My standard "need to be back home in two hours" hike is up Hunter Creek around to the trails on Smuggler Mountain and down the road. I do this hike at least once a week and take photos in the same spots each time. My intent is to document the change in the seasons and how the life events of plants and animals are progressing. I think about what I am seeing, smelling, and hearing, and usually jot down notes when I get home. 

Three years of Aspen Mountain on May 9 (click on photo above to enlarge). What do you remember about those years? 

2012 looked beautiful but what we see in the picture is the result of the lowest snowfall totals in decades and a warm, extremely dry spring. This led to fire bans throughout the valley and no 4th of July fireworks. 2012 was the year of the High Park Fire near Fort Collins, and the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs.

The powerful winter storm that just passed through our area closed schools and made traveling difficult. The storm also slowed a young Common Loon Gavia immer pictured above. It must have quite a story of how it came to rest near Aspen Village earlier this week.

Since spring this blog has paid special attention to the shrubs in the Aspen area.  We witnessed an amazing flowering season, followed by more berries than anyone can remember. Now we're focusing on our feathered and furry friends that feast on the shrubs' fruit, berries! Bear conflicts have almost been a non-issue in town this summer and fall because of the bumper crop of berries. They should be going into their dens full and fat in the next couple of weeks.