Bergen Peak - A Gentle Giant

Bergen Peak

Looming over Elk Meadow, Bergen Peak is a moody mountain characterized by long trails, steep terrain and abundant wildlife. Morning light gilds the peak with warmth but by dusk, deep shadows can only be expressed with dark blue.

The forest’s edge is always full of activity, featuring a variety of vocal birds, foraging rodents and grazing ungulates. It’s always surprising to spot reptiles so high up but I often see garter snakes stretched out across the trail.

A wet spring has triggered a profusion of wildflowers on the sunny, south-facing slopes while further along, a dense section of lodgepole pine is dark and devoid of much life. Brightening the way, a few aspen are still struggling to grasp some sunlight.

As you get closer, the path starts spiraling towards the top where rocky outcrops offer awesome views all the way around. The secluded summit is crowned with wind-blown trees and governed by a gang of hungry ground squirrels.

The trip back down may take some time but it’s not near as strenuous. Looking up from the meadow, Bergen appears to be a brutal behemoth but if you get to know the peak personally, you’ll discover that it’s really just a gentle giant.

Long trails and steep terrain

Dark blue at dusk

The forest's edge

It's surprising to see snakes

A profusion of wildflowers

Aspen struggling for sunlight

Spiraling towards the summit

Awesome views all around

The top is governed by ground squirrels

Bergen is a gentle giant

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lair O' the Bear and Dunafon Castle

Image
The restored Dunafon Castle Lair O' the Bear Park is nestled in a steep canyon about six miles east of Evergreen, Colorado. John and Matilda Johnson emigrated from Sweden with their two young boys and purchased the narrow meadow in 1902. They named it Mountain Nook Ranch, built a four-bedroom house and raised Red Durham cattle. Their two sons, Finis and Francis, attended school in nearby Starbuck, now known as Idledale. It was originally named for John Starbuck who won the town property in a poker game. John Johnson was a master gardener and his popular, fresh produce was sold in Evergreen and Denver. They planted over 200 cherry and apple trees in the area. If you look closely many can still be found throughout the park today. The unruly Bear Creek sculpted the beautiful scenery and provided the needed irrigation for productive crops but it also wreaked plenty of havoc. There was a constant fear of extreme flooding. The Lariat Trail (Highway 74 today) crossed Bear Creek s...
Read more

Ibis - A Symbol for Danger and Optimism

Image
White Ibis The white ibis is a wading bird that is very common throughout Florida. Their traditional habitat has always been the Everglades but they've recently adapted to a more urban environment. During our visit there this past summer, we frequently saw ibises on freshly mowed lawns rooting for large bugs as well as stalking aquatic prey along the shoreline of ponds, lakes and marshes. These splendid, white birds have evolved a long, downward-curved bill. This distinctive feature has helped them develop into efficient hunters. Their legs are long enough to wade in shallow water but they are also perfectly at home on dry land where they can use their pink beak to probe for insects. The white ibis is a symbol for danger and optimism because Native American folklore held that the bird was the last to seek shelter before a hurricane and the first to emerge afterwards.
Read more

An Approaching Storm - Colored Pencil Drawing

Image
"An Approaching Storm" Colored Pencil In the midst of an already grievous winter, an approaching storm gradually extinguishes the landscape’s last sliver of light. The inclement weather rushes in aggressively as it envelopes the magnificent range of rugged peaks. Extending across the page, a strip of turquoise sky is still visible above the embattled scenery. It won’t be long, though, before a cloak of cool-gray smothers the valley in a shroud of deep snow. The high mountains assume a defiant posture as their sharp edges tear through the soft atmosphere, creating patches of bare rock. The kaleidoscope of broken terrain sparkles in blue-violet before the impending storm’s onset. The forested foothills are distinguished by three different, overlapping tiers of conifers. As the woodland ramparts recede into the distance, the wintery colors gradually become several shades bluer. The wide, white meadow sweeps across the foreground, its smooth surface decorated with elongated shado...
Read more