July 2, 2014 Cameron Pass, Colorado

Just west of the campground is Cameron Pass. I lived in Colorado for 30 years and have never been to this area.  John is very familiar with it, since he lived just down the road in Fort Collins. We have not toured around Colorado on our trip around the USA yet-seemed like touring our backyard. We plan this summer to see parts of Colorado we haven’t seen. I forgot how stunning the high country in Colorado is.

Elevation 10,276. There is a little picnic area here. We hiked across the street on the Michigan ditch. It is a road by the canal. John has cross country skied on it. The views were awesome and there were tons of flowers. I love this subalpine environment.

Nice view of Nokhu Crags from the trail. Marsh marigold and heart leaf bittercress.

There was a compound of three old restored cabins and equipment for the ditch riders, employees of Fort Collins who take care of the ditch. They must get to live in these cool cabins. Here is an outhouse with a view. Notice how high off the ground it is, it would need to be because of the snow in the winter.

There were tons of these little creeks coming into the ditch. We had lunch next to this one.

The creeks are coming from all the snow that is still melting. There was a very heavy snow year in this area this winter.

John walking back. We walked 6 miles round-trip. Just west of the Cameron pass is this sign welcoming us into Jackson county and North Park. We will head that way on Friday as we continue west to Walden.  Between Walden and Fort Collins is a scenic highway.  It was at one time a toll road. $3 to travel it. It was pretty rough then. It was finished by  Colorado prisoners, paved and open to the public in the early 1900’s.  Tourist flocked here.

At the pass was an informational sign. It  had this photo of the Autobungaloafer from 1921.  The sign reads  it “epitomized America’s craze for auto tourism. Serene mountain towns cleared trees and shrubs to make room for the homes on wheels.” One of the original motorhomes! Our motorhome at our campsite at Big South. We have the whole end to ourselves, just to the right of the trees is the river. Yes that is my red hula hoop, I am still hooping and it is really toning me.  Plus it is fun. It fits in the bus and is my home gym. Our 6 basil plants are lined up by that log in front of the bus for their daily sun.

The hummingbirds freaked out when I took the feeder down to refill it. They were so anxious that they were feeding while I was hanging it back up. They didn’t mind me. Some of their wings brushed me when they flew in. They are so tiny and so cute.

The pink flower is a Parry’s Primrose. I love them, they are so bright fuchsia. The bittercress were growing right in the chiming bells. A group of Parry’s clover. Parry was one of the first botanists who  in Colorado, he named many of the flowers. The tall yellow flower is a glacier lily. They are one of the first flowers to bloom when the snow recedes. There were fields of them up here. Candytuft and Jacob’s ladders.

Globe flowers, buttercup, and marsh marigolds are also the first after the snow. Purple fringe, a closer up of the glacier lily, Parry’s primrose and Parry’s clover.