Yampa River Valley - Medicine Bow Routt NF

SO I'm back home in SC it's hot n humid as expected but what was not expected is my A/C unit not working! So I spent my first day back dealing with that.

Anywho I'm back a wee bit earlier than planned due to the Nation Wide Heat Wave! Man the dogs were miserable and so was I with only fans in our camper/van...and the birds were laying low!  However before the heat wave chased us home we saw some awesome stuff.   My route took me out of Rifle, CO up Hwy 13 to Hwy 40 East.  This route takes one through the Yampa River Valley of Rio Blanco and Routt County, and some of the prettiest fertile river bottom I've seen. 

                                                       Hwy 40 through the windshield

The river and the grass bring the Sandhill Cranes and obviously they nest here!

                                                                               

                                                               Sandhill Crane Chick

I stopped at the Yampa River SWA.  The trails were so overgrown I didn't walk any of them did see this killdeer in the parking area trying to draw me away from the nest I never saw the eggs, the parking area was all gravel so I'm sure they were somewhere in the gravel.  Also present were 2 Eastern Kingbirds, Mallards, Western Kingbirds, and Yellow Warblers.  

Saw a nice patch of Yellow False Lupine

                                                                        False Lupine 

The bees sure did love it, we moved on and up to the Routt National Forest, via Hwy 14 East and the Meadows campground we stayed at last fall...Danged it wasn't open! No worries since camping is allowed in a National Forest I decided to camp right in front of the gate away from the mud.

Spring was just getting going there....the willows all red, and the snow still hanging in the shade...and totally cold!

The Moon was out 

The Girls enjoyed playing in the creek and the snow...

                                                            Annie and Floss in the creek

                                                               Annie running in the snow

Casey was not interested in playing he just wanted to relax in the sun

I just wanted to sit in the sun...and enjoy the Avalanche Lilies that were everywhere...

And watch the setting sun play on the distant trees...

This female Cassin's Finch gave us a sunset song, I made a video but it was shaky, it's on my You Tube if you wanna see it...I'm trying to get more birds song on short vids...

We also had White Crowned Sparrow, Gray Headed DE Junco, and Yellow Warbler in the willows around the camp....

Hmm moose tracks....

And once we had breakfast and pulled out we stopped at Dumont Lake Campground it was closed too...but we drove around and checked things out...

Down near the highway a Moose Cow was browsing, hopefully she can fatten on spring growth

Over Rabbit Ears pass 

                                                         The Rabbit Ears and some Antelope

nearby we stopped at the Muddy Creek Lake, 

 one Lincoln Sparrow and some Spotted Sandpiper snacked in the mud flats...
And this White Crowned Sparrow 

Lincoln Sparrow

Spotted Sparrow

This area of Jackson County has a Prairie Chicken Lek (Coalmont Lek)
but currently there is no public access...

I had the CR 45 Lek in Wray County on my visit list but the heat got to us before we ever reached Wray County..So here in Jackson County is Walden Lake, it is HUGE!  Tons of White Pelican, Double Crested Cormorant, Northern Shoveler, American Coot, American Avocet, Blue Wing and Cinnamon Teal, tons of Barn, Tree, Northern Rough Wing Swallow, with Western and Ring Billed Gull.  

                                                                             Am. Avocet

                                                                     Ring Billed Gull

                                                                       White Pelican

                                                                       Canada Geese

 White Pelican flying in this wind!

It was almost impossible to bird with the wind howling...so we had our lunch break 

...and moved right after...
I'll pick up after lunch when we checked out Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. 

after we enjoyed the view at least one more time

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Maroon Bells

I've been to Maroon Bells many times, last time was 2008, and here is the Maroon Lake with the Bells behind it Aug 28th 2008...

here it is Sept 6, 2017

The Weather is always iffy up there...today it was hazy with poor visibility from the same smoke I been referring to the past few posts from fires in Montana, Oregon, and maybe Canada don't know how much is under control now...

the Aspens are turning

Now a days they run a bus up it leaves from Aspen Highlands, and it runs every 15 or 20 mins or if you wait and go up after 5 pm or before 8 am, you can drive your car and if you have the Golden Age Pass you get in free...if not it's $10 and the bus ride is $5 or 10 not sure.

 think the lakes looks lower this year. Compare 

2017

2008

There's all sorts of trails, a couple of campgrounds, and lots of spots to explore...we didn't spend a lot of time Mom came along and she got in a Mood and didn't want to be there at all!! 

Until this guy showed up!!

Boy he sneaked up on everyone...he trotted right in front of our car where we were parked...right behind the pit toilets, then in the edge of the woods..and out into the meadow...

then plowed right past the tourists to the lake...

totally forgot to get a video of him...the long "thing" under the neck of the bull moose is called a Bell or Dewlap...cow moose have one too but it's not as big. What's the purpose of it? No one really knows!  Your Hypothesis?

As you see he has only one antler...It would be cool to hike the trails and find a moose antler!

He was really thirsty or hungry or both!

This Moose was huge! And tho my photos don't show it his coat was glossy when the sun would peek through the clouds and haze.   

What a treat I have't seen one since Yellowstone, 1998, and Alaska 1999! 

The ride up to the Bells is just as beautiful and exciting as getting there..

a little sun was here and there...and then I had to brake for this...right in the road and another on the verge...

The Blue Grouse has been split, this is now the Dusky Grouse...this one a female. 

NEW tic for my life list since they split it!  We wanted her to spread that tail but she didn't. 

You will pass The T Lazy 7 Ranch on the road up to the Bells, Maroon Creek Rd.  You can go for a horse back ride here my son did that when he was 8 yrs old! He rode a mule, he had a blast!  They have other bits of interest along the road too...in case of fire they're prepared...

Notice the siren on the front above the bumper...how cool!

I would love to own something like this truck...just for the heck of it...

This one has a current plate on it!  A Model T?  John Boy Walton had one of these...original paint...awesome!!

Snowmass Monastery 

It was getting late so we headed home....

Once again the sun was doing some awesome things...with the smoke 

Hwy 82 heading west

Back at Home what an awesome sunset  we had! 

Dedicated to the memory of all the FDNY Firefighters whose lives were taken on 9/11/2001 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.