Old Men and Meanderings
View of Chapin Peak et al from Horseshoe Meadow
As I left the house, the sky was socked in and it looked like a dreary, rainy day was upon me. Not so.
Started the day in Horseshoe Meadows, onward and upward via Fall River Road. Beautiful views, wildflowers, toes in the creek, and I provided breakfast for more than a few mosquitoes.Abstraction - Old Man 1
Tundra at last. Clear sky, clean air, the ever-present breeze. I fell in love, once again, with the Old Men. (Rydbergia grandiflora, Old Man of the Mountain or Alpine Sunflower). These flowers are extraordinary, the hillsides where I hiked were covered with their smiling faces.Hours pass - the breeze is still blowing, what a beautiful day. On to Trail Ridge Road - I was surprised by a group of young bulls and females on their way to some very important social event. Extraordinary views - looking west to the Never Summer range, east to Long's Peak. I provided lunch for the pollinating flies . . .