Impression Evergreen

Bergen Gulch Settled below the southern slopes of Bergen Peak, Bergen Gulch is a discreet wetland that supports flowers, birds and wildlife. This time of year the cattails are beginning to ripen and the lupine are in full bloom so blackbirds and elk engage in a territorial dispute over the bountiful land. Filling the discreet ravine, the large-leaved lupine are massive plants whose ladder-like blossoms climb towards the sky. The hungry wapiti are anything but gentle as they tromp through the purple field, consuming a huge swath in a single sitting. The little red-wings have fledged so while they’re learning to fly, their protective parents aggressively dive-bomb anyone who happens to wander into the area. The conglomeration of chickadees, juncos and nuthatches is small but noisy as the busy birds scour the ponderosa pine for anything edible. Branching off from Bergen Peak’s most beautiful side, the muddy drainage, depending on the season, varies from a trickle to a deluge. The sm...

Evergreen Lake after the Storm A solemn-gray Sunday morning started out with light showers and escalated into a severe thunderstorm that kept everyone shut in. Dark and cold, the slow moving system was characterized by heavy rain, marble-sized hail and scary lightning strikes. After a few hours, the dramatic weather drifted to the east and the broken clouds allowed shafts of low light to confirm the event’s conclusion. Under such unusual conditions Evergreen Lake was awash with a sheen of surreal color. After the storm everything was calm and quiet as the drenched landscape was completely devoid of another living soul. The mountain scenery was reflected, with stunning precision, across the water’s smooth surface. What made the evening so extraordinary was the impressive cloud formation that dwarfed the foothills landscape. The evening’s celestial dispersion eased the tension generated by earlier, threatening tones. A muddy trail led to the wooden boardwalk that skirted acr...

American Avocet The name Avocet comes from the Italian avosetta, which means ‘graceful bird'. If your looking for the American version of this graceful bird, you’ll find him foraging in the shallow marshes scattered throughout the wide open west. It’s easy to confirm his identity because of his distinctive features and striking colors. His sleek, white body is set upon a pair of long, blue legs and he has solid black wings broken by a broad, white bar. The Avocet has an outrageously long, recurved, black bill but his exquisite coloring is what really sets him apart. During breeding season his head, neck and breast is shaded in soft peach while in the winter those same areas are filled gray. He’s a common shore bird whose breeding grounds are often located along the lower fringes of the Rocky Mountains. He wades across the wetlands scything - sweeping his bill side to side through the water’s surface while feeding on tiny crustaceans and aquatic insects. He and his mate...