Wildflower Bonanza

Two weeks ago, I went on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park that was abundant in wildflowers. Most of the day was overcast, but the sun did come out in the early afternoon, when we were up high, and gave us some dramatic views of peaks, clouds, trees, and rocks.

The hilltop disappearing into the cloud gives you an idea of how moody the hike was early on.

One of the larger patches of Indian Paintbrush we saw

There were masses of green mertensia along a stream we crossed.

I love the lines (and asymmetry) of this dead tree.

Grace Falls in the mist

One of many clusters of columbine

This little guy got very close to us; he clearly expected a treat. So we took his picture.

I assume the red on these leaves is something nasty but the red on green was stunning in person.

For more pictures from this hike, see my Hiking in RMNP photo album on Facebook.

Recommended Reading: The Alienist

I could not put this book down. A historical fiction thriller about a group of people trying to find a serial killer in New York City in 1896, The Alienist does a wonderful job imagining how early detectives did their work while painting a graphic picture of life at that time. I got deep satisfaction following the various characters as they learned what they could from the crime scenes and did what Poirot would suggest: think about the psychology of the crime. At that time, psychology was a new, mistrusted, and controversial field, and the psychologist of the title is on the cutting edge. He instructs his colleagues in theory and case histories, and together they build a picture of a man who would commit such crimes, intending to use it to find the killer.
Carr doesn’t waste a moment – almost everything that happens helps move the story forward. Evidence and psychology are used logically to solve the crime, making it a 19th-century procedural with lots of instructional material provided along the way. And the political, economic, and social setting of the novel are all part of the story, which includes Theodore Roosevelt, who was a police commissioner at the time, and John Pierpont Morgan, one of the great financiers of that century.
The only weakness in the book was the occasional slip that every historical novel I’ve ever read falls prey to – inclusion of details that do not serve the story. The most grievous was a short scene at Roosevelt’s house in which every child who is old enough to has his or her moment in the spotlight being memorable. Otherwise, it mainly showed up as the occasional paragraph listing streets and buildings passed as characters traveled from one point in the city to another. By the end of the book, these particular passages didn’t bother me as much because New York is an important part of the story and having a real sense of the city as it was then gives the novel a firm foundation. And overall, Carr had a good understanding of the heart of his story and kept the historical elements from overwhelming it.
The other thing this book made me realize is why I find fiction so much more compelling than nonfiction – fiction provides the details I long for, and things make sense. Not long ago, I read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, which tells the true story of the serial killer H. H. Holmes in tandem with the events surrounding the 1893 World’s Fair. Despite the excellent research he did, Larson could not answer the questions I wanted answered. Why Holmes did the things he did is not really known, and that left me wanting more from the book. The Alienist completely scratched that itch. And having done his homework in order to create a believable killer, Carr gave Holmes his due. Holmes was in Philadelphia awaiting execution during the spring of 1986, and though he is only mentioned a few times, he is well used.
An engrossing read for those interested in the era and who love mysteries.

Found Art: Sky Heart

A negative space heart in the clouds, seen while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, and caught on film by Dana Geary:

The peak in the picture is the Little Matterhorn.

Snowy Mountain Backpacking

Photo by Kit Dunsmore

Last weekend, we intended to spend four nights camping in the Snowy Mountains near Medicine Bow Peak with friends. We picked an easy loop hike that would allow us to backpack in, camp for a few nights in one spot, and do interesting day hikes on side trails. One of the advantages of our choice was being able to start at high altitude, so that the hiking itself wasn’t all that strenuous. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

The hiking itself was as intended – exercise, but not the backbreaking slogging that can go with climbing endless trails with a pack when you’re not really in shape to begin with. However, the area we picked for our first camp spot turned out much wetter than we realized. (There was a little “marshland” symbol on the map, but none of us noticed that…!). We were attacked by swarms of mosquitoes that made cooking and eating dinner so unpleasant that the teenagers with us were happy to forgo dessert in order to retreat into their tent.

Molly and Sarah before the Bugs. (Photo by Dana Geary)

Photo by Dana Geary

We did have a net tent that we set up and used as a place to get a break from the mosquitoes. Even the dog learned the joy of being able to go into this shelter and get away from them.

The next morning wasn’t as bad, though it was still buggy. The girls did not want to stay out another night, so we packed up and hiked the rest of the loop to get back to the car. The day started well but it rained heavily all afternoon, making the last few hours of the hike cold and wet.

This picture of me only hints at how wet I was. I'm not wearing my hat because it was soaked through. (Photo by Dana Geary)

It's still raining, and one of the signs they are sitting by gave us the cheery news that we had almost 4 more miles to go. (Photo by Dana Geary)

Remarkably, the scenery was still gorgeous. If it hadn’t been raining so hard, I’d have taken endless pictures. There were some things (like flowers) that I just couldn’t resist.

Photo by Dana Geary

It was hard to get good pictures at all with the low light, but Dana got a couple that really captured the beauty of the place. I imagine the rainy part of our hike might be easily replicated in parts of Scotland (although I’m not so sure you would see snow…)

Photo by Dana Geary

We saw a little wildlife and lots of wildflowers.

A pine grosbeak that hung out with us in the parking lot. (Photo by Dana Geary)

Columbines (Photo by Kit Dunsmore)

Photo by Kit Dunsmore

I am dying to go back and stay longer, and I think we now have a better idea of which sections of the trail are likely to provide better camp sites. Maybe Kurt and I will head back up there before the year is out. He bought a Wyoming fishing license but didn’t get to use it.

More of my photos from this trip can be found on my Facebook page.

Found Art: Rock Heart

Another found heart, this one on a trail in Wyoming.

According to the rock expert with me at the time, the striations are glacial in origin.