Bluebird Lake

A couple Sundays back, I got up before dawn and drove to the mountains. Specifically, the Wild Basin section of Rocky Mountain National Park about an hour and a half outside Denver. I hiked along St. Vrain's Creek to Ouzel Falls then through snowfields, forests, and canyons to Bluebird Lake at the base of Ouzel Peak. The lake was only just beginning to thaw. Hulking peaks including Longs and Meeker loomed in the not too distance. By the time I finished the 13 mile hike five and a half hours later, the trailhead parking lot was full. I've learned getting there early is the secret to enjoying the scenery in Colorado.

Rainy Black Canyon

Visiting the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in early June is becoming an annual tradition for me. I went the first weekend in June and hiked most of the way down the Gunnison Route in the rain. Downside: mud. Upside: canyon rainbow.