Cheesman Canyon

My hike to Elk Falls made me optimistic that there was more water still to be seen.  I decided to give Cheesman Canyon a shot and see how the South Platte River was doing.

Good news.  The river was doing quite well. :)

There weren't too many wildflowers blooming just yet.  Lambert's Locoweed was the first I saw.

As the morning warmed up, the Prairie Lizards came out to soak up some sun.  Most were really tiny.  This guy was the biggest I saw, and roughly a whopping six inches or so from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail.

I spotted a mother Common Merganser with a small crew of babies on the river.  Unfortunately, she spotted me as well and hastily took her brood downstream to safety.  The only shots I got were from quite a distance away and not well exposed, so I decided to get creative with my favorite of the bunch.  I'm not disappointed with the result!

Most of the canyon trail is up above the river, providing some great overlooks down to the water.

The ruggedness of this stretch of the river is special, with sizable boulders sprinkled liberally in the water.

I was delighted to see a pair of American Dippers working on a nest in one of those boulders.  The light unfortunately frustrated me in getting great shots of the birds themselves.  But it was really cool to see them taking turns gathering moss and adding it to their home.

I had never heard of Blue-Water Speedwell before uploading this image to iNaturalist, but I loved seeing this flower blooming right in the river.

The clouds started to gather as I made my way back to the trailhead, but just enough to enhance the views of the river.

I didn't notice all the Blue Columbine along the trail on the outward portion of my trek, but was delighted to see them on my way back.

I did notice this sad-looking Fragrant Evening Primrose, and made sure to capture it in all its wiltedness.

Exactly six miles (AllTrails, as usual, underestimates the trail at only 5.6 miles) in a leisurely 2:31, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of it.  I look forward to coming back, possibly in winter to see its beauty in another season!

Elk Falls

Given our dry winter, I'm really glad I did my Great Colorado Waterfall Tour last year.  But I figured if I was going to have any chance of seeing a waterfall in the state actually flowing briskly this year, now was it.  So I headed to Staunton State Park to hike to Elk Falls.

You have to want to see this waterfall; the hike is nine miles with roughly 1,500 feet of elevation gain.  It starts steep, with nice views to the southeast.  The mountain in the distance with just a bit of snow still remaining is Pikes Peak.

The sun did eventually come out, but temperatures stayed cool.  Really perfect hiking weather.

I'd hiked to the Elk Falls Overlook with Zak and Ginny 12 years ago, but not to the falls themselves.  Elk Falls Pond is en route to both.

The final stretch of trail is a very steep third of a mile that even has a chain to grab onto for assistance at one point.  The payoff, fortunately, is worth it.

The waterfall is pretty (duh, it's a waterfall).  And once I got back to the pond I ended up essentially retracing the steps I'd taken with Zak and Ginny a dozen years earlier back to the parking lot.  A solid and beautiful workout on a late spring day!

Kountze Lake, May 2026

After a wonderful morning at St. Vrain State Park, I had the time and inclination to see more!  Another photographer mentioned there being American Avocets at Kountze Lake, which was arguably on my way home.  So Kountze Lake it was. :)

Pond Sliders were taking full advantage of the warm, sunny day.

So was this monstrosity.  I'm fascinated at how this Common Snapping Turtle has so much algae growing on it.

I only found a pair of Avocets, who stayed frustratingly far from shore.  I do love how elegant they look with those long, curved beaks.

While there may have been disappointingly few Avocets, there were an abundance of babies!  Mallards...

... and Canada Geese.  Almost teenagers, really, though still patiently escorted by Mom and Dad.

The Mallard babies -- like most kids -- were having big fun playing in the mud.

I could followed these little ones around for hours, but eventually bid them farewell.  Delighted, though, to have made two photos stops before lunch!

Related Links:

• Kountze Lake and South Platte Park, December 2019
• Kountze Lake, June 2015: Part I
• Kountze Lake, June 2015: Part II
• Kountze and Harriman Lakes

Waterton Canyon, November 2025

Sterne Park on Monday was just the appetizer.  The main course I had planned was to see the Bighorn Sheep in Waterton Canyon.  I knew there would be a hike involved -- the herds usually hang out between 1.5 and three miles up from the trailhead.  And I got confirmation from some folks I passed on the trail that the three-mile mark was indeed where a large herd could be found.

A solo ram was walking right on the road about 2.25 miles in.  I thought I might get a solid portrait shot, but he headed up the rocks before I reached him.  Little did I know it was so he could provide me with a hero shot!

Right at three miles, the herd came into view.  One older ram had gathered quite a collection with him.

There was one clearly younger sheep in the crew.  A late-season birth, perhaps?

On the cusp of the rut, I wasn't sure if the ram would be aggressive.  And I had no intention of getting close enough to find out.  Three cheers for telephoto lenses!

Even his head-on stare didn't seem that threatening.  More indifferent, really.

This young one, however, looked like he wanted to take me on.

One last look in the eye of the ram -- still not a trace of menace or hostility to be seen -- before the herd began to move up the canyon and into shaded areas where photos would be more challenging and less striking.  So I headed back, and saw nothing of interest on the return journey.  I did pass a woman who had seen and photographed a mink along the river, which was cool.  But I got what I wanted -- to spend some time with these wonderful creatures for the first time in years!

Related Links:

• Waterton Canyon Bighorn Sheep, Part I
• Waterton Canyon Bighorn Sheep, Part II
• Waterton Canyon, October 2014
• Waterton Canyon, November 2014: Part I
• Waterton Canyon, November 2014: Part II
• Waterton Canyon, November 20124 Redux
• Waterton Canyon, December 2015
• Waterton Canyon, January 2018

Genesee Park Bison

I headed to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge on New Year's Day to take some wildlife pictures.  Unfortunately, the refuge was closed.  So after getting over my annoyance at whoever decided to close what is mainly a drive-through area on a holiday, then my annoyance at myself for not checking beforehand, I had to decide my next move.  I had about three hours before I was scheduled to meet Zak for dinner in Golden.  After briefly considering Denver City Park and Kountze Lake, I realized I'd never shot the American Bison in Genesee Park.

It took me a little driving around to finally find the road that let right up to where the herd was hanging out on the south side of the highway.  They were unfortunately not very close to the fence, and the light was pretty bright and harsh.

Two youngsters playing is cool in any light, though.

In a stroke of good fortune, the herd caretaker drove up.  He noticed me shooting and asked where I'd like him to feed the bison.  I checked the light and made a suggestion, he gave me the thumbs-up, and I thanked him profusely before he unlocked the gates and drove in to pick up some alfalfa.  The herd slowly followed him to the barn, clearly knowing what coming.  Then they more quickly followed him back down to where he proceeded to onloaded and cut open the bales.  Last of all was this big bull, who clearly felt no need to rush since he knew everyone would get out of his way once he arrived.

I got to leisurely take plenty of shots as the gentle giants proceeded to chow down.

The light was now working in my favor, providing nice contrast on their shaggy profiles.

Extreme close-ups are easy when your subject has no interest in moving.

And since I'm still a child, I still like pictures of animals sticking out their tongues.  Using that tongue to clean their own nostril is a bonus.

Lemons into lemonade yet again!  And I arrived for dinner in plenty of time. :)

Related Links:

• Badlands National Park: Bison (2013)
• Yellowstone Wildlife 2023
• Wind Cave National Park (2013)
• Wyoming Wildlife, Part I (2010)

Maxwell Falls, June 2023

With all the recent rain it stood to reason that wildflowers weren't the only beneficiaries. I figured that waterfalls were probably running pretty briskly, too. Maxwell Falls is only an hour drive from our current digs in Castle Rock and provided a chance to go back through our old stomping grounds of Conifer. I'd hiked it once with Ginny in the fall of 2012, but we had a dry summer that year and I literally never saw a waterfall on the hike. So on Thursday Maxwell Falls became my next hiking destination.

I'd started at the lower trailhead back in 2012.  This time I decided to start at the upper one.  An early start yielded bright blue skies and a healthy sense of optimism for a rain-free hike.

I took the split in the trail leading up to the cliffside bluffs for a longer hike and some scenic views as the clouds started to thicken.

All the greenery right now really is vibrant and stunning.

I didn't see too many wildflowers, but this Mountain Goldenbean stood out.

New buds were forming everywhere, like this Common Douglas-Fir reaching for the sunlight.

I can't decide if this Colorado Chipmunk wanted a handout or a fist bump.  Sadly, I didn't give him either,

After coming down from the bluffs and following Maxwell Creek, I started running into cascades. I know this little drop wasn't the falls, but it was still pretty enough to stop and shoot.

I suspected these were, in fact, Maxwell Falls.  Not tall but still picturesque.

A butterfly I've never captured before graced me with a brief rest on the trail -- a Mourning Cloak.

Wait a minute ... are these Maxwell Falls?  Another hiker had described the falls as really just a series of short cascades, so maybe I'd been mistaken before and these were them.

Or maybe these?  Good grief, none of them had signage so I was now at a complete loss.  I'd seen three spots with tumbling water that could have possibly been Maxwell Falls.  I guess it doesn't matter what they're called if they're all soothing!

Oh, OK.  THIS must be the "official" falls.  The longest and steepest dropoff I'd seen, for sure.  Again, no sign.  But these have my vote for the real thing.

One last shot of some Prairie Bluebells and I was soon back to the string of the balloon, or the stick of the lollipop, or whatever you wish to call the part of the trail that precedes the loop.

My overall pace was pretty slow -- 3.14 miles in 2:06:47.  Waterfall shots will do that; I find I spend more time composing and shooting them than most other scenery.  And it's almost always time well spent!

Related Link:

• Maxwell Falls, 2012