Lower Loop Trail

I get excited when Peanut Lake is still enough to catch a reflection of Gothic Mountain

White Checkermallow

Prairie Smoke

Prairie Smoke

Clustered Penstemon

Elephant Head

Lower Loop trail...gorgeous scenery

a little Lupine was still blooming

the Slate River with Crested Butte in the background

Yarrow

The Slate River

Shooting Star

My favorite spot...the Slate River looking toward Paradise Divide

Bindweed

The Lower Loop trail was calling me today. Sitting by the Slate River and looking down Paradise Divide is one of my favorite things to do. I also found a trail leading off of the main one that connected to the Upper Lower Loop. I walked that trail on the way back. It was a little tough going uphill, but the trail was in good condition and leveled out when it connected back to the Lower Loop.

Woods Walk and a Bear

Walking through the Aspens

lunch anyone on this makeshift table

Daisies

a beautiful field of daisies

Prairie Smoke

Monkeyflower

My buddies left early in the morning today. With a whole day ahead of me, I decided that I would take a walk on the Woods Walk since we were rained out a few days ago. There were several people out walking, running, and biking and the weather was great. It was sunny but breezy. When I would walk this path with Hallie, she would never let me go to the end. Today, I went to the end and discovered that this trail connects to the Lower Loop trail at the parking lot where I usually park for the Lower Loop trail. When I entered the trail, I took the path to the left. As I walked back, I decided to take the other trail to the exit. I stepped off the trail to let a biker pass as I stepped back on and walked a few steps, a brown bear stepped onto the trail a few feet in front of me. The bear heard my bear bell jingling and stopped and looked at me. Apparently I wasn't very exciting and it continued on across the trail and down the hill. It scared me half to death! I couldn't see the bear in the underbrush once it stepped off the trail so I backed up and took the other path out to the car. This was a first for me and not something I would like to repeat anytime soon!

Silver Queen Lift

Looking down on the town of Mt. Crested Butte from the Overlook up on the mountain

Looking down on the town of Crested Butte from the Overlook on the mountain

Whipple's Penstemon

hiking up the mountain

This little fella loves bird seed

stuffing his cheeks

riding the lift back down

We woke up to a beautiful day this morning and it was perfect for a ride up the mountain to look out over Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. We also hiked up the mountain a bit, but stopped short of climbing all the way to the top!