The Never Summer Ranch

Near the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park lies the Kawuneeche Valley. Towering over the valley are the Never Summer Mountains, which I think is a great name even though summer does pay a visit, albeit brief. In 1917 German immigrants Sophia and John Holzwarth settled here after their Denver bar was closed due to prohibition. They soon turned their working ranch into a dude ranch named appropriately enough The Never Summer Ranch. Here they hosted city folk who wanted to hunt, fish, ride horses and generally play cowboys and cowgirls. In the early seventies the ranch became property of the National Park Service, which has now designated it as the Holzwarth Historic Site. Several of the older buildings from the original home site have been preserved and are open for tours. However, the newer lodge buildings located in the meadow were removed so the area could return to its natural state.

The first shot is looking south down the valley, across the meadow towards the town of Grand Lake. I kept expecting to hear dramatic music rise as Lorne Greene approached on horseback.

This little stream is actually the Colorado River only a few miles from its source. The picture below and the one that follows it were taken within yards of each other. Looking north a fast approaching storm was moving in, and to the south postcard skies.

Ligularia bigelovii - Bigelow's Groundsel

Oxytropis splendens - Showy Locoweed

Potentilla fruticosa - Shrubby Cinquefoil

Further up the valley we stopped late in the day at an area called Beaver Ponds. The setting sun was playing off the water and illuminating the emerging insects into little points of darting light.

Next Colorado Post: Lost Among The Lodgepoles

Posting From The Swamp

We interrupt our scheduled Colorado programming to bring you this weather bulletin. Southeastern Virginia is turning into a swamp! So far we have gotten 12" of rain and the month is not over yet. Normally we get about 48" for the whole year, so we have gotten 25% of our yearly total in less than a month. Please don't think I am complaining, especially when I reflect on what August of 2007 and 2008 were like, with little to no rain, and I am still very thankful.

We had planned on going to Corova, North Carolina this past weekend, but Hurricane Bill changed that for us. Although he was far out to sea, the forecasters predicted waves well above average, beach erosion and wash-overs on the Outer Banks. This is particularly problematic going to and from Corova. To get there you need to travel in a 4WD vehicle, on the beach, 11 miles past the last paved road. Instead we did some things around the house and around town, including heading out to First Landing State Park for some flatland, sea-level hiking with no danger of altitude sickness. Since this blog has been here before, I will post a few pictures from a different perspective.

Wherever you are, I hope that at the very least you get the weather you need, and if lucky, get what you want.