So Much Beauty, Part III

As promised in Part II of this blog series, today I’m sharing some landscapes from my September, 2022, Colorado camping trip.

“Landscapes” is a bit of an open descriptor for me, it encompasses sky, mountain, land, vegetation and more. It’s what I see and feel in front of me that opens my heart, makes me stop in my tracks, brings a tear of gratitude and brings great joy too, at the sheer beauty of what I’m witnessing. As an early Holy Days gift to you, here’s some moments of wonderful, wonder-filled beauty that I am inspired to share!

A late afternoon, early evening storm rolling over the high peaks and dropping into Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The rays of light hitting the faces of the mountains feels like a communication of sorts. As above so below.

On the Ute Trail, up above timber line. The alpine tundra is an incredibly fragile yet resilient ecosystem. I’m always amazed when I hike up here. The feeling of space is so freeing, so uplifting. And, at the same time, my awareness of the tundra’s delicate hold on life makes me feel very careful of each step, mindful that I’m on sacred ground and that what I do up here has lasting consequences. Mindful and mind-blown simultaneously.

I’m a self-confessed cloud junkie. My deeply held belief is that there’s always something fantastic going on “up there” if we take the time to notice it. This skyscape/landscape upholds that belief quite beautifully. If I were clouds, I’d dance on mountaintops just like this! Do you think it tickles?

Looking across the Glacier Creek gorge on a hike to Sky Pond. I love the layering of rock here and the varying lines of rock, tree and mountain in the distance. When I stopped to take this photo I was struck by a sense of timelessness and time travel. To be able to see these formations exposed and in stunning color tells me the wordless story of this place and these mountains. How wonderful.

A completely stunning, ridiculously gorgeous moment during an afternoon wander along the Big Thompson River in Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park. I love this place so much.

This moment was a one-in-a-million. I’m still, months later, in a state of complete awe and gratitude when I relive it. I had just stood in the rain watching a magnificent bull elk herding his cows across the river and was actually on the phone, describing it to my daughter in New York, when the sun came out and this rainbow spanned the river. What a moment! Thank you Universe!

I love sharing my outdoor adventures with you. Walking and hiking have taken me to the most gorgeous experiences of my life. They’re made more gorgeous by sharing them.

Keep walking, keep smiling, keep taking good care of yourself each and every day! I’ll see you “out there”!