Impression Evergreen

The vernal equinox Heralding the supposed start of spring, the vernal equinox is marked by more heavy snow. The struggle continues as southern storms wheel into the foothills leaving huge drifts and bitter cold in their wakes. As the wet flakes finally stop falling, the pine forest interior is a perfect place to experience the frosty aftermath. Somehow, these defiant trees manage to survive in the difficult climate that defines this area. Smothered under oppressive clouds, the forest is more silver than gray with hints of color that flicker in rebellious light. The trees are cloaked in an encrusted web of thick snow that binds to the needles like cement. Limber trunks and branches bow under the immense pressure of excessive weight but they never break. The dark, frozen woodland always seems to bounce back after the elusive blue skies return. The storm’s dispersal is certain to compose spectacular scenery as the mountain peaks start to jut out of a veil of smoky mist. The warmer...

April snow showers The wind finally finished whipping through the foothills but now the local climate has become a monsoon. A disruptive rain/snow mix is settled over the Front Range but the much needed moisture has been a godsend. The warmer temps create a heavy slush that pours down out of the gray sky. Day after day, the thirsty landscape is drenched and the dry gullies transformed into a deluge of cold runoff. A blurry curtain of drizzled atmosphere has softened nature’s edges and the big mountains have all but disappeared. Not as monochrome as during a winter storm, the forest still sparkles with a bit of spring color. The birds don’t like the dreary weather so many of them have retreated into comfortable seclusion. I still see robins as they seem to tolerate the cold by fluffing up while hunting for worms. There is one animal up here that thrives under such miserable conditions. Elk are built for the harsh elements so they happily graze, gallop and buck across the so...

Hooded Merganser at Crown Hill Lake On a warm, winter day at Crown Hill Park in Wheat Ridge, Colorado there was abundant wildlife to watch. The inconspicuous refuge is embedded into the outskirts of a bustling, urban corridor. Upon entering the preserve, a coyote was seen pouncing for voles in the wide swath of grassland that encircles the main lake. The stealthy predator was a beautiful canine that has adapted well to life in the big city. Out of the sky, a steady stream of Canada Geese made a noisy landing at the surface’s icy edge. Some of them slid into the open water where they floated freely while others stayed on shore and tucked their beaks into a wing, taking a quick nap. On that Saturday morning a strange looking bird was a surprise visitor that appeared suddenly onto the scene. I was lucky to observe a group of hooded mergansers, four males and one female, fishing in the frigid reservoir. Such striking birds, the males sported white crests that were fanned out i...

The alpine tundra The alpine tundra is a peaceable kingdom set high above the clouds and surrounded by jagged peaks. Located above 11,000 feet in Colorado, the high altitude biome is characterized by an extreme climate. Heavy snow, freezing temperatures, fierce winds and a glaring sun make this domain an inhospitable place to live. In Colorado's Rocky Mountains, paradise has been restored. Astonishingly, a distinct aggregation of plants and animals has managed to adapt to the arctic-style ecosystem. The unique creatures that inhabit such a lofty realm are a tight-knit bunch. They have learned to rely on each other in order to survive in such a harsh habitat. The flora in "the land of no trees" is dominated by dwarfed, perennial ground cover that grows and reproduces slowly. Some plants take two or more years to produce buds, which survive winters below the surface and then open brilliant flowers that bloom during the few weeks of summer. In the fall, an inner lig...

Lake Isabelle About 600 years ago North America experienced a slight cooling that produced colder temperatures, longer winters and increased glaciation. During this Little Ice Age, Colorado's northern Front Range was blasted with precipitation. Year after year heavy snowfall filled the deep, east-facing cirques. Over time, the compressed snow transformed into ice which eventually began creeping down the valleys. The glaciers achieved their maximum extent by 1850, then the climate began warming again. The rebellious rivers of ice have been retreating back up into the mountains ever since, leaving rugged crags and turquoise tarns in their wake. There are only fourteen named glaciers left in Colorado today. Born from the melted ice of Isabelle Glacier, Lake Isabelle is a precious legacy from the Little Ice Age. The bowl of frigid water is contained by a steep-walled basin at the top of a spectacular, flower-infused valley. Jagged peaks are crowded around the shimmering j...