Fern Falls and Cub Lake

Another great day to get out for a walk, in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Original plan was to hike from Bear Lake.

But, we didn't get going in time. The parking lot was full before we even got through the park entrance. 

So after a brief re-plan I found another trail that might be accessible, and we went for it. The 8.5 Mile loop went up to Fern Falls and back around Cub Lake.

As it happened there was a shuttle bus, that pulled up as we left the car. Took us a Mile up the busy dusty road, which was nice to avoid.

The first park of the trail meanders with Thompson creek. Then climbs from the pools, up to the waterfall.

A quick back track to the pool, and around to the south side of the valley.

This side had a completely different feel. It had burt in the last few years so was sunny, and the wildflowers and raspberries were abundant !

Also still climbing and right at the Montane elevation

Plenty of water from snow melt and afternoon thunder showers. The flowers and butterflys are loving it.

Butterfly Balm. AKA Horse Mint.

Maddy the Eagle, over Cub Lake.

Lots of Lilly pads on Cub Lake.

Nice to have the cloud shade, I bet it gets hot here on sunny days.

Can't help but smile walking passed all the wildflowers. So colorful.

The red rocks seem much redder in real life.

getting back down in to Moraine Park Meadow land.

Lots of good beaver terrain.

Nice variety of spectacular terrain, views flowers and geology.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Being new to the area and a good time of year to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. We decided to be tourists this day. Knowing it gets busy up there, we left early and went straight to the top visitor center. It's 12,00ft MSL so it is cooler and likely to get thunderstorms in the afternoon anyway.

There are surprisingly few trails from the Alpine Ridge visitor center up top, those few get all the tourist traffic. Our timing was good.

The views are outstanding. In the background the "Never Summer Mountains"

As we walked up the Alpine Ridge overlook I noticed a bunch of elk antlers, at first I thought they were statues.

It wasn't until the return that I realized they were real. I couldn't resist watching these magnificent beasts for a while.

This Coyote nachalantly crossed the road in front of us while we were waiting at some road works. Mt Ida and Mt Julian posed for us above.

Iceberg pass and the tundra zone.

Mushroom rocks, interestingly : the  Dark-colored rock in the cap is Gneisses (is late Paleoproterozoic) and Cream-colored rock in the mushroom stork is Silver Plume Granite (early Mesoproterozoic) the base is 300 Million years younger... 

Much lower elevation at "Many Parks Overlook". Estes Park is over my right shoulder, along with the Needles.

Then we headed to Horse shoe falls, it looked a nice spot for a picnic.

Alluvial.

Maddy took this picture !

Horse shoe falls.

Alan ?

McClure

At the time I knew this was going to be my last McClure for a while, a long while. I was a bit sad about the fact. JT, CRV, Brian and Wayne, I gonna miss those guys.

While the weather wasn't  spectacular it was good enough for some much needed air. The Coyote Howl had already been postponed from a week earlier.

I got to fly with Zac, which is always cool, he generously waited around for me, so we could fly together and took a couple of really awesome pictures !

I landed out the first day in Hornitos, Zac went on to almost complete a triangle via the same spot. He was only a mile short but it was on the other side of the lake, ironically a couple hours to retrieve from. Unless you had a boat!

The next day we flew to La Grange, not far but really challenging, the climbs were often less than the glide back into wind. We stopped in the historic La Grange Saloon for dinner. Terrys daughter owns and runs the place.

Flying with Carmela

I'll miss the consistency and convenience of California coastal flying.

The day was overcast, great for smooth consistent air not so much for photos. A trip over to Westlake, shows the cliff edging its way closer to the windowless church. Looks like it lost another lobe to its parking, just one unusable lobe remains. 

Camela joined me on her spiffy new sport 3.

I flew around and took in a few different angles. Here over Mussel rock.

The wind was southy and bouyant so the glide back to Funston put us pretty high.

Fun to go exploring the space over Daly city golf course.

Saying goodbye to Chris.

Although not in person. Chris died in a situation the confounds the best of us. Why was he there at devils slide, so low? He was a good pilot and knew better than what the situation appears on the surface... He was a good swimmer by accounts, he was seen in the water out of the glider. So many questions and no answers. Two weeks later Friends and Family were pulling together a ceremony. 

Three of us released Chris one final time to the wind, to become part of the nature he so enjoyed.