Just looking at this picture I can remember how fast that sun cooked the landscape after rising. The temperature difference from where I took this picture in the shade, and the direct sun was mind boggling. This was my first trip to the desert and it was an experience I will never forget. This unforgiving landscape is so alien to what I am used to, I found myself fascinated with every plant and critter I came across. Anything that can survive in this climate has my respect. I fell in love with particular area. I camped here for a couple days, and never saw a single soul during my stay. It was so peaceful and quiet.
As the sun breaks through the pines, the softened shadows reveal the contours in the meadow of each cluster of grass.
The giant flowers of cow parsnip fill the lower altitude meadows of the Rockies. With the plants reaching four to five feet tall, it can be quite intimidating to walk through. Grizzly bears love grazing this environment. I can't begin to count how many bears I have scared out of meadows similar to this, all much too close for comfort before we each noticed one another.
