Impression Evergreen

Abert's Squirrel Some years I barely see them at all but this summer the Abert’s Squirrel has been unusually conspicuous. They have allowed me to document, through photography, their delightful behavior.  The younger ones are especially curious and playful as they scurry down within arm’s length, taunting me to come closer. If I resist the dare, they continue to close the gap but if I make the slightest twitch, they rocket back to the tree trunk. Exhibiting no fear of heights, the mature adults perch safely on tree limbs high above the forest floor. Early mornings are spent on the ground cautiously collecting pinecones for breakfast. The large, bushy tail and long ear tufts are the distinctive features of this endearing creature. Compared to the rowdy, little red squirrel, who thinks it owns the forest, the Abert's is quite charming. A story about the simple life of a squirrel may seem tedious but we can learn much from its interesting and complex partnership with the p...

"White Bergen Peak" Colored Pencil It is daybreak after a big storm and a white Bergen Peak is like an apparition rising out of an undulating field. Blanketed by fresh snow, the mountain’s bulky form is defined by sharp, gray shadows. A dormant grove of ochre aspen clings to the pale behemoth’s lower slope while dark trees dot the valley floor in the distance. A receding ridge line is set at an angle as it cuts through the middle of such spectacular scenery. Cast as the center of interest, a ponderosa pine creates a striking profile against a backdrop of open air. It’s curving, crimson trunk is topped by a bright green canopy whose beautiful blue shadows melt into the heavens. As the moisture dissipates, an ominous, cobalt-colored sky gradually gives way to sparkling cerulean. A flood of warm sunlight sets the grassland on fire as interlocking shapes of red, yellow and orange sweep across the foreground. The barrage of bad weather is just beginning so it won’t be...

Ponderosa Pine 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". Ponderosa pine is handsome and it gets big. To be in a stand (a foresters’ term) of big ponderosa with their orange plates of thick bark shining in the sun is akin to being in a grand cathedral - be...

"Evergreen Overlook" Colored Pencil Out of all of the drawings I’ve ever done, this is one of my favorites. An ambitious project, the composition is larger than usual for me so it took a tremendous amount of time and patience to complete. It was deeply influenced by master artists such as Benton, Kent and O’Keeffe. The arrangement was thoughtfully simplified in order to capture the essence of our mountain corridor called Evergreen, Colorado. From the southern slopes of Genesee Mountain, the Front Range foothills are carefully unfurled. Filled with smooth gradations, the billowing landscape is shaded like a piece of wrinkled clothing. The verdant mountains get gradually lighter and bluer as they recede into the distance. Crowning the rugged skyline, the snowy Mount Evans Massive is partially obscured by low-lying clouds. The dead ponderosa pine is the focal point as a halo of reflected light glows against the darkest passage. The skeletal structure of the red snag...

Bergen Park, Colorado A sweet little preserve located just north of Evergreen, Bergen Park is an often overlooked stretch of ponderosa pine. The mature forest towers above its immediate surroundings, creating an eternally shaded retreat. Thomas Bergen was the first to settle on the land when he built a log cabin here in 1859, calling it Elk Park. Soon after, a mining camp sprang up and the bustling community earned a stagecoach stop. By 1915 the area was accessible by automobile, providing views of the Rockies, and situated on gentle hills well-suited for recreational use. That same year the site was donated to the City of Denver and Bergen Park was officially established. Today, during the spring, wet snow blankets the woodland but the great trees are a study in resilience. Heavy pressure from all of the moisture bends the limber branches into impossible angles. Morning after a big storm and the blue sky sparkles behind the crystallized conifers. During the melting proces...

"Fillius Ridge" Colored Pencil It’s a cold, winter evening in Evergreen, Colorado as Fillius Ridge remains awash in warm sunlight. The subtle row of background brush appears more gold than green. We get most of our snow in the Spring but even now there’s a fair amount drifted into the shadow areas. Patches of ochre and orange grass enliven the inviting foreground. Olive-colored rocks are strewn across the summit creating an aggregation of sharp contrast. A few trees are dark silhouettes that form a perfect foil for the main subject. Curving gracefully into the cerulean sky, the red pine is a fantastically-shaped organism. It’s greenery is a smooth gradient of color, ranging from yellow to indigo. Hiking to the top on this day has taught me a certain truth - the February landscape doesn’t always have to be a dreary subject described by grays and blues.

'Bergen Peak First Snow' Colored Pencil It’s late fall in Evergreen, Colorado and Bergen Peak is flecked with the season’s first snow. The warm palette of autumn hues is kindled by an orange undertone. Placed in a patch of fiery grasses, an abiding boulder is the obvious focal point. Rendering the unwavering rock is a simple study in the sharp contrast between dark and light. Drifted across the open meadow, an opaque snowfield dissolves into a corner of cool shadows. As a prelude to the looming peak above, a few ponderosa pine are painted indigo blue. The big mountain in the background is drawn with a bumpy line and tinted a verdant gray. Frosted with sparkling white, the summit’s complex contour is clarified by sun and shade. Overhead, a dispersing cloud is drawn back like a curtain, revealing a periwinkle sky. The entire landscape is posterized into a pattern of interlocking shapes filled with flat passages of color. The trails are cold and quiet as we anxiousl...

"Yellow Pine" Colored Pencil It’s another gray day in Evergreen as the entire landscape is shrouded in an eerie mist. Stationed at the forest’s perimeter, a yellow pine is a sturdy sentinel standing watch over Elk Meadow. The tree’s transparent bough allows flecks of the orange field to stream through. Edges become softer and the colors less saturated as grayish hills are stair-stepped into the background like paper-cut silhouettes. Gnarled branches twist and turn, creating an intricate web of limber, red wood. Writhing towards a lemon sky, the spirited lookout is a living, breathing organism with a personality all its own. The foothills are a fascinating mix of plants, trees and animals, each depending on the other to survive. Though engulfed by a sea of ochre grasses, the ponderosa pine is perfectly suited to life on golden ground. Resilient in the face of fierce winds and heavy snow, the fearless straggler is an essential part of the alpine setting. It’s an un...

"Early Spring Evergreen" Colored Pencil It’s early spring in Evergreen and a few mule deer are grazing peacefully on the fresh, green grass. Always alert, the young bucks are curious but cautious as they move carefully through the soggy park. The weather is nicer now but definitely damp as this year’s wet monsoon has left the landscape with a glossy sheen. A condensed vapor of fine mist rises from the ground, defining certain elements with a soft halo. Elk Meadow is an embroidery of subtle strokes woven together with layers of rich color. The mysterious atmosphere combined with unique texture and simple shading evokes the drawing’s dreamy appearance. Rising out of a row of dark trees, the hazy foothills are expressed with overlapping shades of beautiful blue. Since the sun is setting, the steel sky is tinged with yellow and a large ponderosa pine emanates warmth from the inside out. After suffering through a horrendous drought for the last several years, the mois...

"Snowy Day, Bergen Peak" Colored Pencil On a December morning, clear blue skies foretell bitterly cold temperatures. White as a ghost, Bergen Peak is a powerful apparition looming over the snowy landscape. Capturing such a remarkable moment in time is a fleeting opportunity that can't be missed. Golden light permeates the blank canvas, infusing the scene with passages of surprisingly warm tones. It's morning so the ponderosa pine cast long, transparent shadows that skim across the choppy terrain. Evergreens are sprinkled with fresh snow creating intricate patterns of white lace. Just like waves in the North Atlantic, the windswept meadow forms whitecaps that flow out of the foreground. The calligraphic line work is described by spirited dots, dashes and squiggles. The drawing is an expression of excitement and enthusiasm. Look at it from an optimistic point of view, we still have ten more weeks of glorious winter.

Pygmy Nuthatch The pygmy nuthatch is an energetic, little songbird that lives in old, ponderosa pine tree forests. They twitter about the trunks and branches searching beneath the bark and in needle clusters for insects and seeds. Sometimes they even creep along the tree upside down just like the bigger nuthatches. Pygmy nuthatches are also highly social, they travel in large, noisy groups that often mix with chickadees and juncos. They roost communally in the cavities of dead conifer snags. On cold, winter nights as many as 100 birds have been seen huddled together in a single nest. In an unexpected pop culture reference, the pygmy nuthatch plays a key role in the ending of the Charlie's Angels movie. Cameron Diaz's character, Natalie, discovers the location of the evil villains' secret fortress by identifying the distinctive call of a pygmy nuthatch.

"Abert's Squirrel" Colored Pencil Exhibiting no fear of heights, an Abert's Squirrel is perched on a limb high above the forest floor. It's a warm spring morning and the cautious squirrel needs to collect pinecones for an early breakfast. The large, bushy tail and long ear tufts are the distinctive features of this endearing creature. Compared to the rowdy, little red squirrel, who thinks it owns the forest, the Abert's is quite charming. A story about the simple life of a squirrel may seem tedious but we can learn much from its interesting and complex partnership with the ponderosa pine tree. Also known as the tassel-eared squirrel, it is strictly confined to ponderosa pine forests. The tree provides not only a home but also most of its diet. In exchange for food and shelter, the squirrel spreads fungal spores around the tree that are beneficial to the pine's health. The squirrel has to manage its fragile resource wisely because if the exploitati...