Wild Basin Hike

On the Monday after July 4th we all drove up to the southern corner of Rocky Mountain National Park to hike Wild Basin. The trail leads past a rushing mountain stream and Copeland and Ouzel Falls are quite spectacular. The day was a little overcast but it seemed to make the white froth of the waterfalls glow even brighter, and the Indian paintbrush too.

I remembered again how fine it is to have kids who have grown up and still like hanging out with us once in awhile and found a moment to be grateful. We had some good conversation hiking up the trail. There were a lot of people of all ilks hiking along, including several youth groups, who we found a couple of times sitting on logs lining the trail having their own heartfelt conversations.

We saw a chipmunk, and later on the way back down a deer crossed the trail a few feet in front of us. The doe was skittish, but willing to be photographed from a distance.

A fire rushed through parts of Wild Basin a few years ago, so there are areas still rejuvenating from the burn in a way I find quite fascinating - it reminds me of hope. The brilliant green of the ferns in these areas always draws my attention as well as the green tips of the pine needles; who says it isn’t green in Colorado (ex-Hoosiers sometimes say this, but they are wrong).