August 2-8, 2015 Fort Collins, Colorado

They are now saying the bus will be done the week of August 17th, a week away. We may take off this week. Woo Hoo.

 

Meanwhile a bug bit me in the ankle on the last hike and it is all swollen. Stayed off it most of the week.  John has blisters from his new walking shoes and is also not going anywhere he has to wear shoes.  We are a fine pair. The tomatoes are starting to ripen. Yum, yum. When I planted them I did not plan on being around to harvest them. But since nothing else has gone as planned, I figured if we were still here I would be happier with ripe tomatoes. With luck we will only be enjoying the beginning of their harvest.

 

Wild sunset the other night. I don’t think I have ever seen clouds this shape. On Friday I went for a hike with Mandy and John. John M stayed home because of his blisters. We went to American Lake. It is right off Cameron Pass at the head of  Poudre canyon. We saw this bull moose right at the parking lot at the pass.

    

We rode our bikes three miles along the Michigan ditch road and  a mile up the trail to the lakes. The flowers and views  were spectacular. It was overcast, which was great, it cooled it off enough to hike comfortably. It was in the 90’s in town. This is a view of Nokhu Crags.

Mandy walking on the trail through yellow arnica and blue chiming bells.  There were huge fields of flowers the whole hike.

Dark blue delphiniums , yellow scencio,asters and paint brush were among the many kinds.

Snack stop and continuing up.

Pink paintbrush and elephant heads. Yellow, purple, pink, red-incredible flowers.

 

John was photographing Mandy in the flowers when she decided to make a flower (snow) angel.

Approaching Snow lake, which is on the south side of Nokhu Crags. After a lovely lunch it was nap time by the lake.

 

The sun tried to come out for a few minutes on the view of American lakes.

 

Flowers and grasses. Here are couple far off and blurry shots of some of the wild life. The top left is a herd of elk on the horizon line above tree line, a bird in the Michigan ditch and a moose in the willows right above tree line.

     

Death Camas, columbines, chiming bells, fuchsia paint brush and elephant heads, monkey flowers, kings crown, a kind of albino paint brush, and a louse wort.

 

Perry’s primrose, saxifrage, scencio, and a blue butterfly on a pearly everlasting.  Gorgeous hike.