Rattlesnake Gulch..

I do this hike far too often. What can I say though, it's a good distance (about 6 miles round trip) and has a nice elevation gain (about 900ft in gain) and has some great views to the west and east. Since I started hiking a year ago (about June 28, 2008) I've done this trail at least 6 times, and every time I enjoy it. Anyways, enough babble about that, on to the pictures!

I started off on the trail around 9:15 AM, lugging Mike's 50D with me. I do enjoy using that camera, but it's a bit heavier than I'd like to carry on an extended hike, like the CO Trail one I still want to do (and I'm still learning how to take any sort of decent picture with it.) Unlike many of the pictures in my previous posts, this one is mostly things that stood out, and not so much the scenery.

As I worked my way up from the Fowler trail, I saw the familiar sights along the way, big boulders, pine trees, aspen, a few birds, and a few people, though nothing caught my attention right away. Well the scenery did, but I've posted it to death. I'll probably post more eventually, but, not tonight.

I wandered my way to the Continental Divide Overlook, and decided to have lunch. I set my pack down on the bench and grabbed my lunch and sat down beside my pack. There was no one around, and I sat listening to a gentle breeze blowing through the pine trees behind me (there really is nothing quite like that sound.) After a little I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye, and saw these two running around, looking for food that someone had dropped.







A few minutes more listening to the wind and watching the two chipmunks run around, and I decided I'd had a long enough rest and it was time to get moving again. So back down the trail I went, to the Rattlesnake Gulch Loop, and proceeded uphill!





I took off on a small side trail that goes to a great overlook spot, and I had to take a few pictures.







Another minute or two of looking out over the mountains to the 14ers far off in the distance, I decided to get a move on again, going back down to the loop and continuing uphill. Which brought me to a few flowers..










As I drew closer to the highest point on the trail, I started to hear birds chirping, and after a little looking, I found one and waited for him..finally he landed a little ways ahead of me on the trail. I forgot what it's called, so no name for it!





As he flew off, I started up the trail again. Finally crossing the highest point, I took a picture I've taken before, only this time, all the leaves were green instead of bright red.





A little farther down, just before reaching the path to the railroad tracks, I saw this flower, and just before I took a picture, a butterfly landed on it, giving me this shot (I wish I'd gotten one of its wings open as it landed.)





Finally I was to the downhill section of the Loop!





I saw another flower that stood out to me, contrast to the green and red all around it.





And just before I got to the Craig's Hotel site, I looked out across the canyon for this shot.



I finally got back to where I'd started from, and decided to take a few pictures of the river while I was relaxing a bit before the drive home.