Impression Evergreen

Colorado Blue Columbine Winter is here now but not so long ago, the snow-covered meadows were blanketed with colorful blossoms that attracted bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and the artist’s eye. The most revered of these lovely wildflowers is the iconic Rocky Mountain Columbine which blooms from mid-May through July. An avid hiker named Edwin James first discovered the blue columbine while scaling the steep slopes of Pikes Peak. This hardy perennial thrives at high altitude in the mountain west from the foothills up to the alpine. Because of its magnificent display of blue-violet petals, white cup and yellow center, the Rocky Mountain Columbine was designated Colorado’s official state flower in 1899. The elegant, triadic, color scheme is a perfect fit because the blue symbolizes the sky, white our eternal snow and yellow our rich gold mining history. Reclusive despite its beauty, the lovely flower favors moist, rocky soil and it prefers to hide along small streams, near an ...

Columbine on the Chavez Trail Down in Beaver Brook it was a sunny day on the Chavez Trail. Traversing a north-facing slope the dense forest was deep, dark and damp. The little known out and back starts with a steamy descent and you'll finish in a sweaty mess. The strenuous hike is a weekend workout. After such a wet spring, a profusion of Columbine has collected on the moist mountainside. The pretty perennial is Colorado's state flower. Swaying in the summer breeze, these wildflowers appreciate sunlight but prefer cool shade. They're usually seen settled up against a tall pine. Always in the foreground, green grass carpets a cathedral of arched aspen. The altar of open air is a perfect place to commune with nature. If you're searching for silence, Chavez Trail will fill the bill. It's a great place to exercise the heart and soothe the soul. Little known Chavez Trail The forest is dark and damp A strenuous hike Colorado Columbine, th...

Incredible Yankee Boy Basin "Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking stick". ~ JRR Tolkien In a land far, far away there exists such a place. An ancient volcano has been sculpted into a castle of pinnacles and spires. A ring of peaks with names like Teakettle, Cirque, Kismet, Gilpin, Stony and Potosi encloses a magical, green passageway. Famous for its turquoise lakes and sparkling waterfalls, the alpine garden is bursting with dazzling wildflowers. Mount Sneffels looms over the valley as the undisputed ruler of an extraordinary kingdom. The rigid monarch forms an imposing barrier between paradise and reality. A clear blue sky gives way to afternoon rain showers. Thunder demands the traveler must leave. The incredible journey has come to an end so it's time to return to our shire. As gray clouds draw near a...