Impression Evergreen

"Bergen Peak Summer" Watercolor It’s a warm, summer day in Evergreen, Colorado where Elk Meadow is dry and yellow. Weathered ranch structures provide contrast with the profusion of fresh wildflowers. The imposing Bergen Peak serves as a darkened background while low clouds drift across the shimmering, blue sky. At 9,200 feet, its lofty summit is a regional landmark. People don't describe this mountain as awe-inspiring but the views from the top are. Bergen doesn't attain the same status as a fourteener and some even dismiss it as just another foothill. The lovely crag is just down the street so I’ve spent lots of time on its steep slopes. Over the years I've learned not to underestimate the gentle giant because it can become quite surly. The easy accessibility and excellent trail system make this park a local hot spot. During the summer, the paths are flooded with hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The resilient mountain ta

"The Flatirons" Colored Pencil The unique Flatirons rock formation is an indisputable highlight of Colorado's Front Range. Situated just west of Boulder, the peculiar peaks are an uncanny reflection of the quirky town they have come to symbolize. Laced with a cascade of verdant pine, the Flatirons thrust skyward in a perpetual state of spectacular confusion. Speckled with orange and violet, the apathetic crags are pockmarked with holds and cold to the touch. The sizzling, summer sun has bleached out the cerulean sky and scorched the ochre meadow. Gnarled ponderosa pine are shedding their dry needles neutralizing the cool, green trees with some warmth. The eternal Flatirons have resisted the destructive forces of nature for more than 80 million years. In an ever-changing world, there's something comforting about the permanence of these striking, sandstone slabs.

The majestic, purple mountain Towering over Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak has been inspiring artists, explorers, gold seekers and presidents for over 200 years. In 1806, from out on the fruited plain, Zebulon Pike first beheld the majestic, purple mountain. He named it Grand Peak but early trappers and soldiers refused to call the megalith anything but Pikes Peak. Zeb felt compelled to climb the challenging alp as he led a party of trailblazers in a failed attempt to reach the summit. Upon his return, he wearily admitted that the mountain would probably never be climbed. The half-marathon distance from base to the summit was finally attained in 1820 and by 1873 the U.S. Army had established a military installation at the top of Pikes Peak. President Ulysses Grant hoped that meteorological data gathered from the summit of the high peak would assist in predicting volatile weather patterns circulating toward the east. He believed the valuable information would be critical in forecas

U.S. Grant Peak Colorado became the 38th state to join the Union on August 1, 1876. President Ulysses S. Grant issued the proclamation. Today, the massive U.S. Grant Peak forms a dramatic backdrop for glittering Ice Lake Basin. Mirrored in Island Lake, the rugged mountain reflects the personality of the man to whom it owes its name. From unexceptional beginnings, General Grant moved up through the ranks during the Civil War. He eventually commanded all Union armies and accepted Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, Virginia. Championed as a popular war hero, Grant easily won the presidency in 1868. His administration proved disappointing though, as his two terms were marred by scandals and substantial charges of corruption. Late in life, Grant contracted throat cancer. Racing against time, he completed a two volume, tour de force of Personal Memoirs. Written in pencil on lined pads of writing paper, the work is considered one of the most resolute accounts of war in Amer

Mount Sneffels is the Queen of the San Juan Mountains At the Dallas Divide, a restrained landscape of lower hay fields gives way to riotous slopes of quaking aspen and colorful wildflowers. Rising above tree line is a sweep of rugged terrain composed of banded layers of rock, steep crags and serrated ridges. Positioned majestically amongst these enormous peaks is the "Queen of the San Juans". Mount Sneffels is one of the most beautiful peaks in Colorado. The diamond-shaped, east face of Longs Peak is spectacular and the Maroon Bells are picture-perfect, but my favorite mountain is Sneffels. The odd name comes from the Hayden Survey of 1874. They thought the peak resembled the Icelandic, Snaefell volcano featured in Jules Verne's novel Journey to the Center of the Earth . My two brothers and I reached the top of the world when we summited Mount Sneffels a few years ago. We bypassed the standard route that ascends a steep, scree-filled gully. Instead, we chose to s