Tuesday, April 23, 2024

St. Mary's Falls, April 2024

The calendar may say spring, but winter hasn't completely released its grip on Colorado just yet.  So I made plans to capture some through my lens while I still could.  The destination: St. Mary's Falls in North Cheyenne Cañon Park.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
I woke up the morning of my planned expedition to low temperatures and low visibility.  Undaunted, I made the hour drive and hit the trailhead. electing to savor the conditions rather than bemoan them.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
Not sure what this bird was, but I do appreciate silhouettes.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
An apparent abandoned mine distracted me for a moment, but I had a waterfall to get to so I didn't explore it extensively.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
The fog and barely freezing temperatures resulted in quite a bit of frost on tree branches...

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
...and lower-lying vegetation.

St. Mary's Falls, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
The last half mile or so was pretty steep, so I became laser-focused on just getting to the falls.  And that focus was rewarded with precisely the sort of wintry scene I'd been hoping for. 

St. Mary's Falls, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
I had gambled that the falls would no longer be completely frozen over, and the gamble paid off. 

St. Mary's Falls, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
I soon became fascinated by the ice build-up on the surrounding trees, so I switched from trying to take in the whole scene to zooming in on smaller details.

St. Mary's Falls, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
This occupied me for quite some time.

St. Mary's Falls, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
I don't like the results zooming out to this degree quite as much for some reason.

St. Mary's Falls, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
Yeah, splitting the difference just doesn't do it for me.  Tight close-ups I like, and the full views of the falls I like.  All or nothing, I suppose.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
On my descent, I stopped much more frequently to capture what I was seeing.  This frost-covered plant reminded me of a sea creature.
  
St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
Frost spikes on a yucca caught my eye.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
As did these, though again I feel like this middle-ground view is my least favorite.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
I've got a pretty good idea what picture is going to be on my Christmas card this year.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
I definitely appreciated how clear the trail itself was of ice and snow.  That made the journey much more manageable.

Prairie Pasqueflower, St. Mary's Falls Trail
Pasqueflowers still delight me.  I don't understand the science behind them blooming in freezing weather, but I love their role as heralds of springtime in the Rockies.

Prairie Pasqueflower, St. Mary's Falls Trail
I know it looks like I got down on my belly for this shot, but I'll let you -- dear blog reader -- in on the secret.  This flower was going on the side of a steep embankment along the trail.  So I was really just standing comfortably with my camera at eye level.  Still, I really like the shot.

St. Mary's Falls Trail, North Cheyenne Cañon Park
I had passed a couple of other hikers on the trail who remarked how much they liked the spiderwebs along the trail.  I replied that I hadn't noticed them but would keep an eye out on my way back.  Turns out there were only hundreds of them, cleverly hidden a couple of feet off the trail.  Apparently I was not at my most observant at the onset of my hike.

Roughly 6 1/2 miles and 2,000 feet of elevation gain in 3:20:48, which I included my time shooting the waterfall because I forgot to pause my app.  And worth every minute!

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