Of all the states in the Union, Colorado boasts the most 14ers (between 52 and 54, according to the source) and the highest mean elevation (6,800 feet), and lies therefore closest to heaven. It is a place of sunshine, natural splendor, and rarefied air, and with this in mind it should come as no surprise that it is also home to the Garden of Eden. I have seen it with my own eyes – was actually there not long ago.
Lest it be frequented even more, I will say merely that Eden lies in a cozy valley near a charming mountain town not far from the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It can only be reached via steep, narrow hiking trails strewn with rocks and studded with roots. Because water signifies the origin of all life, the dell is fittingly formed and dominated by a creek which fosters the growth of dense vegetation. Towering boulders on one side and a sloping hill clad in varying shades of green on the other provide a sense of seclusion suitable for an exclusive garden.
Like the verdant and lush landscape currently on the cusp of autumn, the soundscape also harmonizes with the paradisiacal setting. The water’s gentle murmuring is complemented by the euphonic singing of birds, humming of insects, rustling of aspen leaves, and whispering of ponderosa pines and Douglas firs. The locale’s natural beauty and peaceful ambiance, its variety of plant and animal life as well as the general absence of human cacophony harken back to a prelapsarian state which might have inspired its Arcadian name.
Definitely present in Paradise: Golden-mantled ground squirrels
Jan and Richard, I am grateful you asked me to housesit for you. Your residence is closer to Eden than most others in your hamlet, thereby enabling me to visit it more easily; but staying in your domicile, on your plot of land, very nearly approximated the experience of living in Paradise already, without having to take additional steps.
Click here for the German version/klicken Sie bitte hier für die deutsche Version:
https://tanjaschimmel.wordpress.com/2017/09/21/der-garten-eden/
tanja britton 
That little ground squirrel is so cute. Great pictures. You described the Garden of Eden in such a beautiful, peaceful way. I almost felt like I was there.
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I never tire of those ground squirrels. I can’t help but take photos. I must have dozens, if not hundreds! Thank you for your nice words, Kayla.
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It’s a beautiful place!
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Thank you, Nirmala. I think so, too!
Best wishes,
Tanja
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You have an incredible talent for words. And I believe your heaven is right here on earth. Jealous of your adventures here!
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Thank you so much for your support, Shannon. I hope you will make it back to paradise soon!
Best, Tanja
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Love those ground squirrels also.
Your description of the meadow sounds so idyllic.
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Thank you, Vicki. The photos benefit from the “photogenicity” of the subjects. They were very collaborative. And it is no surprise that Eden is Edenic, is it?
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I think most natural landscape are beautiful, but admit it’s only since I bought the DSLR back in 2010 that I formed more of an appreciation of the small details in nature.
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Good technology can definitely help, but I am not very technologically gifted, and all of my photos are taken with my camera’s automatic setting.
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[…] are Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, previously highlighted in at least two posts (see here and here). Native to the American West, they reside mainly in coniferous and mixed forests, but may occupy […]
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