantage due to her somewhat petite stature.  And this teasing always results in an energetic reply, with her ever upbeat and feisty spirit, that she is “The Naaational Aaaaverage” in height (5’4”).  I admit to teasing her just to hear her own rendition of national average. 

Put me on a tennis court, and I’ll quickly and athletically move from baseline to net and in-between.  Put me at a stream crossing, and I will not be graceful; but I will have fun.  Slowly.  Really slowly.  And true confession, I would not have crossed one of the 13 streams without my faithful walking stick. But with it, all 26 were crossed with a joyful smile and a dry pair of boots.  This photo shows one of the easier stream crossings with lots of closely placed stones:

 

The trail leads the hiker through the Oak Creek Canyon, with canyon walls closing in on the trail.  The first mile of the hike offers stunning vista views of the canyon walls:

 

The further the hike, the more stream crossings and the closer the canyon walls come to touching the trail:

 

The 3.3 mile hike dead-ends at a beautiful canyon pool:

 

I would like to say that I spent time at this pool, in solitude, giving Mother Nature my ears and eyes to hear and watch the beauty of this amazing corner of Creation.  But I was not alone, not nearly; what appeared to be an extended family of about ten people were pool-side, greeting the rick-man and me with their light-spirited chatter and laughter. 

And so we paused for a short time, to remember this place and this day, before retracing our steps along one of the loveliest hikes that you will ever find.

Humphey's Peak Trail

It rained most of last night; an expected rain that would accompany the first fall storm to the southwest.  Rain on the Airstream’s roof is one of my favorite sounds. 
This week’s weather forecast for Northern Arizona alerted rain and colder weather for today, with some snow and potential hail at higher elevations.  After a week of perfect fall weather, with full-ball sun each day and high temperatures trying to reach 70 degrees, I looked forward to spending today inside the Airstream listening to the rain.

A trip to the grocery store yesterday brought home fresh produce and fixings to make a chicken and vegetable crockpot soup today.  I’ve discovered the easy secret to most soups:  add about 1 tablespoon of chili powder and one can of stewed tomatoes to my favorite mix, whether fresh chicken and frozen vegetables or three beans and corn.  A weekly use of a small crockpot and rice steamer provides this condo-on-wheels lifestyle with easy dinners after a day outdoors.  And thrown into these “home-cooked” (on-wheels) meals, I’ve influenced the rick-man to adjust his healthy eating habits to support my almost weekly need for a dinner out—for a really big hamburger and plateful of fries; or pancakes, bacon and eggs.  My mother regularly served scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits or pancakes for dinner.  It is my happy meal.

And so I am a happy camper this morning.  In sweatpants and comfy shirt, I’ve put the rice steamer and crockpot to work.  And now I’m enjoying my Airstream home office, with Willie Nelson, Norah Jones and Greg Trooper keeping me company as I catch up on developing a week’s worth of raw images in Photoshop Elements.  

The Airstream has an excellent four-speaker stereo system that supports a USB plug-in of my iPhone’s music.  My pre-retirement camping trips of past years were a one or two week “get away from it all” break from work and routine--and music and TV were not a part of these trips.  But a multi-month condo-on-wheels traveling lifestyle is just that:  a lifestyle.  And so last night I watched the VP debate on the Airstream’s small flat-panel TV, and this morning I’m listening to the much more pleasant sounds of Willie, Norah and Greg.

My first photos developed this morning are of a fabulous multi-hour trek on the Humphrey’s Peak trail. This trailhead is reached via a beautiful drive to the end of the Arizona Snowbowl road.  The trail begins alongside a blazing grove of Aspens with vista views of other San Francisco Peaks, a volcanic mountain range that includes Humphrey’s Peak, the highest point in Arizona at an elevation of 12,633 ft.

 

The trail begins with a fairly easy elevation climb on a well-maintained trail that enters a canopy of Aspens:

At higher elevations the trail becomes steeper and rockier, and the forest canopy begins a mix of Aspen and Ponderosa Pine, providing a beautiful setting to pause, to listen and to watch.  My thoughts and senses are overwhelmed by the handiwork of Mother Nature’s creation:

The trail steepens, the rocks become a mainstay of the trail, and the switchbacks tighten toward the portion of the trail above the tree line.  The below photo shows the trail itself, defined by rocks and roots that demand a watchful eye and well placed boot.  Continuing upward is both challenging and rewarding:

After a career that demanded much, including a chronic proving of abilities in a man’s world, my half-century-plus ego needs no stroking in the category of proving my tenacity for bumps in the road.  The rick-man and I share this time in our lives where we hike when we enjoy it, and we stop when we don’t.  Two hours of climbing over rocks and mini-boulders, and stepping over and around the massive roots of this forested habitat began taking its toll on our feet and knees and lower back.  The rick-man uses the expression “my knees are talking to me.”  And so we listened to our bodies, turned around and began our downward descent, a continued challenge to knees and toes. 

For me a perfect hike needs no specified point of conclusion other than a safe return to the beginning.  My feet and lower back were talking, but my mind was listening to the sounds that Mother Nature gently shared during my half-day on this very special trail.

The rain is pattering harder on the Airstream’s roof; the chicken vegetable soup smells lovely; the rick-man just came back inside from taking out the trash to report a dusting of snow on the surrounding peaks.  It is a good day to be at home.

Mesa Verde

I don’t like to constrain my future—especially when it comes to wandering the back roads in our beloved condo-on-wheels.  But I’m not sure I’ll ever return to Mesa Verde National Park.  Don’t get me wrong—it is an amazing place to visit; a place that will stay actively in my pondering of great experiences; a place that echoes of an extraordinary people from a time before.  But I’m pretty sure that this first visit to Mesa Verde will fall into that special category of “once-in-a-lifetime” great events.

My probable non-return is based on my own shortcomings:  my overpowering fear of heights.  From Mesa Verde’s park entrance and pay booth, a twenty-three mile road must be navigated to visit this country’s best-preserved cliff dwellings.  Without question it is a great road; a beautiful drive; and I, in particular, paid special attention to the brilliant yellow stripe that ran smack dab in the middle of it, snaking those twenty-three miles of switchbacks and grades. 

As I waited at the park entrance’s pay booth window for maps and receipt, I looked up at the ribbon of road (and sighted what looked like toy cars wrapping the edge of the mesa).  I wondered, with a bit of a catch in my throat:  what are we getting ourselves into?

But I did it.  I drove the twenty-three miles, several of which had no guard rail separating the trusty Suburban from the extreme (my story, my adjective) drop-off at road’s edge:

With a stop at the Visitor’s Center to purchase $3 tickets for the guided tour to Cliff Palace, I thought the only challenge ahead was the road behind.  I was wrong.

At the designated meeting place, the rick-man and I joined a small group of $3 ticket holders to participate in the Cliff Palace guided tour.  Our excellent tour guide began his story with the logistical information of the tour, emphasizing the descent and ascent required to visit the cliff dwelling.  He reminded the group of the altitude and of the exertion required, and provided clear advice to those with heart or other health-limiting conditions that this was the place to walk away. 

Our tour guide pointed down to two tour groups ahead of us; the most visible group in this photo is the circle of tourists currently experiencing the Cliff Palace tour:

Less visible in this photo (in the upper right corner) is a series of ladders attached to the side of the cliff.  As the tour guide began the story of the cliff dwellers, I was still processing his warning that these ladders were the required “exertion” for exiting the tour.  I looked around at my tourist companions.  My physical fitness appeared better than most in our group.  But I could feel my knees shaking and a weakness in my legs that had nothing to do with my physical fitness level.

The tour guide continued the preface to our tour, and I continued to fixate on the partly visible “path” down to the Palace.  I looked up and over to the distant, just visible, top of the ladder sequence.  At that moment a head appeared at the top of the ladder, pulling a body up over the edge of the mesa and walking away onto the table-top.  I noted that the successful ladder climber (a woman) appeared sans harness or other fool-proof safety equipment.  The weakness in my legs was making standing on level ground a bit of a challenge.

I looked over at the rick-man, my usual partner in height-related fears.  He looked way too relaxed and excited about the exploration ahead, hanging onto every word of the tour guide as tightly as I would cling to those ladders.  I knew I couldn’t walk away.  Even for me, that would be too selfish.

A once-in-a-lifetime visit to Cliff Palace provided a holy experience—a moment in time separate from this twenty-first century: 

I won’t ponder who these people were—I’ll wonder who these people are.  “Who are you—who, who.  Who, who.  (you know the tune)

Special thanks to an outstanding tour guide.  His enthusiasm for sharing the human and natural history of this special place gave witness to his heart-felt appreciation for what he so carefully showed us.

I will remember, as long as memory serves, this special day.  My life journey will have more to ponder from experiencing the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde—even if only this once.  But I really don’t like to constrain my future.

The Fall Aspens and the Bird in the Tree

A week in northern New Mexico was more than enough time for me to explore the city life of Santa Fe and Taos.  A week in northern New Mexico was not nearly enough time for me to explore the hiking and birding of the diverse forested habitats.  A favorite hike was in Santa Fe National Forest, off the paved road that leads to the Santa Fe Ski basin, past Hyde State Park.  The multi-mile trail is an old dirt and gravel road, winding its way up elevation and providing beautiful vista views of the surrounding area:

 

For me, this hike was all about seeing the Aspen trees in their fall foliage, a spectacular yellowish-gold that matches New Mexico’s state flag.  The “quaking” Aspen, as they are called due to the dancing of their dainty leaves in the cool, dry breeze, provided spectacular ribbons of color against the dark green “Christmas Trees” that shared this forest habitat.   (The rick-man and I are formally educated by a grand total of one semester of college-level botany and are only beginning to learn tree-types as a supporting interest to our birding.  Any comments to clarify “Christmas Trees” (fir species?) will be accepted with thanks and a slightly embarrassed humility.)

My wonder at the Aspens quickly moved past their leaves to focus on their beautiful bark.  Textures have always fascinated me.  Whether produced by Mother Nature or human bi-products, I am awestruck by textures.  If I had any artistic talent I could spend a lifetime drawing and painting canvas representations of tree bark.  Many an afternoon I’ve sat with charcoal pencils and drawing pad, attempting to create a two dimensional representation of tree barks found in campsites across Texas state parks.  And many an evening I’ve thrown out the result, knowing no kindergarten teacher would select my picture for Open House display.

Mother Nature’s artistic talents with texture, light and shade are beautiful:

 

The rick-man birded as I photographed: 

My favorite keepsake conversation of the day was when the rick-man came up to me as I was looking down, busily manipulating my camera settings.  Quietly he said:  “What is that bird in the top of the tree?”  Looking up at a landscape painted with trees, I quietly responded:  “Which tree?”  And honest to goodness this was his reply, in absolute seriousness:  “The one with a bird in the top of it.”  I just stared at him and wondered at Mother Nature’s creation of male humans…

Colorado Bird List

After 19 days in Colorado my list of bird sightings would fall into the paltry category to most serious birders.  But I am quite happy with it because each sighting represents a bird that I stopped and watched—usually while hiking a beautiful trail. 

I do not like to chase after and glance at birds to create a long list of personal sightings.  I like to stop and watch the seasonally common birds of a given habitat as they go about their lives, doing what comes naturally to them.  Long looks to observe behavior, while listening to their different calls, alerts and songs, is always great fun. 

I mainly hiked, with binoculars around my neck, leaving the 400 mm lens in its case.  I have no great bird photos to share.  I did take one last walk with the 400mm, just before packing up to head south for New Mexico, and have included a couple of photos.

Whether a beginning birder or a seasoned birder, I encourage keeping a list of sightings when visiting a new region or state.  I documented, but am not including in this list, the very common species sighted such as Vultures, Rock Doves and House Sparrows.

My Colorado bird list of interesting sightings, September 2012 with an (*) representing new species to my life list:

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel
Wild Turkey
Mourning Dove
White-throated Swift
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher* (Lookout Mountain, Golden area)
Dusky Flycatcher* (Lookout Mountain, Golden area)
Steller’s Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Rock Wren
House Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler* (Golden Gate Canyon SP and Cheyenne Mtn SP)
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch

And two BVDs (better views desired) that I would love to include but am not:

Mountain Bluebird

Townsend’s Solitaire

The Red-shafted Northern Flicker was very common at Cheyenne Mountain:

 

 

The Spotted Towhee was also very common at Cheyenne Mountain:

 

 

Next stop, Northern New Mexico!  May all your days be birdy days…

The Twelve Days of Cheyenne Mountain State Park

I could share with you the daily adventures of spending twelve wonderful days at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  But soon my words would sound like a diary to envy:  day trips into Colorado Springs to shop, tourist, and visit local restaurants.  I don’t want to diary this stay, and I’ve already blogged about the day trip to visit Garden of the Gods (Grief in the Garden).  But I will confess that this park is only a ten minute drive to an I-Hop and a Red Robin. 

And so one morning’s outdoor adventures were delayed until after my favorite breakfast cravings were satisfied:  pancakes (and always request hot syrup), two poached eggs and two pieces of bacon.  Another day’s glorious seven mile hike was followed by RR’s excellent hamburger, fries and perfect coleslaw.  This was my first visit to a Red Robin and I don’t know if I’ve been missing out on a great hamburger chain or if a seven mile hike turns an ordinary hamburger into something extraordinary.  But it was perfectly delicious!

I could share that the twelve days brought two days of rainy, cold weather--which was heavenly.  Each rainy day found me making a crock-pot stew and generally lying around and listening to the musical sound of rain on the Airstream’s aluminum roof.  The chicken, vegetables and rice stew was my favorite; the sausage, three-bean and rice stew was the rick-man’s favorite.  Of course both stews were loaded with tomatoes.

This campsite photo from a rainy day:

  But a twelve day stay at Cheyenne Mountain State Park is all about hiking its twenty miles of fantastic trails.  And as a side note, the park is developing a new trail that will hopefully climb to the top of the mountain.  (That trail-head will begin four miles in on the Talon North trail.)  I would imagine that there were some interesting meetings between agency personnel for Colorado state parks, federal bureau of land management and NORAD regarding this new trail and its encroachment on “The Mountain”.  I’d like to think that Star Gate personnel were also involved.

The twenty miles of trails at Cheyenne Mountain cover what I’d over simplify as three habitat types:  shadow-of-the mountain prairies, hill-side terrain of Gambel’s Oaks, and mountain-side forests of Ponderosa Pine.

The prairie trails provided great morning and evening viewing of wildlife, including Prairie Dogs, rabbits, deer, Red-tailed Hawks and so on:

 

The prairie landscape transitions to brush and Gambel’s Oaks as the trail climbs in elevation toward the mountain. Spotted Towhees, Downy Woodpeckers, and Western Scrub-Jays were fun to watch in these dwarf forests:

 But the climb into the mountain-side Ponderosa Pines provided my favorite trails.  The Mountain Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches and Pygmy Nuthatches were especially friendly:

 

And the vista views, as the trails climbed in elevation, were especially rewarding:

I will miss this park, campsite and our friendly neighbors that passed through daily: the Wild Turkeys, the rabbits and most especially the young bucks with their proud antlers that tangled with the Gambel’s Oaks.  

Twelve days was just not enough.  

Grief in the Garden

I was not the only tourist this past Thursday morning exploring Colorado Spring’s most famous Garden of the Gods. I walked the gardens as a happy tourist, taking in the beauty of both the foreground and the background:

 

I could simply write about the beauty in walking the inner garden, or hiking the outer loop trails, or sitting on the veranda of the Visitor’s Center and taking it all in.  I could emphasize that all this beauty is provided by the host city at no charge to the visitor.  But I would be ignoring the price of walking these grounds if you bring a pondering soul. 

It does not surprise me that the ancients found God in the mountains.  But in these rocks I found a spirit of humanity; a grouping of mortals coming together to share some grief.  I don’t think every person experiences grief.  All of us experience loss at some time in our lives; and all of us have known some level of pain, and hurt and suffering.  But grief seems to require a willingness to embrace a deep pain to the point of owning it.  And when a community comes together to grieve, it can be a holy experience—set apart from the daily routine of lives moving forward.

It was this particular rock formation that captured my thoughts since visiting the god’s garden.  I saw in it a grieving community of seemingly timeless humans, portrayed by Mother Nature in the simplicity of these weathered rocks.  In this rock formation I saw the bowed heads; the prayerful mourning; the leaning of one on another; the gnashing of teeth:

 

And somehow we humans found a way to turn the meaning of grief on its ear.  Or perhaps we found a way to fully embrace grief with a spirit of lightheartedness; a reminder not to take ourselves or our ponderings too seriously.  We found our release in the simplicity of two unlikely words grouped together and expressed by beloved cartoon characters.  With a simplicity and complexity that speaks volumes:  “Good Grief!

The Table Mountains of Golden: A Wonderful Example of Open Space Parks

For many reasons Golden Colorado has become my favorite city to visit (with regrets to Flagstaff, Arizona).  Golden is probably best known as home to the Coors Brewing Company and the Colorado School of Mines.  It is also the I-70 portal for eastern access to several popular Rocky Mountain destinations.  None of these reasons made my favorite city checklist.  (But I will share that if I were 18 years old and wealthy, I’d definitely be applying to the Colorado School of Mines)

The key reason Golden is my new favorite city to visit is its location within Jefferson County.  Jefferson County has earned serious bragging rights for its “Open Space” program.  This program boasts a series of 28 parks and properties, spread over 52,000 acres, with 210 miles of trails—and many of these trailheads are within the Golden city limits. 

The Open Space program began in 1972 with the vision, energy and support of the good people of Jefferson County.  Voters approved a one-half percent sales tax to preserve open space lands, as well as to maintain the health of natural and cultural resources.  These parks may be considered nationally renowned gems by those in the know, but this Texan was unaware of their existence until arriving and driving around Golden.  (I encourage a look at the Jefferson County website:  jeffco.us to learn more about this wonderful Open Space program.  The website provides detailed park and trail guides.  Or if visiting Golden, definitely stop by the Visitor’s Center to pick up a brochure.  The city’s Bird List brochure pointed the rick-man and me to several trailheads.)

Two of the Open Space parks within the Golden city limits are North Table Mountain and South Table Mountain.  Both of these parks can be accessed via parking lots within neighborhoods.  An important note for my family and friends that are dog owners, both of these park’s trail systems allow dogs on leash with the understanding, of course, that “pick up the poop” rules are followed.

Pictures describe better than words, so...

Walking the outer loop trail of South Table Mountain; the Coors plant and ponds are in the background:

 

Birding South Table Mountain; Rock Wrens were in abundance:

 

My favorite “city hike” was North Table Mountain.  This photo was taken from the trail that leads to the table “top”.  Note the trusty Suburban parked at the bottom of the photo, in the neighborhood trailhead parking lot: 

 

Once “up top” you would never know that the city of Golden surrounds this table mountain:

 

And even with a mid-day hike, the birding was wonderful.  A loose flock of Vesper Sparrows and Brewer’s Sparrows gave great sightings.  Sighting a beautiful Horned Lark was icing on the cake: