Horsetooth Mountain Park, Fort Collins, Colorado

When I walk a natural area, I'm focused on the ground, looking for and at the plants. Sometimes I miss the panoramas entirely. I wrote wrote two blogs about Horsetooth Reservoir's trails, in western Fort Collins Colorado, and shared almost only the flower pictures. Looking though the pictures this week, I was caught by the vistas. So I'll share them today

Visiting Northern Colorado--Horsetooth Mountain Park in Sunshine

Five days later (see last week's blog) I revisited Horsetooth Waterfall Trail, this time on a sunny morning after three days of warm weather.

Flowers that close in cold weather were open!

Visiting Northern Colorado--Horsetooth Mountain Park in Spring Snow

Horsetooth Mountain Park trail, in falling snow

April 28. I needed to check out the trailside plants of Horsetooth Mountain Park, on the west side of Fort Collins Colorado, for a plant hike I was going to lead the next weekend.

When I got there it was snowing. Lightly, mixed with sleet, but persistently.

One of the things I learned as a prairie ecologist: "do it now, the weather later may be worse."

Hiking out in the sleet/snow was cool but not unpleasant and I knew the weather forecast was for snow for the next three days. Out I went!