Flora and Vistas

Tuesday we hiked Outlook Ridge here at Mueller. Three short trails go off to the left along this ridge, headed to the Raven Ridge, Red Tail and Lone Eagle Overlooks. Most of the time our hikes here take us through the forest and across high mountain meadows. So we really enjoyed the vista overlooks to all directions but the north.



We continue to have rain showers most days and we found one rock that was storing some of that moisture.






















We have seen new flowers and other flora (moss) in the past few days.  This is a Canada thistle.



The columbine, Colorado's state flower, has just started blooming here in the park.

This is an orange agoseris. I have never heard that name before.

We saw two north-facing slopes covered with rich green moss. I don't know about moss growing on the north side of trees, but it does grow on north slopes in the shade.

This is a mariposa lily.

This Clark's Nutcracker was willing to pose for a portrait.

Whatever made this tree grow this way?