Rocky Mountain High

Since 1982 I’ve lived near the Rocky Mountains and have never tired of its appeal.  Though the winters can be long and cold the opportunity they provide for sensual delights abounds: dramatic sounds, sweet and uncommon smells, and a visual wonderland.  The Rocky Mountains stretch for more than 3,000 miles — from British Columbia in Canada to the southwestern United States — and Wyoming is located near their center.  While the iconic mammals of East Africa are the lion and the elephant in the Rockies this honor belongs to the wolf and the grizzly bear — hearing a wolf howl or seeing the big bear are truly unforgettable experiences.  And no place I’ve visited can match for utter beauty the array of wildflowers in bloom during a Rocky Mountain spring, summer or fall.  From tall spiring mountains to cool streams and lakes, from rich vegetation to diverse and spectacular wildlife, I love living close to the Rockies!  Below are a few photos of this truly majestic section of our country.

Mountain Goat – Glacier National Park, Montana

Colorado Columbine, near Libby Flats – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Reynolds Mountain – Glacier National Park, Montana

Yellow Fawn Lily – Glacier National Park, Montana

Mountain Goat – Glacier National Park, Montana

Bighorn Sheep – Glacier National Park, Montana

Bighorn Sheep – Glacier National Park, Montana

Ptarmigan Wall – Glacier National Park, MontanaSwiftcurrent Lake – Glacier National Park, Montana

Virginia Falls – Glacier National Park, Montana

Trail from Granite Park Chalet down to the Going-to-the-Sun Road Loop – Glacier National Park, Montana

Bear tracks – Beaver Ponds Trail, Yellowstone National Park

Grizzly Bear – Togwotee Pass, Wyoming

Gray Wolf – Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park

Mount Sheridan Trail – near Heart Lake, Yellowstone National Park

View of the Tetons – from Mt. Sheridan Trail, Yellowstone National Park

Tetons – near Jackson, Wyoming

Grand Teton, Taggart Lake Trail – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Tetons and Fog – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Oxbow Bend – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Pilot Peak – near Cooke City, Montana

Yellowstone Lake and Absaroka Mountain Range – Yellowstone National Park

Lewis Falls – Yellowstone National Park

Lewis Lake and Sugarloaf Mountain- Snowy Range, Wyoming

Sky Pilots and boulders, Libby Flats – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Alpine Forget-me-nots, near Lewis Lake – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Bull Moose – Snowy Range Road, Wyoming

Medicine Bow Peak (12,013′) – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Lake Marie – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Lakes Trail – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Cross country skiing in June – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Doris, Chris & K’eyush hiking near Lewis Lake – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Susan at Lewis Lake – Snowy Range, Wyoming

Pals on the deck at Dornan’s (great view of the Tetons) – near Jackson, Wyoming