Solstice in the Rockies

posted by Patty James @ 9:44am, Tuesday 22 June 2010.

It was Summer Solstice yesterday and I am a bit of an Earth-mama on Solstice days. I knew I needed nature yesterday on many different levels, so Marilyn, who I am staying with while in Boulder, Colorado dropped me off at the trail head and I started to hike up the mountain, water bottle in hand, camera on shoulder.

First my favorite poem

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference

So I stood at the first cross in the road and purposely took the road, well, path, less traveled. I was on my way to the Flat Irons. There are 3 of them and the third was my goal. Here they are...



As most of you know, I collect heart rocks and today I saw them everywhere, but took none.





I believe this is a Jeffrey Pine, although I'm not sure. When you rub the bark it smells like vanilla and this did. I'll try to remember to ask someone.



This cute little guy was taking a bath in the soft dirt.


I went to the right.


The trail. This is where it was easy to see....





O.K. this heart is a little more difficult to see, but it's there. I always take them as a sign.


There is no way that Patch or even Wilma could have done the trail I did.




A great balancing act.


You can't see this as well in the photo, but the end of the boulder looks like a bear. I haven't seen another person for a while and am getting excited about this hike.




A couple hours in now and a lot of climbing on boulders, which I love to do. They say there are bears here and I do know from backpacking not to scare them and to let your presence be known, so I sang, 'She Belongs to Me' by Bob Dylan.



I knew I was no where near any actual trail, but came across this duck or marker and appreciated it's subtlety.


So a while now again and there was no clear way to the top, which is where I was headed. I looked around to decide on the best route and saw this lizard. He was looking at me and I asked him for directions. He turned around and stared that-a-way. I named him Two-Moon. He was a Chief in his past life. I thanked him and followed his advice.


Here is where I stopped to, again, figure out how to keep going.


This doesn't look nearly as steep here as it did in real life.


A couple guys-the first people I had seen for a while, were rappelling. I've only done it twice and it was really fun. What a rush. They were having fun.


So I am at the top now and look over at the back side of the Flat Irons. Beautiful and humbling. Just what I needed. The clouds are rolling in. Thunder storms can come in in the afternoons I was warned.


I came across a few people, mostly 20 somethings and a couple men my age (they're everywhere) and one woman took my photo. She for reasons unknown, told me that in the 5th grade she won a contest as to how many M&M's you could throw up in the air and catch in your mouth. She caught 68! I was impressed.


Look at that twisted bark.




Thunder and I'm still a ways up. Remember I wrote about a dream I had where I was running down boulders in South Dakota. Well, I did it here. I had been hiking for hours, but I tell you as I ran down the trail skimming across boulders and rocks, I was all smiles and felt like I could fly. I am so lucky I am so healthy. Well, actually a life-time of eating good food and exercising might have something to do with it. Genetics comes into play of course.


A wet area at the bottom that smelled of water and wet dirt.


I came across this great stack of boulders and asked him if I could take his photo. He said yes, but let me look out reflectively into the distance. We both laughed....



So this rather big bug surprised me when he landed on my chest and I brushed him off me quite instinctively. I felt bad right away. I apologized to him/her and hope she/he was o.k. Looks o.k.....



It's raining now, and I call Marilyn to tell her I'm almost down and she is on her way to pick me up in the nick (well almost-I got a little wet) of time.


Wow....the vibrant colors of nature.



My favorite Solstice ever....