The Divide

The Divide

Monday, February 27, 2012

Snowy RMNP


I love Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in the summer. The summer weather at altitudes ranging from 7,000 to 12,000 ft. varies from warm to quite cool.  These are the altitudes I have access to by road and trail when I am there in summer since I'm not a mountain climber.  The highest elevation in the park is 14,256 at the summit of Long's Peak.  The park in the winter is like a different world.  There is almost always more snow in the park than you will see in Estes Park.  This day was particularly beautiful with a clear sky.  Yes, it was cold--the temperatures were probably in the high twenties, which actually doesn't feel too bad as a result of the sun and reflective qualities of the snow.  I loved it.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Snowy Drive


Snow is beautiful, snow is fun, but not if you have to drive very far in it.  Actually, at the time the snow is falling, unless it's a blizzard/whiteout, the driving on most east-slope Colorado roads isn't too bad.  But during the next several days, especially if the temps go above freezing during the day and it all refreezes at night, then it can be unpleasant or even dangerous.  In this situation, the snow has melted and refrozen during the night so you have a layer of ice on the road and no traction.  Fortunately, for retirees, most of the time it is not necessary to go out, and the roads are plowed really quickly, so one is not trapped at home for too long.  The photo above was taken near Allenspark, Colorado, during a nice drive on a (lightly) snowy day.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Spring Already?

Now the folks in Colorado would find this to be, well, just weird.  But Spring seems to have begun in Houston.  Red maples, redbuds, pears, and plums are starting to bloom. The ash trees have new leaves, and many flowers that survived the very warm winter are already blooming.  The photo above shows a few of the blooms on my Meyer Lemon tree--it is just covered with blooms.  If even a small percentage make fruit, it will be a really big year for lemons.  When spring starts this early, we all just hope that a late cold front doesn't appear on the scene and nip all the new growth.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Texas Skies

I love open areas like prairies and meadows where there are unobstructed views of the sky.  These photos were both taken near Brenham, Texas in December and January.  I find the winter skies interesting as cold fronts come through and then clear skies emerge with the cirrus clouds like those in the top photos.  In the bottom photo, the colors of the sky almost made me feel as if the colors of the Bluebonnet flowers that this area is known for are being seen in the sky--soon to fall to the earth and cover the area with spring blooms.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

A Lucky Day


I guess today will qualify as random thought day--sometimes brought on by icky weather and staying indoors. I took this photo near Talkeetna, Alaska.  Talkeetna is a very "frontier" looking town of log buildings--geared for tourists, with some interesting shops and restaurants.  It is situated where three rivers meet to form the Susitna River.  A short walk down to the river reveals spectacular views of  Mt. McKinley (in photo) and other peaks of the Alaska Range.  We were told that only about 20 percent of people who visit Alaska in the summer are able to get a glimpse of the mountain.  It is usually obscured by clouds, so it was our lucky day.  Actually, we were also lucky to get more views the next day on our road trip up to the vicinity of Denali National Park.  But you can't be lucky every day--the day after that when we rode the buses into the National Park and reached the overlook--nothing but clouds and fog.   Alaska is spectacular, but seemed very remote to me and to say "large" would be the understatement of all time.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Living with Seasons

It is a pleasure to spend time in a place that actually has seasons.  As a retiree, you really don't need to worry about having to drive to work in the snow or ice.  Just have plenty of food in the house and your computer, TV, and some books-as well as some art supplies and sewing equipment.  Oh yes, and plenty of cat food!  Have the  firewood ready to go in the wood stove if the power should go off.

Who needs to go anywhere?  Even so, if you get cabin fever, you can put on your ice spikes, snow shoes, or cross country skis and take a nice walk.  In a few months, spring and summer will show up all green with flowers.  Then the fall with beautiful leaves and crisp temperatures.

All this and no humidity, misquitoes, or roaches (Texans take note).  A small town atmosphere with lots of caring people.  And wonderful scenery--so keep the camera handy. Am I sold on Estes Park--yup!  Just can't be beat!!

Monday, February 6, 2012

A Winter Day at Lily Lake

Lily Lake lies along Colorado Highway 7 south of Estes Park.  It is surrounded by a handicapped accessible trail that is probably the flatest trail in Colorado.  Technically, it is within Rocky Mountain National Park, but it is accessed from a parking lot that is right beside the highway.  It's a popular picnicing and fishing spot in the summer.  On a clear winter day, with the contrasts provided by the dark green trees, rocks, and snow, the beautiful Colorado blue sky just POPS!

Hungry after your walk on the trail, but don't want to picnic by the lake?  The famous Baldpate Inn is just across the highway--from May thru October you can check out their dining room for a fantastic soup, salad, and pie lunch buffet:  http://www.baldpateinn.com/Baldpate.menu.html

Sunday, February 5, 2012

A Trip to the Country

A short day trip to Roundtop and Brenham, Texas, yesterday.  A 2 hour drive takes one from the metropolis of Houston to a different world.  Roundtop is known for it antiques festival and arts and crafts shopping.  It is just a spot in the road really, but has several restaurants whose decor reflects their setting (rustic), and their food is wonderful.  A fiber arts show was in progress at one of the galleries and had wonderful art including handmade furniture and clocks, pottery, glass works, paintings, jewelry, and more.  We topped off our trip with a visit to the Brenham Art League's Gallery before heading back to the city.  We resolved to return to Brenham for a tour of the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory and associated tastings.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Old Ponderosa Pines


In what is called the Montaine Forests along the Front Range of the Rockies, between 6,000 and 9,000 feet, the Ponderosa Pine dominates the forest.  These are very long-lived trees, with some in the American west documented to be in the 700-800 year old range.  Trees of that age are rare, but those in the 200 to 500 year range are much more common.  At about 200 years, Ponderosas start to take on the look of an old tree, a flattened or sparse crown, fewer small limbs, but some very large ones.  Sometimes the top of the tree will look craggy and dead.  It is not unusual for these older trees to be 150-180 feet tall.  Many of them have survived several forest fires.  Scientists have taken core samples, or studied the stumps of old trees that were cut and dated many trees to the mid-1500's.  In the area around Estes Park and locales to the north and south in Larimer and Boulder counties, there are some of these 450 year old trees.  And 200 year old trees are quite common.

The tree in the photo above grows along Carriage Drive in Estes Park.  It shows the signs of great age, but I don't have a clue exactly how old it is.  Last summer, at night the hoots of an owl could be heard coming from it--perhaps it served as a nesting tree.