Impression Evergreen

Beaver Brook Canyon Beaver Brook is a lovely, little stream flowing through a deep gorge gouged out of the forested foothills. A trail to the water follows a series of dark and steamy switchbacks descending the north wall. On the way down, pockets of lush wildflowers grow discretely in the dark shadows. At the bottom, where the sun doesn’t shine, a broken trail criss-crosses the cold brook by way of several wooden bridges. Flickering through the dense foliage, the fleeting light is fractured by summer leaves and brush. Like a beast’s lair, the confusion caused by several caves, caverns and rockfalls forms an imposing impediment. Somehow, the stubborn creek continues to carve its way through the ancient chasm of chaos. Nothing stops its relentless course as a number of nice waterfalls slices through the entanglement of natural debris. Ascending out of the deep rock well is a chore but slow and steady is the best way to climb the steep stairway back to the rim. It’s not long...

Beaver Brook On a steamy autumn day, the casual descent into a deep gorge was suddenly transformed into a lesson about underestimation. It began along a pine studded rim, towering above the mysterious depths of a jagged ravine. Carved by a fast-flowing creek called Beaver Brook, the narrow gulch was a fantastical place where sea serpents swam. The farthest reaches of this Front Range wilderness felt just as remote, rugged and awe-inspiring as any piece of land in Colorado. Down at the extreme bottom, a series of twenty footbridges criss-crossed the blue stream while transporting the hemmed in hiker through a picturesque portal. Down there the problems began because the thrilling scenery and ease of passage were short-lived. The steep escape from such a fiery dungeon was a heart-pounding misadventure that was as brutal as climbing any fourteener. The way out was littered with thin ledges, vast drop offs and rock-cut stairwells. A more thoughtful approach was required in ord...

Beaver Brook Reservoir Situated below Old Squaw Pass Road, Beaver Brook Reservoir is a blue pearl offering some solitude in the bustling foothills of Colorado. Getting to the shore is just a short saunter through a dense forest of aspen, pine and fir. A converging perspective and big clouds always seem to create complications in the background. Constructed for confinement, the wonderful watershed allows a steep outlet into an infinite, green gorge. After spending numerous hours near the water’s edge, I’ve never actually seen the lake’s nocturnal namesake. Despite the unfortunate absence, many other creatures are quite common. Deer and elk skirt the forest boundary while out on the rocks, garter snakes seek the sun. Betrayed by its distinctive trill, the elusive kingfisher flees from my camera like a desperate fugitive. Luckily, the mountain landscape is more cooperative as it always keeps perfectly still. I envy the stoic peaks and their unchanging nature because down belo...