Bike Trip Reunion-The Things (Critters, and Plants, and Some other Stuff)

Ok, this is the last post of bike trip reunion of pictures.  Forgive me.  Here we have the Cow Whisperer.  The first day we were all together we lost two of the people during a hike.  We searched for them for an hour and a half.  We didn't find them but we found a herd of cattle.

They look somewhat annoyed with the paparazzi.

Whereas this elk looks either perplexed or as if he's trying to give that typical senior class photo head angle where the photographer makes it feel like he's going to snap your neck.  I promise I did not touch the elk.

During his sitting he wanted to make sure I got his good side.  "Here make sure you get a majestic shot, ok?"

He soon lost interest in the whole process and needed a snack.

I dunno what this is other than potential elk salad buffet fixings but it was pretty.

I had to look up this bird online.  I think it's a Clark's Nutcracker. With a name like that I had the unsophisticated thought of a character from a National Lampoon Vacation movie having an unfortunate encounter with this critter.

Look, Hilary!  Not only did I capture a bird but I also captured a chipmunk!  Not easy with all the scampering for seeds and such.

Mr. Lime on top of the world during the hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.  He was excited to set a personal record in terms of altitude reached.  I still hold the family record since I have been to the airport in La Paz, Bolivia (13,323 ft) but Mr. Lime holds the family record for insane activity.  He decided to run the last half mile of the hike.  I moved uphill at a pace that could be characterized as "gasping plod."  Once the path leveled out I resumed the more dignified and non-gasping saunter.

The marker where Mr. Lime stood at 12,304 ft above sea level.

At saunter pace I could enjoy not only the grand vistas from the previous post but the tiny gems among the alpine tundra.  I have no idea what any of these plants are but they intrigued me.

Our hosts/guides told me these were closed up after the peak of blooming earlier in the summer.  they were still kind of translucent even closed up like this.

Even though it was early August it's more or less the end of summer at this altitude. Most things were looking a bit dry though there was lots of colorful lichen all over the rocks.

This lone stem was close to the ground and seemed determined to stand in the face of the harsh winds on top of the mountains.

Bike Trip Reunion-The Places

The view as we took off from Philadelphia.

An ocean wave of clouds.

A reminder of just how flat most of this country is but in a beautiful patchwork.

First day in Colorado.  Our friend took us to hike on his friend's ranch. If you can see the brown rectangle in the orange ridge (kind of halfway across it but toward the top) that's an eagle's nest estimated to be about 10 or 12 feet high and wide...just to give you some perspective.

For a bit more perspective...the front half of the ranch.  From this angle the eagle's nest is just a dot.

A drive to Rocky Mountain National Park.

In the park.

For purple mountains majesty...

Breathtaking...just breathtaking.

Snowfields in the high mountains even in August.

High above the treeline we entered alpine tundra.  This river of rocks is churned up from the constant freeze/thaw cycle.

I just couldn't get over the various views.  I took 345 pictures, folks.  The process of deciding what to post here has not been an easy one.

Another view of the river of rocks.

Leaving the park we drove back down through the canyons outside Estes Park, which is a gorgeous view in its own right.

The next day we flew back home from Denver.  You already know the flight was less than wonderful but this sunset view certainly was a lovely way to end the trip.