Appreciating Smaller, Gentler Landscapes

When I first came to Colorado, I was drawn to the high peaks and tundra, which seemed otherworldly to me, something wild and remote, untrammeled by humans. Any place else seemed boring. In those early years, I once hiked on a lower elevation trail, the Sandbeach Lake Trail in Wild Basin, and went only went a few miles before I decided it wasn’t nearly wild or interesting enough and turned around. But a few weeks ago I decided to give this trail another chance, this time with snowshoes, because it’s not far from my cabin and would be a quick and easy place to go.

In the intervening 30 years, apparently, I’ve lost some of my impatience for instant gratification, learned to appreciate other sides to nature—like the tall, majestic ponderosas on this trail, which not only shoot straight to the sky but are spread all over the ground, toppled by the high winds that hit this ridge from the west. (Last year, a hiker was killed on this trail by a falling tree, a reminder to be alert.) And while the trail doesn’t go above treeline, it does provide glorious views of the valley below, with the North St. Vrain running through willow bushes, as well as the hillside across the valley and the cirque of mountains to the west.

As I’ve gotten older, and perhaps under the influence of owning a cabin surrounded by aspens and ponderosas, and on the edge of an open meadow filled with grasses and flowers (in the summer), I’ve come to appreciate smaller and gentler landscapes.

One of my favorite walks in Meeker Park, especially in summer and fall, is along Tahosa Creek (top photo, taken last fall). There, different elements form a perfect small landscape: the creek rippling under the shade of the aspens, embroidered all around by tall green grasses (above photo, taken last summer), and backed by the hardness of the granite ridge on the other side. For a full sensual experience, throw in the soft yielding light, the quicksilver movement of the creek and aspen leaves, plus the sounds of the water running and the wind through the aspen leaves. In such a rich landscape, I want to sit quietly by the creek and not move again. There’s a sense of being protected here deep in the woods among the boulders and aspens, a different feeling than being on the tundra, exposed to the winds and sky.

I generally don’t like bushwhacking through the forest; it’s much easier to follow a trail, where the woods have been cleared. But I’ve found that following the creek puts me in a close, intimate contact with the woods, as I brush against trees, clamber over rocks, grab onto the trunk of a tree to steady myself on a rock. 

Last summer, I found a valley that I didn’t know existed, down the road from my cabin and up another road. In the valley bottom was the most perfect of small landscapes: an oval pond that reflected Mount Meeker, surrounded by aspens on one side and grasses on the other, while beyond the pond, the valley opened to Mount Meeker in the distance.

I still love the high mountains, still find it uplifting to stare at the broad, empty flanks of Mount Meeker and know that the mountain exists outside of the world of most human endeavors. But, increasingly, I’m happy to be looking up at it rather than climbing the mountain; I don’t have to be on top to enjoy the view.

Comments

[Barb]

Hi Kathy, I often walk or ski the forest trails behind my house. I live high - above 10,000' - but I like being enclosed by the trees, too. I see wonderful things sometimes when the view is a bit less grand. I imagine you have snow on the ground now. We finally got a bit more Sat. night - snow pack is way below normal here in Breckenridge. Happy New Year to you. I love the green grass shot!

[Grace]

Glad you have found beauty and enjoyment in all kinds of nature. It's true that many of us, when we think about nature, we envision grand mountains and vast landscapes, forgetting that nature lives just outside our front door (even in urban areas). Having said that, I would love to explore the mountains of Colorado some day:)

[Kathy Kaiser]

Grace, glad to hear you're finally getting some snow. In Meeker Park, we've had snow on the ground since October. In my back yard, which is protected from the wind and faces north, I have about three feet of snow.

[Kathy Kaiser]

Grace, you would love Colorado.