Showing posts with label wildflowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wildflowers. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2016

Colorado: Frisco Hike - August 3

 
I have gotten really behind on documenting our trip to Colorado. We've been so busy trying to make sure we expose Lidia and Sawyer to as much as possible that there hasn't been enough time left in the day to blog. Emily came out on the 4th to stay for a week with us and to take L&S back home. That was yesterday. And as much as I hated to see them go, it will give me a chance now to catch up. I think!  Below, I pick up on a hike we took in Frisco.
 
******
 
Frisco is hosting a 10K race and half-marathon in a few days. Cliff may run the 10K, so he wanted to check out the trails. We began our hike on part of the trail where the race will be held and then veered off through the woods to another trail that paralleled Lake Dillon. Actually, it ran along the shoreline of Lake Dillon. You can not imagine how many hiking trails there are around here. We are hoping to do a different one every day or so, with rest days, for L&S, in between. They really need one tomorrow. Lidia wanted to swim 50 laps, today. Cliff stopped her at 19 laps. Bless her heart, she was so tired, but was trying to meet her goal. She was okay with stopping for the day.

 
Total Miles hiked: 3       Total Time hiking: 1:12 hours
Lidia's swim in the pool: 19 laps
 


 Frisco Marina
 
 I tried to get L&S to wade out to that rock to have their picture made, but they weren't too keen on wading through snowmelt-cold water to get to it or sharing it with the gull. 
 
 
Lidia and Sawyer were more willing to climb out on this piece of
driftwood....they didn't have to get wet.



 
Of course, this trail was not hurting for wildflowers and I couldn't just pass them by. They really are no different than those I've already been photographing, but to me, on different trails they are a different kind of pretty.
 












On another note, Whitney saw a Colorado State Flag painted on a piece of wood that she fell in love with. I don't know how big it was, but it cost $900. Of course, that's not in her budget. I told her I could paint one for her. So, I've been picking up pieces of wood from our hikes. I picked up a piece on our hike, today, that I think will be perfect. However, I wanted to practice on a different piece of wood before painting Whitney's. The weather was perfect on the balcony this afternoon and proved to be a great spot to do a little practice painting.

Hope she likes the prototype. If so, I'll paint the bigger one for her, next week.

I used the watercolors that I brought from home. They worked very well, I think.

Laurie

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Colorado: Sapphire Trail Hike - August 2

 
"Oh boy, Sunflower seeds, num, num, num, num! Thank you, Lidia"
 

The Sapphire Trail was Lidia and Sawyer's favorite hike to date. Why? Because of all the chipmunks and squirrels to feed. Food of choice, sunflower seeds. And, all the rocks to climb. It was a short hike and the vistas were gorgeous. We even saw wooden teepees, no doubt made from the Pine Beetle Kill Trees.

Since this was a short hike and right off the bike path in Dillon, we had plenty of energy for more activities during the day.

 
Total Miles Hiked: 1.12
Cliff 's bike ride: 19 miles 
My bike ride: 8.63 miles
Lidia's swim in the pool: 40 laps

Photo Montage of the Sapphire Trail

Trail and Vista

Heading down the rocky overlook to feed the critters.

Rock Boy

Watching and Waiting

Buffalo Mountain

Lunch Lady

Now that the rock climbing and feeding is done, it's time for the HIKING.

 
Hmmm, have the Indians been here?

 
Oh, No...it's just my beautiful and sweet Carolina Babes.

 
View from the other side of the Sapphire Trail

And last, but certainly not least....Wildflowers along the way.
 
 
More to come,
Laurie




 
 
 


Saturday, July 30, 2016

Colorado: Wildflowers In The Rockies - July 26th

Part two of our hike on the Dillon Reservoir Ridge Trail is about wildflowers in the Rockies. They are so pretty! I got a few good shots of them on our hike the other day. They seem to be past their prime, but I wanted to show them to you, anyway. Now, I certainly don't know the names of all of them, so I'll name the ones I can....

Asters

Prairie Rose

I can't find the name of this one. I love it, though.

Alpine Sunflowers with Alpine Avens on the left side.
Penstemon or Larkspur?

 Alpine Yarrow
Mariposa Lily Flower


Golden Asters, I think.
  
Asters

Fireweed, up close.
Fireweed





Thistle

Colorado Columbine

I may need to buy a field guide. I thought it would be easier to identify these flowers. I'll keep searching and update, when I know.

Talk soon,
Laurie