2011 - July 20th - Family Vacation Day 2 - Cascade Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park

 July is a "sweeps" month.  In the television industry, that translates to "no vacations"... even though July is largely regarded as the "throw-away" sweeps. 

My extended family (on my mom's side) gets together biannually for a big vacation.  We've done this since I can remember, visiting places from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Lake Tahoe, California to Oglebay, West Virginia to Depot Bay, Oregon and many places in Montana.  For the last two trips, we've gathered at the Snow Mountain Ranch near Tabernash, Colorado. 

I was concerned that I would be unable to make this trip as it was in sweeps and while I didn't ask for any time off, I realized I would be able to attend a couple of days on my normal days off.  If we weren't gathering in Colorado, it probably wouldn't have happened! 

This is just one of several adventures we took on vacation.  See the rest here:   
http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/08/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html (Foggy Night)
http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/10/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html
(Columbine Lake)
http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/10/2011-july-19th-family-vaaction-day-1.html (Falls on Pole Creek)

We were off again early on the second day.  This time, I wanted to check out Cascade Falls near Grand Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Joining me was my Uncle Scott, cousins Brad, Brian, Ashley and Chase.  I had visited this area of the park before, twice hiking the Adams Falls area, one of which I talk about here: http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2009/08/2009-family-reunion-day-three-august.html

The trail to Cascade Falls is a relatively popular one and we had a bit of trouble finding a parking spot but eventually, we were off.  Colorado had experienced an almost historic late-season snowpack, so despite the fact that it was mid July, the rivers and streams were still swollen with meltwater. North Inlet Creek, which the trail paralleled was no exception.  The creek looked more like a river and had no discernible bank.  It simply disappeared into the thick grass of the open meadows.  In stretch, the creek actually encroached upon the trail itself which required a detour. 

North Inlet Creek

After a while, the trail climbs slowly away from the meandering creek.  Into the timber, a small bridge crosses a small stream which I found to be quite photogenic.  

The trail continues on in the timber, climbing well away from but still paralleling the creek.  It's just over three miles to the falls which we found to be more of a cascade than anything else.  In fact, it was difficult to find a vantage point where you could see the "falls" in their entirety.

I busied myself for a while taking pictures, trying to get as many angles as possible.

And then my attention turned to smaller objects.

Everyone was ready to leave at a certain point and I was still running around looking for things to capture images of.  Eventually, they all started to leave so I followed.

On the trail

I picked up the rear almost all the way back and just when I had caught up, I found my idyllic little stream again.  I took a few more minutes to image it.

My favorite shot of the day. 

I caught up to everyone again where the creek had flooded the trail.  They were fishing or were otherwise occupied, so I sat down on a rock, took my shoes and socks off and dangled my legs into the crystal-clear, cool water, sitting in the sunshine for fifteen minutes or so. 

Finally, everyone was ready to head back, so we left together.  A half mile down the road, it was realized that someone forgot something, so if I recall correctly, Chase went back to get it.  We were the last to arrive back at the cars.

Here's a useful map:  (total elevation gain of about 400ft)

 From the trailhead, we met a couple other relatives including my dad at the Grand Lake Brewery. 

Afterward, I left separately and met Erik & Amanda Burns in Granby for a beer and a visit.  Then, it was back to the lodge to hang out with my family for a while longer before I hit the road back to Grand Junction.  The visit was short, but I feel like I made good use of my time!

Sunset

Dann.

2012 - May 8th - Colorado National Monument Petroglyphs, Monument Canyon/White Rocks Area

I had a little time one evening and was looking for a short, easy hike.  So, I decided to see if I could find one or two of the popular petroglyph panels on the "front side" of the Colorado National Monument.

I had been neglecting to donate blood until after my Perseverance Arch hike since it usually takes some of my strength for a few days.  So, down a pint, I headed off to something relatively easy.  I started from the Gold Star Trailhead in the Redlands, an unincorporated but developed portion of Mesa County.

There were two sites I wanted to check out, one in Monument Canyon, northwest of the trailhead.  The second was White Rocks, southeast of the trailhead.  I headed for Monument Canyon first, along the boundary.  Eventually, I came to a fork in the trail which didn't necessarily jive with my map.  I elected to take a trail to the left which gained elevation and appeared to make a pass between some higher terrain, the precambrian bench on the left and a sandstone "island" on the right.  Despite not having a lot of energy, I slowly climbed about 350 feet to the top, huffing and puffing and stopping several times along the way.  All the while, I kept my eyes peeled for 'glyphs, which I found none of.

At the pass, I explored a ledge on the "island".  (I call this an island because it is like a smaller version of the larger "Island" which is a large piece of sandstone sheered by the monocline fault which exists along the edge of the Monument.  This smaller island was formed by similar circumstance.  

From the ledge on the little "island" looking across the east portal of Monument Canyon to "The Island".

Looking back to the southeast along the front side of the Monument.

I lingered there for a few minutes, amused by the birds which flew swiftly by, seemingly inches from my head as they paralleled the cliff face.  Woosh!

Eventually, I decided to head carefully off trail and descend into Monument Canyon.  There was not a trail.  I remained on loose sand and slickrock for the entirety and eventually met up with the trail in the bottom of the canyon. 

Looking back the way I came from the little "island".

There, I came across a small, worn panel right beside the trail.  I had walked past this spot several times before without noticing it. 

Monument Canyon trailside petroglyphs. 

This was not the panel I was looking for, however, so I continued searching the area until I eventually found another.  The rock art was somewhat damaged and quite faint.  The strong lighting did not help, but I attempted to take a couple of images to record the scene.

Not wanting to climb the 350 feet back up to the pass, I decided to find an alternative way back.  According to the map, there is a perimeter trail, but I could not find it.  I did find a large, open portion of fenceline which seemed misplaced anyway.  Based on my bearing, it did not match the angle of the Monument's perimeter.  Directly on the other side was a trail which eventually linked back to the fork I spoke of earlier.  It did not appear as if I was on private land, so hopefully I was not inadvertently trespassing. 

I had a bit of energy left in me as I reached the trailhead, so I took the short trip southeast to White Rocks looking for more rock art.  I found a couple of panels there and may have missed another (which I have seen pictures of). 

Deer in an overhang (I think it's legit).

Just a view to the south.

The other panel.

Close-up.

I hiked around the rocks for a while and then decided to head back to my vehicle as the light was getting low.

Here's a useful map:

Sorry, the petroglyph locations are not marked on the map.  If you really want to see them, you should have no trouble finding them yourself.  As always, remember not to touch, disturb or vandalize the rock art in any way.

Dann.

2011 - July 19th - Family Vacation Day 1 - Falls On Pole Creek

July is a "sweeps" month.  In the television industry, that translates to "no vacations"... even though July is largely regarded as the "throw-away" sweeps. 

My extended family (on my mom's side) gets together biannually for a big vacation.  We've done this since I can remember, visiting places from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Lake Tahoe, California to Oglebay, West Virginia to Depot Bay, Oregon and many places in Montana.  For the last two trips, we've gathered at the Snow Mountain Ranch near Tabernash, Colorado. 

I was concerned that I would be unable to make this trip as it was in sweeps and while I didn't ask for any time off, I realized I would be able to attend a couple of days on my normal days off.  If we weren't gathering in Colorado, it probably wouldn't have happened! 

Intro is from previous entries of 2011's family vacation.
See them here:
http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/08/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html
http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/10/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html

Despite already having been on a decent hike earlier in the day, I was ready for more.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to spend as much time with my family as possible, so I tried to maximize my time by heading out for my next hike after dark.

There was a 20 foot tall waterfall outside of the boundaries of the Snow Mountain Ranch that I had visited before.  (See account here: http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2009/08/2009-family-reunion-day-one-august-5th.html )  I wanted to try something a bit different this time by visiting in the dark of night and using light to paint the falls.

After recruiting the company of my cousin Chase, we were off for the falls at just before 11PM.  The trailhead was only a couple of miles from our lodge and exists on a county road.  At the trailhead, we set off, me with my headlamp and Chase with a flashlight.

There was a sign that warned of large mammals, specifically black bear, moose and mountain lion which were known to be in the area.  That was comforting.

The moon wasn't up yet, so as soon as we were in the timber, it was pitch black out with only the light we were casting and the babble of the nearby stream to keep us company.  It became unnerving quickly.  Whether rational or not, my hackles were up.  We spoke loudly and I clanked the metal legs of my tripod together as we walked as to not surprise any large mammals proficient in biting or trampling.

The trail to the falls is a hair over a mile long with a 400 foot, gradual elevation gain.  We arrived after twenty minutes or so and I sent to work trying to make images. 

My shoes were still wet from the hike earlier in the day, so I had no qualms with standing midstream to get the shots I wanted.  They came out ghostly and I was relatively pleased... though having a stronger light source would have probably done the scene more justice.

We both posed for portraits before heading back.

Finally, while heading back, I could see the moon beginning to appear on the horizon through the trees.  We never did see any wildlife, but it sure felt like there were eyes on us most of the time!  ... and I'm certainly glad I didn't go alone!

Here's a useful map:

Dann.

2011 - July 19th - Family Vacation Day 1 - Columbine Lake, Arapaho National Forest/Indian Peaks Wilderness

July is a "sweeps" month.  In the television industry, that translates to "no vacations"... even though July is largely regarded as the "throw-away" sweeps. 

My extended family (on my mom's side) gets together biannually for a big vacation.  We've done this since I can remember, visiting places from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Lake Tahoe, California to Oglebay, West Virginia to Depot Bay, Oregon and many places in Montana.  For the last two trips, we've gathered at the Snow Mountain Ranch near Tabernash, Colorado. 

I was concerned that I would be unable to make this trip as it was in sweeps and while I didn't ask for any time off, I realized I would be able to attend a couple of days on my normal days off.  If we weren't gathering in Colorado, it probably wouldn't have happened!

Intro from my previous post which can be found here: http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/08/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html


I was excited to do a hike or two on my trip and many of my family members were gung-ho about doing the same.  So, I saddled up with my Uncle Scott and cousins Brian, Ashley, Stacey, Jo, Chase, Brad and his wife (fiancé at the time) Rita.  We were headed for Columbine Lake, which sits at just above 11,000ft on the west side of the Front Range. 

We took two vehicles and were at the trailhead by late morning and it was a beautiful day.

The trail follows Meadow Creek which at this time even in mid-July was still burdened with runoff.  In fact, we encountered meadows which seemed to be flowing themselves, the wildflowers and spongy  plants almost floating.  Occasionally, we had difficulty route-finding as the trail acted as a natural stream.  Early on, I gave up on trying to keep my feet dry.. 

Meadow Creek

The view up-valley to Mount Neva

Eventually, the terrain began to steepen.  We encountered patches of snow here and there, sometimes deep in the shade under trees.  Rita tripped up and cut up her leg but soldiered on.

We then came to an open area with a small waterfall, the trail beyond gaining elevation fast.

Brian taking a picture of the falls

Topping out into a hanging valley of sorts, we found several ponds filled with meltwater and ice bergs!

And just beyond, Columbine Lake...

I hiked around the south side of the lake for a while, looking for waterfalls while others fished, rested or snacked. 

Water, water everywhere

Brian trying his luck

I even took a moment to enjoy the snow...

After a while, it was time to head back. Despite being mid-July, it was a bit chilly out.

Here are several more shots from the return trip:

Whole meadows just seemed to flow

A ribbon cascade

Plenty of snow on the trail

Storm clouds began to brew over the higher terrain as we were finishing up.  I stopped at Meadow Creek Reservoir on the way pack to grab this shot. 

*Note: I don't have an accurate map for this trail because the satellite imagery on Google Earth is shrouded in clouds.  

Dann.