It’s where all the people in Colorado go to buy the fireworks that are illegal to set off in Colorado. There is a fireworks stand right behind the RV Park here. In preparation for the Fourth, the fireworks stand periodically sent a few teasers skyward. They have some serious ordinance. Municipal quality stuff. The high flying stuff city fireworks displays are made of, including those airborne concussion grenades that rock nearby buildings (and motorhomes). Exciting times. It is legal to buy, sell, and explode fireworks here, but only until midnight on the Fourth. The neighborhood was pretty quiet while the city display was on, but then everybody came home and lit up their own. It sounded like a steady firefight until midnight when it shut down completely. Everybody did just what they were supposed to do. Burgers on the grill at Bill and Marge’s. A heavy evening thunderstorm. Fireworks all around. A good Fourth of July.
Eastern Wyoming
Travel day
From the mountains to the plains. East out of Estes Park on Highway 34, down the Big Thompson Canyon to Loveland, north on Interstate 25 past Fort Collins, into Wyoming, Past Cheyenne, past Chugwater (home of Chugwater Chile), to Wheatland. One hundred fifty miles. Three hours. We’re here to visit with Bill and Marge for a few days. We’ve stayed at this small town RV Park before. Full hookups, fifty amps, only a few sites, right off the interstate, surrounded by farm fields. Super friendly hosts. It has its charm.
Estes park
A walk at 12,000 feet didn’t produce any of the target birds. We did get some white crowned sparrows, horned larks, and American pipits. We also got some really cool elk. They graze the tundra all summer then move down to the valleys in the fall. We saw several herds of cows and calves, and a couple bulls. Backcountry etiquette requires that if there is a trail on the tundra you stay on it. You don’t want to create any new ones. If there is no trail, you spread out so, again, you don’t create any new ones. Don’t create any new trails and allow any other critters you encounter a wide berth so you don’t disturb them. Apparently our elk didn’t read the handbook. He grazed his way along a course intersecting our path. We stayed on the trail as long as we could, but when he lay down next to it we had to improvise our way across the open ground. In spite of the irresponsible behavior of the elk, the balance of the backcountry was not disturbed. None of us were unduly alarmed.
Estes Park
We’re gone from the Front Range. We traveled Sunday, all of thirty-five miles, but well uphill, and are now in Estes Park right on the outskirts of Rocky Mountain National Park. Elevation: 7,500 feet. Cooler weather; highs in the 70s, lows in the 40s. Birds on the feeder so far: magpies and hummingbirds. Birds on the ground: bluebirds, robins, and ravens. Birds in the air: tree swallows and violet green swallows. There are three target birds here for us; all high altitude: white tailed ptarmigan, brown capped rosy finch, and pine grosbeak. The ptarmigan is essentially always above timberline on the tundra. The rosy finch is all over this area in the winter, but moves to high altitude cliffs and snowfields in the summer. The pine grosbeak is high forests in the summer. We’re going to need a trip to the top of Trail Ridge Road. The view from our windshield. That’s the backside of Longs Peak in front of us. It’s 14,259 feet high; one of 54 “fourteeners” in Colorado.