Impression Evergreen

A Talk with the Woods “Go sit under a tree and listen and think.” ~ Walt Whitman This week's post is written by my uncle, Jerry Covault. Jerry is a retired United States Forest Service Ranger. During his 33 years spent working on National Forests in Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, he has learned about the relationships between mountains, forests, soils, weather, fire, animals and people. Jerry shares some of his unique experiences in his new book "About Forests and People". He resolves to stimulate interest and curiosity about trees and forests and how people use them both through the ages and at present time. Jerry also discusses the problems our forests and environment have today and he suggests a few things that can help. The following essay by Jerry Covault is taken from his book "About Forests and People". A Talk with the Woods Fragment: From the Alfoxden Notebook (I) And never for each other shall we feel As we may feel, till we

Epaulet Mountain I've been here before, up at the top of Mount Evans Road. But on this day, I'm not sure which way to go. Wasting no more time, I've made up my mind. It's Epaulet Mountain that I'm going to climb. Here I go again on my own. In the shadow of Evans and Bierstadt, Epaulet is a humble hill that's always been outshone. During this lonely trek of dreams, I'm miles above treeline and totally alone. Across the way there's lovely Rosalie. Pointed peaks pierce the sky like remote islands in a vast, blue sea. After a solitary scramble to the summit, the extraordinary view is impossible to measure. Hiking the natural pathway out to a farther point is an absolute pleasure. Overlooking a deep abyss of solitude, it's a remote sanctuary where I've gone. I'll keep searching for an answer. Oh Lord, I pray you give me the strength to carry on. I've been here before Not sure which way to go Mount Bierstadt and Evans

Land of the Dead Tree Off we went On an ordinary hike Heard the woeful coo of a mourning dove. High on the ridge The sound resonated in our hearts And raised us up nine thousand feet above. To the Land of the Dead Tree Our journey began at the Old Cabin Crossing, a neglected remnant of days gone by. We continued on a lonely path through mysterious Dark Forest all the way up to Windy Saddle. From there we traversed prickly Cactus Pass and climbed onto Flattop Rocks. Racing daybreak, we dashed under Sunshine Arch into a high mountain meadow. There it was... The Land of the Dead Tree. Just in time, golden grasses were flickering in the morning light. Blue Volcanoes appeared hazily in the east and Bergen Peak was a stoic sentinel to the south. The Western White Mountains of the Great Divide were a spectacle. We soaked in the sun but on the shortest day of the year, rays began to vanish. As the afternoon faded into evening, we had to say goodbye. Because as you

It's been frightfully cold in Evergreen The wind won't stop howling, the forest is cloaked in a mysterious light. Somber foothills are set against, majestic mountains of a ghostly white. The weather in Evergeen can be scary, that's what makes the seasons such a treat. Especially the summers, they're oh-so-sweet. This December, it's been frightfully cold. Just look at the thermometer, it says eighteen below. The gusts blowing down through the meadow, will make your bones ache. Under gray clouds drifting, old boots blaze a trail to the frozen lake. Up here, you learn to live with extreme weather. The summers are short, persistent winters seem to last forever. Don't be afraid, artistic storms paint with a thick impasto. It's Christmas time in the Rockies, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Painted with a thick impasto Winters seem to last forever Weather in Evergreen is unique