Backpacking, hiking, and Horseshoe Lodge!

June has been a busy month at MPEC! Here are some photos showing a bit of what's been happening: backpack camp in the Greenhorn Wilderness for middle school age kids (after a dayhike to the peak, they were treated to a lovely sunset over the Sangre de Cristos back at camp) and a guided hike from Hwy 165 back into Pueblo Mountain Park along the South Creek Trail (in collaboration with Wild Connections and the local Sierra Club chapter). The wildflowers were terrific, including several columbines. The Lodge photo shows that the insulation is in, hanging drywall is about complete for the upstairs (taping begins this week, as does downstairs drywall hanging), and the project is in full swing. We are looking for volunteers who would like to help out with painting, which we will be getting to in the next couple of weeks. If you're interested, please call me at 485-4444. Thanks, Ranger Dave

Mountain Park Alive with Nature!

This past Saturday, I was out along the park's trails doing some trail maintenance, and couldn't help but notice that the flowers are probably at their peak for the park, easily 3 or 4 weeks later than usual. Pictured in this blog are senecio, yucca, stonecrop, dwarf penstemon (p. virens), and mountain harebell, a few of the many wildflowers blooming right now. And at yesterday's birding hike, we saw several western bluebirds and at least a couple of western tanagers, two of the more colorful avian species found in the park at this time. It's a great time to take a leisurely hike in Pueblo Mountain Park to enjoy Nature's loveliness.

A busy May @ MPEC!

May has been humming for MPEC in Pueblo Mountain Park. Along with lots of school programs (photo of stream ecology session of Earth Studies), we had another great Nature Toddlers session (playing drums before the hike), and a special treat when Diana Miller of Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center released a couple of flammulated owls among the ponderosa pines in front of the Horseshoe Lodge (a "flam" pictured with MPEC member and supporter Tyson Bennett).

Nature Toddlers program a real hit!

On Friday, April 25, MPEC kicked off our second year of Nature Toddlers. About 20 little people and at least that many of their bigger relatives participated in a delightful session that included a short hike, exploration, animal puppets, games and songs. A cool but sunny day offered a lovely opportunity for all to enjoy, experience, and learn about the natural world. What a joy to see these young children, tomorrow's voters and consumers and leaders, learning to love and feel comfortable in Nature! Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who planted these seeds of loving the Earth in these toddlers by attending this program. Our next 2 sessions are scheduled for Fridays, May May 23 and June 27, 10am. Call 485-4444 for more details.

April storm brings a foot of snow to the park!

The mud was gone, the snow was just about all melted, the land was beginning to green up, and now an April storm changes all that. About a foot of wet snow blankets the land. Some melting and settling of the new snow brings a bit of estimation to the actual depth, but I have an accurate moisture content of 1.30". Total snowfall for the season is now up to 130" (a foot above average). Yesterday, before the storm hit later in the afternoon, a grey fox was hanging around MPEC and allowed Ranger Jeff a few good photos (here's one of them). I just returned from the pond with this photo of the slushy water and snowy landscape. All this moisture should mean an excellent wildflower season. We have 3 wildflower hikes coming up so we can enjoy them: Sunday, April 27, 11am; Saturday, May 10, 9am; and Sunday, June 1, 9am - call (719) 485-4444 to register.

As March Becomes April in Pueblo Mountain Park!

The month of March brought 34.5" of snow, bringing the season's total to 113.5" - just a few inches shy of a full winter's average snowfall. The frequent moisture has the park's wildflowers poised for a good season, as least as it looks right now. I took a pleasant hike a few days ago along the Tower / Mace Trails loop and shot some photos of a few plants along the way. Pictured are a couple of small flowers already in bloom, kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ssp. adenotricha) and spring beauty (Claytonia rosea). Also pictured are what dwarf daisy (Erigeron pumilus) and some member of the mustard family look like a few days before their first flowers open. A careful eye will find these and other plants putting the park's spring wardrobe on.

Over 100" of snow so far!

March 9 dawned revealing 5.5" of new snow, bringing this winter's total to 101.5" so far. Since 1990, the average total winter snowfall for the park is 118", so it's not going to require much more snow to bring this year's total to average. Of course, if March and April deliver what they usually do (they are historically Beulah's two snowiest months, respectively), then this winter will go into the books as an above-average winter of snow. We'll see what these next few weeks bring! (Photos: The morning cloud cover showing signs of breaking up over the park's snowy landscape with my footprints along the trail between the lodge and the pond. An afternoon snowshoe hike to Devil's Canyon brought sunshine finally breaking through the clouds, illuminating the canyon's waterfall dressed in bright snow.)