Steamboat Springs, CO (7/23, 7/24 & 7/25/2018)

One of the main natural features of the area, and one that attracts a lot of attention, is Fish Creek Falls, located on a mountain well above town.  The road to the falls goes through some very nice neighborhoods, new since my last visit.  It seems that the higher on the mountain, the bigger the homes.  I liked this one.

After reaching the parking area, there is a half-mile hike, steep downhill going in, steep uphill on the return.  Being somewhat (?) out of shape, I had to stop for breathers a couple times on the way back.  The beauty of the waterfall, however, made it worthwhile.

I had waited until late in the day to see the waterfall, wanting to avoid direct sun light on the water.  So, it was near dark as I drove down the mountain.  When the car ahead of me suddenly stopped, I saw a big black bear lumbering across the road.  My view was blocked by the other car, but it moved on after the bear left the road and entered a small parking area for some town homes.  Naturally, I pulled in to chase the bear.  My camera wasn't set for the conditions, but there was no time to change settings.  I fired away, just hoping for something usable.

The bear realized he was being pursued and ran around the circular parking area, between cars and other things outside the homes.  Most of my photos were unusable, but I kept a couple despite the blurred areas.

The next day I drove over Buffalo Pass in the Routt National Forest.  This very rough road is thirteen miles long and goes from 6700 feet at Steamboat Springs to 10,400 feet at the summit.  I expected to see wildflowers, but hoped to see wildlife such as moose, elk or more bears.  There were wildflowers, but not as good as those near Rabbit Ears Pass.  I did see the rear end of a bear that had seen me first and scurried into the thick forest.  No moose or elk, although there was plenty of habitat that would be perfect for them.  They were there I'm sure, just hidden from view.

 

Going down the other side of the Continental Divide, there was plenty more forest and wildflowers, but more importantly the road was good.  Eventually there were nice ranches and many birds perched along the fences.

White-Crowned Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Western Bluebird (Female)

The mountains around Steamboat Springs aren't as high or as rugged as the Collegiate Peaks or the San Juans.  More gently rounded, most don't exceed the treeline, so they are often green all over.  The tallest mountain in the county is Hahns Peak at just under 10,800 feet.While that may sound pretty high, there are some 1850 mountains in Colorado that are higher.  In this photo, you can see an old fire tower at the top.  It was so old it collapsed, but was recently restored by locals.

There is a small village at the foot of the mountain, also named Hahns Peak.  It is mostly a collection of residential homes, with the popular Hahns Peak Roadhouse being about the only commercial establishment.

A back road goes over a pass into the National Forest to a pretty lake and campground.  Past that point, once again there was obvious moose habitat, but no moose to be seen.

Near Hahns Peak are two state parks, both on lakes and both providing beautiful campgrounds used primarily by fishermen.

Steamboat Lake State Park

Pearl Lake State Park