Butt Kick Peak

The so-called “Front Range” of the Rocky Mountains (the name only makes sense when approaching from the east, as it is the “Back Range” when coming from the west) rises to nearly 10,000 feet (3000 meters) from the western edge of the Great Plains at 6,000 feet (1830 meters), where Colorado Springs sprawls across the … Continue reading Butt Kick Peak

Rare and Precious

When your species numbers only 300+ individuals globally, you are considered critically endangered. As a baby born to such a rare set, you constitute roughly 0.33% of your kind. Such is the case for Basha and Mango, two Amur Leopard cubs born on May 17, 2023 at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. Amur … Continue reading Rare and Precious

Shadow Lake is Back!

Downtown Colorado Springs is home to Monument Valley Park, a linear park that stretches for two miles on both sides of Monument Creek. This relatively short creek measures only about 27 miles between its origin near Palmer Lake north of Colorado Springs and its confluence with Fountain Creek* directly south of Monument Valley Park. Monument … Continue reading Shadow Lake is Back!

A Summer Getaway

In response to a string of sizzling summer days, my husband and I escaped Colorado’s Front Range for the mountains not long ago. We were happily reminded of the difference a distance of some 60 miles (100 km), plus an elevation gain of 2,500 feet (about 750 meters) can make. Instead of daily highs in … Continue reading A Summer Getaway

Without Summer…

. . . there would be no meadows filled with bright, cheerful sunflowers (see above) . . . . . . or blooming, colorful cacti (see below). . . To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover cursor over it. . . . there would be no beautiful butterflies, dragonflies, or … Continue reading Without Summer…