Sunday, 29 June 2014
Breakfast was advertised for 6:30. The sign says Bed and Bagel, and that’s pretty much what there was. Well, we have trail mix and snack crackers, so we won’t starve.
We drove to Grand lake, where there is a really short (0.3 miles) trail to Adams waterfall, cool, pretty and deery.
The waterfall turns at a 90 degree angle, and as it happened, the spray was in the early sun.
Fast-moving water is always an irresistible temptation for a fast shutter.
Above and below, experimenting with the fast shutter. Not sure which I like better.
Above the fall, a pleasant but vigorous stream, with more interesting wildflowers.
And wildlife, too. I continue to marvel at the wings, whose leading edges are open.
We drove on up the valley to the Green Mountain trailhead, where we hiked uphill toward Granite Falls. High altitude, and we’re pretty slow; we declared victory at the Big Meadow trail junction.
Fairy slippers, very inconspicuous, easy to miss completely, but well worth a look.
This little guy was busy dissecting a pine cone, and knew perfectly well that I was harmless. “Want to take my picture? Go right ahead!”
The Big Meadow. I’m sure it’s largely marsh — the trail goes around it, not across, but very pretty.
Jacky, showing off our new REI burnoose baseball caps. They work pretty well to keep the sun off, and also resist being blown off by the wind.
Back down in the valley, we stopped at the Holzwarth historic site. From the parking area, it’s a quarter mile in, and crosses the Colorado river. No comparison with the Colorado river in Utah, Arizona or California!
Lots of elk in the distance, and a couple of moose nearby.
Holzwarth is an interesting story. He and his wife homesteaded this land in the 1910s, eventually turned it into a resort.
During prohibition, it was legal to make alcoholic beverages for your own use. There is no doubt, of course, that none of Holzwarth’s production found its way to his friends or resort guests.
A footstool, and no mistake. In fact, there was quite an array of stuffed animal artifacts around the house. Holzwarth learned taxidermy by correspondence course, and good for him!
We drove partway up toward the high country and the continental divide, but turned back at a turnout that give this beautiful view further to the west. Enough. Back to Granby, where we did a little research and discovered Brickhouse 40, where the beer was fine and the food was Greek. Too salty, but they’re hardly the only restaurant to commit that sin.
