A local hike through the alpine woods of Grouse Mountain seemed like the right medicine for a beautiful Colorado Sunday morning so I loaded up my camera and headed for the hills. Much to my satisfaction, when I arrived there was no one at the trailhead. I would have the mountain to myself. Unfortunately as I hiked the steep access trail a carload of tourists roared up the hated road to the summit. When I arrived they were already out of their huge SUV tearing around with their loose dogs, scaring away any chance I might have had with the local wildlife 🙁
No matter, a quick hike through the woods to the second summit, Big Grouse Mountain, would do the trick. No one ever makes that hike, and up there I would have the chance of spotting the elusive dusky grouse that I so enjoy photographing! Soon I popped through the forest into the solitude that often accompanies 11,000 feet of elevation 😉 There I stopped for rest and some nourishment before continuing on. I opened my energy bar and took a bite. Something didn’t taste right so I took a closer look and it appeared that perhaps some mold had formed on the surface… a closer look revealed what appeared to be a couple of worms 🙁 They weren’t moving and could have possibly been some kind of grain or herb, but in my mind they were worms, so much for nourishment.
I decided at that point to shoot a video so I got my microphone out of my bag and explained my intentions for the day. The wildflowers are magnificent today so I shot a bit of footage of the color spreading out before me in the high clearing. Eventually I was back on my way along the faint trail at the top of the ridge. Soon I noticed that my new microphone was no longer in the hot shoe where it belonged so I was forced to retrace my steps in search of it 🙁 Thankfully I was able to recover it near the location where I shot the video. This time I returned it safely to it’s home in my backpack.
I never did see the dusky grouse but I got some nice wildflower pictures, a couple with huge bumblebees and a few nice shots of an accommodating mountain bluebird 🙂 Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video and if you enjoy the content I hope you will subscribe to my channel!
Whew. Glad you we able to retrace and locate!
The bird is beautiful – a grouse? Somehow I thought a grouse would look grumpier…
I hear the Mts/parks are begging tourist to stay away. Denver has an interesting “proposal” for businesses about their employees that commute – despite struggling to recover from extended lockdown. Do you think the CO Gov will soon ask tourist to park at the borders and load onto commuter rail/transport to get to destinations? HaHa. (actually the mobs and traffic are not funny at all – as you note. Sierra Club predicted this invasion in the 70’s and people laughed)
Glad you managed to find a bit of space..hope the animals can too
The bird was just a Mountain Bluebird, but they are very pretty! I don’t know what they are going to do about the crowds, with the labor shortage it’s possible some businesses will have to cut down on their hours or shut down for a bit. employees who are working are being overworked, lots quitting.
We have a bluejay relative of your mt. bluejay, but nothing like this one. Blue is such a rare color in nature.
I guess it’s great more are outside, but many seem to come without outdoor manners or understanding of fragile environments. Between human erosion and too few employees, limiting access may wedge itself in…and nobody really wants/likes that.
Maybe football, open schools, and cold weather will provide a distraction
(Meanwhile relish the quiet times while you can. )