Western Meadowlark

Several times a minute, the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) opens its throat wide and warbles a pleasing "Come to me sweetheart!" cry.

Spring is here and the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is getting frisky. Silent all winter, this member of the blackbird family can be seen on fence posts, tall reeds, or small mounds of earth strutting its stuff and filling the air with a flute like call. I always look forward to the Meadowlark's return.

I watched this Meadowlark for at least a half hour getting closer and closer with my tripod and 500mm lens. Between cries he would fluff his feathers and primp. I think he was quite please with himself.

Feeding mostly on insects, this medium-sized bird nests on the ground, which is why it is common in open fields. The distinctive yellow breast and black bib make this bird easily identifiable even when zooming by at 60 mph.

Roxborough State Park: Fountain Valley Loop

Distance: 2.3 mile loop
Elevation: 6,280 ft - 6,100 ft
Elevation Gain: 180 ft
Dogs: Not permitted, even on leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Date Hiked: 9 April 2011

Looking at the dramatic red rocks of Roxborough State Park as a thunderstorm builds in the distance

An afternoon stroll on the Fountain Valley Loop in Roxborough State Park south of Denver is a road trip into the depths of geologic time as well as a wonder to the senses. There is nothing that makes Colorado more like Colorado than red rocks and blue skies.

Looking south through the Fountain Formation from the Fountain Valley Overlook on the west side of the loop. Barren Gamble Oaks shroud the valley while a prominent hump of the Dakota Formation can be seen in the hazy distance.

A topographical map of the area. The Fountain Formation is to the left followed by the Lyons Formation and the Dakota Formation. The Fountain Valley Loop is depicted on the map as well.

The Fountain Valley Loop begins and ends at the visitors center and contains two overlooks with expansive views of the Fountain Formation. The trail is not flat, but is well manicured and easy on the feet.

Looking at the Fountain Formation across a wide meadow

On this trip, the trees were still barren and gray, which made the oxidized rocks stand out even more sharply. If you are like me, however, and get over stimulated by cool rock formations, it won't matter what time of year you go, because the main attraction at Roxborough is rock and lots of it.

Looking up at the Lyons Overlook and Lyons Formation from the Fountain Trail

The Fountain Formation is just one of three formations in the park but the undisputed star of the show. Like giant fins of prehistoric sharks, the blades of red sandstone dominate the scenery. Formed from the eroded sands of the ancestral Rocky Mountains, these rocks have been uplifted to pleasing 60° angle and eroded by wind and rain into soft curvaceous shapes. Isn't geology grand?

Looking back down the loop at the Persee House, a man who thought to turn the area into a resort. The house is open for tours on select days of the week. Call the park for info. The hogback of the Lyons formations is quite obvious directly behind the house.

Not unique to the park, protrusions of this formation can been seen periodically from Boulder to Colorado Springs. It never fails to impress. Check out Mathew Winters Park near the Red Rocks Amphitheater for a pleasant hike through similar protrusions.

Heading up the east side of the loop

The aptly named Lyons Overlook, on the right side of the loop, stands atop the Lyons Formation, which is formed from Permian age wind blown deposits. Its white sandstone contrasts sharply against the red sandstone.

The narrow trail through Gamble Oaks that leads to the Lyons Overlook

To the east of the Lyons Formation is the Dakota Hogback of Cretaceous "my what a lovely snack you would be" fame. The road into the park traverses the east side of this formation and then cuts through it to the parking area. Dinosaur Ridge near Morrison is good place to walk along this formation.

Looking south from the Lyons Overlook. A small Ponderosa Pine clings to the cliff.

If you are one of those people bored with rocks (as if), don't forget to look for one of the 145 species of birds in the park as well as Mule Deer.

Looking north from the Lyons Overlook

Roxborough State Park is a Colorado classic. The fact that even people with disabilities can get access to the amazing geology contained within is an added plus. Locals...you have no excuse. Bring a friend the next time they are in town.

A slab of white Lyons Formation with the monoliths of the Fountain Formation in the distance. I actually took this picture up side down. I was sitting on a bench and bending over to stretch my back when this interesting alignment came into view.

Gray-headed Junco

This Grey-headed Junco (Junco hyemalis) was bouncing around the base of a tree and conveniently hiding behind twigs, throwing off any chance of focusing correctly.

The Gray-headed Junco is one of the six subspecies of the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). Taken together, this group is one of the most common birds in North America. All six subspecies live in coniferous or mixed woods or patches of brush. They can be seen foraging on the ground or flitting from shrub to shrub.

The rust colored patch is an obvious identifier for this sub-species.

They live in Colorado year round. These pictures are from Roxborough State Park but I have also seen them at Odessa Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Their diet is mainly seeds (notice the strong beak), and insects and will often been seen foraging in groups on the woodland floor.

Juvenile start out brown and sparrow-like but eventually gain their identifying plumage after 2-3 months.

Battle Mountain Trail

Distance: 1 mile round trip
Elevation: 9,800 ft - 10,000 ft
Elevation Gain: 200 ft
Dogs: Off Leash

Looking up at the Independence Mine headframe from the parking lot

The area around Cripple Creek and Victor Colorado is filled with mining history and short trails you can take the family on. I road tripped to this area a few weeks ago as a way to get out without having to hike very far. I am recovering from an injury or at least trying to. We did the Vindicator Valley Loop, which is a mecca for history buffs, as well as Battle Mountain.

The rock sorter under the canopy

Heading west on the well manicure rail bed

Battle Mountain is a short trail up to a skyscraper-like headframe of the Independence Gold Mine. Under a canopy is a rusted pipe filled with holes of many sizes. This remnant was part of a system that sorted rocks into various bins for crushing and gold extraction. A small informative display explains the process.

Looking back on the headframe

Just beyond the canopy there is a metal bridge over a mine shaft that seems to disappear into the very center of the Earth. Even though it is covered in a metal mesh to protect the tourists, the shaft has an ominous feel. Its looming darkness and jagged edges is surely the denizen of some primeval monster, a destroyer of worlds. Perhaps it was just the wind moaning in the headframe but the shattered mania of gold fever still echoed from the deep, a destroyer indeed.

The town of Victor. You can just see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the distance.

Beyond the bridge a well manicured path follows an old railroad grade to a view of the Portland and Cresson Mines amidst a pile of yellow debris. From this point there is a nice view of Victor itself and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains beyond.

Looking up at the Portland Mine. This viewpoint is pretty much the end of the trail.

I would not drive all the way from Denver to Victor for this trail, but combined with other trails or adventures in the area, it is a worthwhile destination.

From the parking lot you can see Pikes Peak and the main ruin at the start of the Vindicator Valley Loop

Vindicator Valley Loop: A mining ghost town

Distance: 2 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,000 ft - 10, 200 ft
Elevation Gain: 200 ft
Dogs: Off Leash

Looking at the Therese Mine from the parking lot of the Vindicator Valley Loop. In the distance is a surprising view of the Sangre to Cristo Mountain Range. On a clear day it would be startling.

Want to take the express escalator into Colorado's past? You can do no better than the Vindicator Valley Loop near the towns of Victor and Cripple Creek on the "back" side of Pikes Peak. This short, extremely well manicured trail, weaves by the ruins of over 500 gold mines. The structures that remain are extremely photogenic. If you love ghost towns you will love this short trip.

The path is well manicured, suitable for children (if kept out of the ruins), and bordered by a wooden fence.

The trail through the mines is bordered by a wooden fence. Not only does this protect the ruins, it protects the hiker. This area looks solid, but underneath the ground it is Swiss cheese minus most of the cheese.

One of the many powder magazines on the site. The dynamite and fuses were kept separate, just in case.

The gold near Victor Colorado is not the California 49'er variety where any yokel with more dreams than sense can plop by a stream and pan. This gold was formed in the fissures of ancient volcanoes. To get to the gold the ore must be pulled out of the ground, pulverized, heated to outrageous temperatures, and treated with chemicals. The massive structures that are required to get the ore is what the walker sees today.

Looking northeast at Pikes Peak

This was a labor intensive effort. By 1900 over 50,000 workers lived in the area. Disputes were inevitable. Conditions were harsh underground, hours were long, and safety was not the most important concern. A strike that occurred in this area has become known as one of the battles in Colorado's Labor War (1903-1904). The prominent players included the Cripple Creek Mine Owners' Association (CCMOA) representing the operators, and the Western Federation of Miners (WFM), a labor union. What is interesting is the role of the State of Colorado, which deployed 1000 National Guard to keep order and invariably sided with the operators.

A house surrounded by Fir trees at the northern end of the loop

Some sources say the Guard deployment was secretly financed by the CCMOA. Certainly, justification for the deployment was dubious, as least by today's standard, and many including the local Sheriff and Mayor tried to stop it. Many petitions were signed condemning the move.

This is my favorite photo of the day. In the foreground is a ruin painted with the words "safety first", in the middle ground is a narrow wooden ruin, and in the far ground is the towering hill of the modern Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company. Trucks the size of small moons could occasionally be seen dumping dirt on the ridge line.

As a member of the Colorado National Guard I find this incident both telling and colorful. We ultimately work for the Governor of the State and so refusing to deploy would not have been an option for the Soldiers involved. Many of those same Soldiers would have come from the same working class background as the miners and may have felt very conflicted if not downright sympathetic to the men they were dealing with.

There are lot of Aspens around Victor, which makes me think this would be a great fall color excursion.

In contrast to the average Soldier, the commanding general was a maverick with a fetish for imprisoning folks who spoke out against the "intervention". Victims included the County Commissioners and the Justice of the Peace. Habeas corpus was suspended and all sorts of legal shenanigans committed.

How much longer these ruins will remain standing is an open question. They are already over 100 years old.

The miners lost their cause, however, when someone blew up a rail platform with 300 pounds of dynamite. They only thing they found of the non unionized men standing on it were bits and pieces. The press branded the union as terrorists and they lost public support. The union never recovered its influence in the region.

At every vista is a plaque naming the mine and how much they had extracted. Most listed huge numbers like 38 Million, and this was in 1903 dollars. There were over 500 mines in the area.

Military intervention in labor disputes is controversial and certainly did not begin nor end in Victor Colorado. Even President Nixon deployed troops during a postal workers strike. My intent here is not to judge these or subsequent events, but present an interesting glimpse into Colorado's mining history.

I loved this building. It dominates the 2nd third of the trail. Up close the red tin is striking.

So take a walk into the past on the Vindicator Valley Loop. Don't forget to swing through Victor for a taste of 1800's architecture. While you are there, stop by the Gold Camp Bakery on 3rd Street where Gertrude will serve you killer German desserts. I tried the Bee Sting and Beef Stew (not in that order). Both were scrumptious and ridiculously inexpensive.

Looking back up the hill to the north

Looking southwest near the end of the trail just before it loops back towards the parking lot.

Walden Ponds: Ducks Unlimited

Distance: 2.5 miles loop
Elevation: 5,100 ft
Elevation Gain: None
Dogs: On Leash (wildlife sanctuary)
Tags: #Boulder, #ducks, #coloradooutdoors

The south side of Bass Pond in the Walden Ponds Open Space Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Walden Ponds, named for “Wally” Toevs, is a wildlife sanctuary east of Boulder created from an old gravel mine. Wally was the Boulder County Commissioner who spearheaded the effort.

Map of the area

Ducks in the shallower west side of Cottonwood Marsh

American Wigeon (Anas americana) is a dabbling duck, meaning it feeds on the surface rather than diving to the bottom. They are part time residents, migrating between Central America and Canada.

Walden is haven for waterfowl, fishermen, birders, and local strollers. I went to Walden to play with a 500 mm lens. Even with that cruise missile sized monstrosity, I could only capture the ducks nearest the shore.

A view across Cottonwood Marsh from the Boardwalk

The Widgeon does not play nice with others. It is often observed ripping food out of the beaks of diving ducks. For that reason, it is sometimes called a poacher.

Walden contains 5 separate ponds, but the birds like to hang out in Cottonwood Marsh, the largest of the ponds in the area. Large is great for birds, but bad for photographers. There was a wayward Tundra Swan at the far end, but I could barely see it with the naked eye. For birders with binoculars though Walden "Aflak" heaven.

Cottonwood Marsh from the parking area. The peaks of the Rocky Mountains are just visible in the background.

Wigeons are often seen feeding with American Coots (Fulica americana). Adult Coots have a short thick white bill a reddish-brown spot between the eyes. Coots are also migratory, traveling between British Columbia and the southern US

For those looking for exercise, there is a 2.5 mile loop that winds around the ponds. In the fall, it must be pleasant indeed with Cottonwoods and shrubbery in their full fall regalia. In March, the trees are barren and the grasses along the roadsides are stark in their pre-spring couture. For the bird watcher, this is ideal since it means more of the ponds are visible from the trails. As it was I needed to shoot through Cattails along the shore, blurring some otherwise nice shots.

The trails around Walden Ponds consist of wide, dirt roads

Coots eat grasses but also arthropods, fish, and other aquatic creepy crawlers. When on land, they bob their heads, which has given them another common name..."Mud Hen"

Near the second parking area, there is a nice boardwalk with benches for the older set to lounge on while they scan the horizon for a new addition to their life list.

The north side of the Ricky Weiser Wetland

Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) cruising off shore. Ring-necks are diving ducks feeding on aquatic plants, insects, small fish, and mollusks.

In the property to the west of Walden was a grouping of Blue Heron nests but I could not get close enough to see any of the birds. Walden abuts another open space park, Sawhill Ponds and it is easy to walk between the two for a longer excursion. I was told by one local birder that long-legged birds tend to hang out at Sawhill more than Walden because the ponds are shallower. They spotted a Sandhill Crane there just a week ago.

Ring-necks winter over in the western half of the US. They are quite stylish birds with their sleet black plumage. It is often hard to see the ring around their neck but the ring around their bills is more visible.

Redheaded ducks (Aythya americana) floated in large numbers at the far end of the Cottonwood Marsh. They are just dots even with a 500m lens. Still, their red plumage is quite distinctive. They overwinter throughout the US. Mollusks form a large part of their diet.

At the trailhead, there is a brochure with a list of the birds you can see at Walden Ponds. I obviously need to come back later in the spring and look for songbirds and other waders. If you are into birds, this seems to be THE place in Boulder to find them.

Matted reeds along the eastern border of Cottonwood Marsh