Sharon and I took full advantage of a sunny and warm day right after the first snowfall of the season to hike the Meyers Homestead Trail. It is in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains just 10 miles from my apartment, but the only convenient way to get to the trail is to go up Flagstaff Road, which is closed from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for repairs to the road from the flood a year ago. So we went on Saturday.

The trail starts at 7,400 feet and follows Meyers Gulch much of the way to its end 2.6 miles later at 8,100 feet. The gulch takes its name from Andrew R. Meyers, who homesteaded here in 1890 and made his living by logging some of its trees.

The Ruins of a Historic Sawmill Are Near the Start of the Trail

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​Since I’ve hiked this trail several times since August 2006, I didn’t expect many birds. So I took only my 18-200mm lens on my Canon 7D and my 60mm macro lens on my Canon 50D. My Canon 100-400mm lens is too heavy for me to carry this far.

On the way up the trail I enjoyed seeing the landscape and getting my necessary physical activity out in nature. Most flowers are past their prime now, but rose hips remain after the mountain roses themselves are gone.

Rose Hips Are High in Vitamin C

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​When we got to the end of the trail, we stopped for the view and for lunch. And to take lots of pictures.

Sharon Reaches the Trail's End

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​A pair of chipmunks were waiting for us. They are easy to see because they have grown accustomed to getting food from people who eat lunch here. But they are difficult to identify because we have three of the 13 American species of chipmunks in Colorado, and they are similar.

A Colorado Chipmunk Didn't Fear Us

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A pine tree with horizontal cones grew right in front of the bench at the end of the trail. Unlike with the chipmunk, I haven’t been able to identify what species of pine has cones that grow sideways.

Why Are These Cones Growing Sideways?

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Also near the end of the trail is a remnant of a gnarled old tree. I had remembered it from previous trips, and when I approached it for photography this time, I climbed along a rock and got distracted by this fly.

A Colorful Fly Rests on a Lichen-covered Rock

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A Tree Twists and Turns

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Lines and Color

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​On the way back down the trail we had more sun than on the way up, and we admired some of the late-blooming flowers. My favorite was this one growing in front of a rock.

A Gayfeather Blooms

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