Impression Evergreen

"Evergreen Lake, Winter" Colored Pencil The narrow inlet to the lake has finally broken free from winter's icy grip. The chilly water is motionless and reflects the shadowy pine trees. Overcast skies have softened the cool, morning light and the hues are muted. A patch of yellow cattails provides a bright contrast to the somber, blue color scheme. The drawing is an expression of the contemplative solitude experienced during a late, winter storm at Evergreen Lake. During this time of the year, prodigious snowstorms and blizzards descend upon the lake liberating giant snowflakes that come pouring down like rain for days on end. Visibility of the surrounding peaks fades in and out depending on the ebb and flow of the steel-gray clouds that veil the landscape in a mysterious aura. It's my favorite time to wander around the shoreline because of the peace and quiet. Surprisingly, one of the most crowded spells at the lake is also the coldest. From mid-December unti

The Castle In September, the cast and crew of Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot television series visited nearby Bailey, Colorado. One of our favorite shows, its a documentary that follows four Bigfoot researchers across the country in their quest to prove that the elusive creature exists. They were in town to investigate recent encounters in our area and interview local eyewitnesses. The Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) is certain that Sasquatch survives in Colorado. Pike National Forest just south of here is considered the perfect habitat. It's a remote wilderness that's heavily forested with lots of water and a stable elk and deer population. Bigfoot expert Keith Foster explains the situation here in Colorado. "Trying to find a Sasquatch in a forest is like trying to find a highly trained sniper who wants to hide in that forest, nearly impossible. Essentially, a Sasquatch is like a very stealthy puma with reasoning powers that may dwarf the reasoning

The restored Dunafon Castle Lair O' the Bear Park is nestled in a steep canyon about six miles east of Evergreen, Colorado. John and Matilda Johnson emigrated from Sweden with their two young boys and purchased the narrow meadow in 1902. They named it Mountain Nook Ranch, built a four-bedroom house and raised Red Durham cattle. Their two sons, Finis and Francis, attended school in nearby Starbuck, now known as Idledale. It was originally named for John Starbuck who won the town property in a poker game. John Johnson was a master gardener and his popular, fresh produce was sold in Evergreen and Denver. They planted over 200 cherry and apple trees in the area. If you look closely many can still be found throughout the park today. The unruly Bear Creek sculpted the beautiful scenery and provided the needed irrigation for productive crops but it also wreaked plenty of havoc. There was a constant fear of extreme flooding. The Lariat Trail (Highway 74 today) crossed Bear Creek s

The abandoned Caribou townsite The abandoned townsite of Caribou, Colorado is situated high in the Rocky Mountains west of Boulder just below the continental divide. It's the place where the winds are born and if you listen closely you can still hear the echoes of a glittery past. Silver was discovered on the hill in 1868 and a small mining camp was quickly organized. It's less than a ghost town now with just a few dilapidated structures still remaining but it's not the architecture that drew me here. I'm interested in the stories about the extraordinary people who gave Caribou its life. With high-grade silver ore coming out and Eastern investment dollars pouring in, the news spread internationally. A congregation of daring souls from Cornwall, United Kingdom, whose hard rock mining skills were in high demand, risked everything and immigrated to Caribou. The carpenters, merchants and common laborers were American but the heart and soul of the camp were the expert