Since the air was heavy with humidity, the views from this Jefferson County Open Space Park outside of Conifer, were somewhat hazy. We are on our eighth straight day of severe weather that rolls in each day, sometimes even before the noon hour. I was putting away my trailer in the pouring rain and when I returned home to Denver, the tornado sirens were blasting. All typical for us during the past week.
We covered 7 miles in quick time as I was mounted on Yuma, instead of Butch. God bless him, I love hime to death, but...............he's very slow. In his favor, he REALLY watches where he puts his feet. Wildflowers were blooming in abundance: flax, columbine, wild geranium, indian paint brush, blue clematis, and many others I cannot name. At times the ground was carpeted with small white flowers with taller ones of blue, purple, fushia, yellow, and gold. The color green was the most predominant. Everything is so lush at this time, but will quickly fade away when the summer heat makes it's appearance. It won't be long now I'm afraid. Ahhh...........those dog days of summer!
This Jeffco Park seems to be one gateway into a network of trails that wind through the Buffalo Creek and Lost Creek Wilderness areas. It is located near the small town of Pine. In 1996 and again in 2000, this area suffered extensive forest fires. As you can see from the pictures, we would certainly have been riding in a pretty dense forest of ponderosa pine had these fires not occured. However, the standing and lying dead made for a different kind of inspiring scenery with our signature Colorado blue sky as the backdrop to their grave. All things remain lush and green with flowers in bloom everywhere you look as our stormy, wet June continues here in the West.
