tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:15:20 +0000BeatlesDungeons and DragonsMarillionKids TVSkaExaminer.comTennisGeekinessInsectsChronicles of NarniaResponsibilityJulie AndrewsColorado RockiesSkillsAppleJerry SeinfeldNamesKISSCollegeDawnBonfils Blood CenterDenver BroncosJohn HughesInspirational MusicBand AidProgressive RockBlogsTheme ParksMamawThe '90sShortcomingsToysGodWinterZakGolfAstronomyMike AndersonStuffMonster BallPokemonMagic: The GatheringVacationsBasketballMountain BikingiTunesRantsBaseballNeighborsFestivalsSwimmingMoviesTiger WoodsDisneyStar TrekMomBoston Red SoxNesteaSummerHockeyIntroductionReality TVThe '80sRod SmithTechnologyCelebritiesFencingDanelleTivoGinnyBirdsDadPhotosSaturday Night LiveFireworksScooby-DooPoliticsSoccerSelf-IndulgenceIndie RockCover songsJazzKevin GarnettCheatingFoodMoneyBlessingsConcertsDallas CowboysGiving BackSnowshoeingHealthStyleListsLeBron JamesReviewsIvan RodriguezOlympicsNanaGeorge CarlinMeat LoafNew York YankeesPetsVideo GamesMatt MauckRadioBrett FavreTarynHardy BoysArtMike PiazzaAnxietyB.B. KingTeethNew WaveStar WarsComic BooksSportsHikingDreamsFootballDetails of one guy's hiking trips around Colorado. Well, sometimes one guy and various family members. And sometimes the trips don't involve hikes, and aren't in Colorado. You get the idea.http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)Blogger156125ATreeFallinghttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-7935075767291338465Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +00002012-01-14T11:10:02.849-08:00SnowshoeingHikingWinterPhotosI'd been dying to use the new snowshoes Santa got me for Christmas. But I didn't have time for a long drive today, so I needed something close. After perusing the Snowshoeing Colorado book I purchased with the REI gift card that I also got for Christmas I decided on Squaw Mountain. Less than an hour drive, only 3.8 miles up and down and less than 900 feet of elevation gain. And unlike much of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/2rypalGJ_Tk/squaw-mountain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2012/01/squaw-mountain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-3556186019899209811Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:28:00 +00002011-12-10T20:17:19.521-08:00HikingPhotosClick here for Part I.The sun being lower in the sky this time of year means there's almost never bad light for pictures. You can still get dramatic shadows even at midday.Lost Lake at last. The ice looked pretty solid, but you could regularly hear noises best described as groanings from under it. The best guess from discussions with other hikers was that it was the sound of the ice fracturinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/Yrvmh4qV3z0/lost-lake-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)2http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/12/lost-lake-part-ii.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-8024076757892057990Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:05:00 +00002011-12-10T19:09:50.435-08:00HikingPhotosMade plans to take a photo trip to Lost Lake today. "Photo trip" is really a euphemism for "by myself," since neither dogs nor kids enjoy sitting still while I'm fussing with aperture settings and lenses.As a bonus we had the total lunar eclipse this morning, so I got up extra early to shoot it on the way. Unfortunately, the mountains proved to be a terrible inconvenience. Their height caused http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/ru4w4JaRdzg/lost-lake-part-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/12/lost-lake-part-i.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-4213262094653720228Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:18:00 +00002011-11-12T18:28:17.101-08:00HikingGinnyPhotosThe warm temperatures forecast for today were a clear signal to go for a hike, so I decided to take Ginny to the Walker Ranch Loop west of Boulder.The terrain was nice and varied, which kept the views interesting.I actually like getting out this time of year. There's something compelling about seeing the landscape after most of the vegetation has died but before nature's shame can be covered http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/e3-xxKdimSE/walker-ranch-loop.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)2http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/11/walker-ranch-loop.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-6476276505261686191Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:35:00 +00002011-10-22T23:20:10.636-07:00HikingDanelleZakTarynPhotosFamily hike day! It took some wrangling, but we talked the kids into making the grueling 10-minute drive to Roxborough State Park for some fresh air. The photo ops started before we even got into the park, as the mule deer rut is apparently going on and some young males were quite literally butting heads right by the Water & Sanitation building outside the park entrance.The weather was perfect http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/rirfJ24WTSE/roxborough-state-park-south-rim-trail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/10/roxborough-state-park-south-rim-trail.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-5408353679999585347Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:10:00 +00002011-10-16T20:22:28.730-07:00HikingGinnyPhotosSaturday was a gorgeous Colorado fall day that demanded spending some time outside. After failing to convince either of the kids to go for a hike, I settled for Ginny and we did the brief 10-minute drive to Deer Creek Canyon Park.I had never even been here until this past spring, when I did an after-work cardio hike with some of the Denver Trail Heads. It struck me as a little funny that I'd http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/P95-XaeYcTw/deer-creek-canyon-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/10/deer-creek-canyon-park.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-3447846986796886297Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:18:00 +00002011-10-07T20:42:01.909-07:00PhotosGood things sometimes come from being on e-mail lists. Not often, but sometimes. This past Wednesday was one of those times. I got a message from Mike's Camera about a Fall Colors workshop they were holding on Saturday. Four hours for just $60 led by photographer Charles Steinberg. So up to Boulder I drove, where I joined 30 other shutterbugs on a bus headed to a trail off the Peak to Peak http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/-gwK3tjF2aU/peak-to-peak-highway-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)1http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/10/peak-to-peak-highway-2011.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-2237764868672707844Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:43:00 +00002011-09-07T21:17:56.434-07:00TarynPhotosClick here for Part I.One wildflower in particular was in abundance and in bloom -- rabbitbrush.Taryn and I were a little worn out in the afternoon, so instead of our planned self-guided tour of Step House we just took the tram ride around Wetherill Mesa instead. Here's part of Kodak House from one of the overlooks.Long House, the one ranger-guided tour we passed on.Taryn did get a Junior Rangerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/hMl3qyAeGsQ/mesa-verde-national-park-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/09/mesa-verde-national-park-part-ii.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-4509586809873256322Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:31:00 +00002011-09-07T21:18:45.970-07:00TarynPhotosAfter starting summer with a family trip to Moab and Arches National Park, Taryn and I bookended the season with a trip out to Mesa Verde National Park over Labor Day Weekend.Point Lookout.We saw more little lizards running around than any other wildlife. I'm not sure what surprised me more -- noticing the blue belly on this one when I was going through the pictures, or learning how many http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/-aFTFU3PMds/mesa-verde-national-park-part-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/09/mesa-verde-national-park-part-i.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-4339334213451375460Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:33:00 +00002011-08-28T19:43:23.577-07:00HikingGinnyPhotosI unexpectedly found myself with most of last Saturday to myself, so I grabbed my copy of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles and looked for something I hadn't done yet. Mountain Lion Trail in Golden Gate Canyon State Park seemed like a good choice, so Ginny and I piled into the car about 9:30 and drove on out. Wildflowers in bloom all along the trail, especially when you got a little higher and started http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/tBZBvblrZ04/mountain-lion-trail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/08/mountain-lion-trail.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-2046740406408350802Thu, 25 Aug 2011 02:58:00 +00002011-08-24T20:28:30.728-07:00HikingPhotosOur last morning in Estes Park I got up around 6:00 and headed out for an early morning hike. My goal was to get to the summit of Gianttrack Mountain behind the Romantic RiverSong Inn where Danelle and I were staying and back down by 8:30 for breakfast. The early hour and overcast skies made the lighting tricky for pictures. But some striking shots presented themselves when the sun peeked http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/7kl6uCjO_mk/gianttrack-mountain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/08/gianttrack-mountain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-3423713245321425380Sat, 20 Aug 2011 23:34:00 +00002011-08-22T18:37:58.208-07:00HikingDanelleInsectsPhotosOur 20th anniversary trip to Estes Park included a hike to Cub Lake in RMNP. After spending much time setting up my camera to the right ISO and aperture setting for the shots I thought I'd be taking, the first truly photogenic thing we came across was a ground squirrel standing on his hind legs nibbling a wildflower ... completely in shade. Still cute, even if not as sharp as I'd like. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/bpITi3POdfg/cub-lake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/08/cub-lake.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-1556545787600469046Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:17:00 +00002011-07-31T21:01:28.660-07:00HikingPhotosClick here for Part I.The money shot from Upper Chicago Lake looking back down the valley. Everyone who tells you not to stop at the lower lake and make the extra push to the upper one is absolutely right.The local ground squirrels were apparently familiar with people. This chubby little guy practically ran right onto my boot looking for a handout.The highlight of the day for Zak may have http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/Fb2uD9LfLow/chicago-lakes-trail-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)1http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/07/chicago-lakes-trail-part-ii.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-8249593942843681564Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:37:00 +00002011-07-31T21:03:40.469-07:00HikingZakPhotosTaryn and Danelle were having a "Mommy & Me" day on Saturday, so I told Zak he and I were going for a hike. A long one. So we left the house before 7:30, stopped at Village Inn for breakfast and then headed to Echo Lake in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area to do the Chicago Lakes Trail.Northern Bluet Damselflies were all over the place. Unexpected, and very cool.The wildflowers were in full http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/-u3225GuQFw/chicago-lakes-trail-part-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/07/chicago-lakes-trail-part-i.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-4742051615773894410Sun, 24 Jul 2011 22:41:00 +00002011-08-20T16:59:37.532-07:00HikingBirdsPhotosClick here for Part I. The trail south from Great Beach Hill ended in another marshy area, with the beach and Cape Cod Bay beyond. The birds were surprisingly skittish, not allowing me to get very close. This American Oystercatcher was an exception. The southern tip of the trail was basically a sandbar, much of which was submerged at high tide. Here is where I basically turned west and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/eK5-diTXjFo/plog-great-island-trail-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)1http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/07/plog-great-island-trail-part-ii.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-2928071447988263159Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:18:00 +00002011-08-20T16:59:50.415-07:00HikingPhotosOn our recent trip to Cape Cod I carved out some time for a hike. A little research revealed that the Great Island Trail was the longest on the National Seashore, so that was the winner. I had no idea there would be so many fiddler crabs. Goes to show how much I've forgotten about the Northeast after 14 years in Colorado. I loved how menacing the males acted with their oversized claws ... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/2GD-b8qdqbk/plog-great-island-trail-part-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/07/plog-great-island-trail-part-i.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-6685964524484219810Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:31:00 +00002011-08-20T16:59:59.203-07:00TarynPhotosClick here for Part I. Click here for Part II. Taryn and I got up at 5:00 Sunday morning to head into the park for the sunrise. A great little app from iFotoGuide tipped me off to a nice spot with a good early morning view of The Three Gossips and Sheep Rock, so we set up shop there and waited. The moon slowly disappearing in the east. The clear conditions didn't result in dramatic colors in http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/oB4y7n0VxkI/plog-arches-national-park-part-iii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)2http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/06/plog-arches-national-park-part-iii.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-216058561710540133Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:52:00 +00002011-08-20T17:00:08.710-07:00DanelleTarynPhotosClick here for Part I. One thing you didn't find at Delicate Arch was solitude. We probably saw more people here than in the rest of the park put together. Many rocks had a black coating known as desert varnish, a mixture of minerals and organic matter. After heading back to Moab for a dip in the hotel pool and an early dinner, we returned to the park about 6:30 for cooler temperatures and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/xAaDMpnrSZA/plog-arches-national-park-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/06/plog-arches-national-park-part-ii.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-8503981281138355738Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:40:00 +00002011-08-20T17:00:16.353-07:00HikingZakPhotosMemorial Day weekend the whole family went to Utah for our first visit to Arches National Park. The weather Saturday morning was overcast and cool, which unfortunately doesn't lend itself to great pictures. But you can always make do with dead wood. :) Taryn saw this little guy wedged between some rocks. He didn't seem too interested in moving, but later in the day once the sun came out and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/U9GcLn8UqUo/plog-arches-national-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/06/plog-arches-national-park.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-7528833173572483629Tue, 10 May 2011 04:09:00 +00002011-08-20T17:00:28.938-07:00HikingPhotosBonus entry! Tried something different today -- a "cardio hike" after work with the Denver Trail Heads at Apex Park in Golden. We even got a little history lesson from the organizer, Deb Stanley, who told us a bit about the trail's origins. A penny per sheep doesn't really seem all that bad. The sun was still shining pretty brightly when we started, and that combined with the group's fast http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/mtT3fgrtbz8/plog-apex-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/05/plog-apex-park.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-273550506412410529Sat, 07 May 2011 23:25:00 +00002011-12-27T18:08:33.576-08:00HikingZakTarynPhotosFamily hike today! The kids and I picked Pine Valley Ranch Park, which despite being about an hour drive away was still in Jefferson County. That's one big county. Apparently not the biggest in the state, though.The place has everything -- mountain biking, horseback riding, trout fishing, kayaking and even an observatory. That's not counting the beautiful 84-year-old lodge that they haven't http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/DfZNgTGCWlY/plog-pine-valley-ranch-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)2http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/05/plog-pine-valley-ranch-park.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-8974205318941356313Sun, 01 May 2011 03:02:00 +00002011-08-20T17:00:50.383-07:00HikingPhotosThe weather fooled everyone again today, and the forecast rainy conditions were nowhere to be seen. So I took advantage of an invitation from Denver Hiking Examiner Deb Stanley to join her group the Denver Trail Heads for a hike. Actually a double hike -- Spruce Mountain Trail near Larkspur followed by a quick trip to the top of Castle Rock. Rock formations like this should really have names, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/QPGXD92S1n8/plog-spruce-mountain-trailrock-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/04/plog-spruce-mountain-trailrock-park.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-6519456546497965682Sun, 24 Apr 2011 04:58:00 +00002011-08-20T17:01:01.747-07:00PhotosAn unexpected bonus from my snowshoe trip to Mills Lake was seeing two separate elk herds as I was leaving, one by Moraine Park and one just outside the park entrance by the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. Magpie hitching a ride. Was I bitter that I saw more elk today than I did when Taryn and I came up last September during the rut? Maybe a little... The elk all seemed aware of the presence http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/hUJBjtq_F6s/plog-elk-in-estes-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/04/plog-elk-in-estes-park.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-109099564729062873Sun, 24 Apr 2011 03:15:00 +00002011-08-20T17:01:29.291-07:00HikingPhotosAfter a week of watching discouraging weather reports, I spoke with an RMNP ranger on Friday who assured me that conditions for Saturday were supposed to be pretty good in the morning, with possible precipitation around 3:00. So I rented a pair of snowshoes at the Lakewood REI on my way home from work, then headed out a little before 7:00 this morning for another try at reaching Mills Lake. Thehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/CtXNWD0RjWQ/plog-mills-lake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/04/plog-mills-lake.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907797933036471777.post-3064304004223666321Sat, 19 Mar 2011 23:47:00 +00002011-08-20T17:02:02.545-07:00BirdsPhotosI read some good advice recently about taking wildlife pictures: "Before spending a fortune on a photography expedition to Africa, hone your skills in your own backyard." With that in mind, I headed to our local pond to see what our flock of Canada Geese was up to. Can a bird like this actually have anything to strut about? Too bad his buddy walked right in front of him and spoiled his whole http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ATreeFalling/~3/Uf7sYlOkNcc/plog-canada-geese.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (SteveHarbula)0http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2011/03/plog-canada-geese.html