Impression Evergreen

Mtn Muhly Trail Starting in a quiet corner of Alderfer Park, Mtn Muhly Trail descends into a steep gulch gouged by a little stream called Coneflower Creek. A grove of aspen sparkles in the late light as its long shadows tumble over the embankment and disappear into a ribbon of black water. During winter, the cup-shaped valley is a barren landscape steeped in an aura of forbidding mystery. The confusion of branches and brush makes for a messy scene but there is a certain charm to be found in nature’s tangle of wild forms. The slim ravine stretches easily through a dense forest of fir and spruce where only the tips of the tallest trees are lit by the golden ambiance of a setting sun. Climbing up and out of the chasm isn’t too much of a problem as the path empties into a rugged stand of lodgepole pine. Weaving its way through a maze of old growth, a rocky route traverses the steep western slopes set below the Three Sister Peaks. Just as it begins to get dark, the ominous woodla...

An autumn excursion September is an unpredictable month that is sometimes warm and sunny, sometimes cold and windy. It’s that slice of the year when the people, plants and wildlife are in an urgent transition as they prepare for the inevitable winter hardships. The weather this fall in the foothills has been mild so the dried grasses are a warm mixture of orange and brown. Most of the aspen trees are just beginning to change but in the deepest, darkest drainages, the groves are glowing bright yellow. During our last excursion, along the forest’s edge, we watched as a herd of elk grazed heartily while the bull bugled theatrically. A family of Abert’s squirrels gathered food furiously and horded it safely in the heights of a ponderosa pine. Most of the birds are gone but a few will stay through the cold including the hardy red-tailed hawk who will extract voles directly out of the snow. It must be the finches’ favorite time of the year as they feed on the seed-bearing thistle ...

A cluster of backlit pine On a tranquil autumn evening, the entry into Elk Meadow is ablaze with a carpet of fiery grasses. A cluster of backlit pine clings to a rocky hillside while broken clouds stream across the powder blue. Sprawling below the surreal sky, an orange countryside rises steadily to the fringe of a dark behemoth named Bergen Peak. Further up the rocky trail and a patch of aspen makes its last stand before winter as its leaves are just now starting to turn. From the shallow recess of a secluded hollow, a solitary pine extends its tangled branches in a wooded embrace. On the brink of a broad ridge there’s a lofty overlook where you can watch the last of the day’s light disappear and our colorful season come to an end. Ablaze with fiery grasses Bergen Peak is a dark behemoth Patch of turning aspen A secluded hollow The evening's last light disappears

Golden Foothills Framed by wildflowers, a big, violet boulder marks the beginning of the way up into golden foothills. Around the bend, a slope of mixed vegetation leads to a broken ridge and the blue storm clouds beyond. The first hint of fall is a surreal splattering of yellow leaves below a pine bough of arched and broken branches. In the low light, a grove of turning aspen seems to glow when set against the coniferous forest. Their white trunks undulate like wispy ghosts disappearing into the darkness. Under threatening clouds, some must stand alone engulfed by a sea of black trees while we get drenched by a deluge of freezing rain. A boulder marks the beginning Slope of mixed vegetation A surreal splattering Glowing aspen grove Wispy ghosts Some must stand alone

Alderfer Park On a warm morning at Alderfer Park, a wave of clouds streaks across the sky, painting the landscape with blue shadows. The shallow ravine is running dry so yellow grasses have taken over the high ground. The golden meadow is absolutely bursting with a profusion of pink and purple perennials. As I continue to wander, a grove of aspen offers some cool relief while that field of wildflowers thrives in the mid-summer sun. Now in the forest, the light becomes dappled as it barely shines through a fresh canopy of transparent leaves. Even during an afternoon thundershower, descent from the steamy wilderness is a sweaty withdrawal. A wave of clouds The ravine is running dry Golden Meadow Field of wildflowers Dappled light A steamy wilderness

Beaver Brook Reservoir Along the trail to Beaver Brook and a grove of aspen is awash in golden ambiance while wavering in a warm, summer breeze. The sun is just beginning to set so the pine trees are backlit, making for a strange silhouette. Glowing mountains brood over the water’s edge where tall grasses flicker in the fading light. Around the bend it’s blue hour and a rocky, forest outcrop is dipped precariously into the dark inkwell. The Beaver Brook Watershed is a rugged ravine that has carved its niche into this remote wilderness. At the eastern edge during an unceremonious exit, the evening’s last light floods a soggy bog of orange woodland. Awash in golden ambiance Pine trees are backlit Tall grasses flicker A forest outcrop Rugged ravine Orange woodland