White Tailed Talmadge

• Day:  83
• Start:  40  1301
• End:  42 1323
• Miles:  24
• Hours:  11
• High temp:  71
• Low temp:  40
• People met:  8

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A nice ridge walk back on the CDT

The wind is cold and blowing hard as I walk the ridge this morning, I'm forced to don my rain jacket as protection. The views are splendid on this crisp morning and I'm enjoying the trail. I spot another hiker up the trail, he stops and raises an antenna, then moves on. When I catch up to him, he turns out to be a volunteer tracking the White Tail Talmadge, a bird a little bigger that a quail with a longer neck. Apparently, there are some tagged birds and he is locating them, making sure they still are ok. He is a very nice fellow who seems to be having a lot of enjoyment doing this work. 

So not 10 min after I leave him I spot one of these birds, she scoots away before I can get a picture, darn. 

Looking east, the trail is down there

Just so pretty up here

In a while a make it to Berthoud Pass a major rest area on highway 40. 

 The classic divide sign

Now I must trek up Mt. Flora, the views are beautiful up here. To the west I can see Frasier, a small town on hwy 40. To east I can see the mountains that are by Denver and Boulder, plus a small glimpse of the empty pairie beyond. 

Mt. Flora

The good news is I got a picture of many White Tailed Talmadges

The sky is ominous to the west, I see rain falling and the possibility of thunderstorms developing. I'm in the sun yet I'm being lightly rained upon. I think the rain falls easily at high elevations and evaporates before it gets to the lower elevations. Got to gear up for the rain regardless. The top and the north side of Mt. Flora consists of rocks. The trail builders have created a bunch of switchbacks using the rocks as a pathway, actually it's a good trail. 

Can you pick out the pathway, sometimes it takes a moment to realize where it is. 

The trail descends in this rock field for a very long time, finally dropping me into a valley where I get water. Crossing to the other side of this valley I climb a little then drop into the forest. I'm glad for the forest as shelter because the thunderheads are building. 

Got to cross this slope to reach the forest

Looking back to Mt. Flora, up one side and down that one. 

I'm watching the thunderheads develop and I see many in the east, plus one in the north where I'm headed. Precisely at 1630 hrs I hear thunder roll across the mountains, it came from the east. Looks like Denver is getting strong weather again. 

I make the low spot in the valley and start looking for a protected place to camp.  I'm on a dirt road now, looking for the trailhead. 

Looks like some ancient mining equipment. 

Shortly I cross the river via a bridge a locate the trailhead, there are many flat spots for camping here. I take my time and select one that has tree protection, plus good drainage. 

Glad to be able to rest after a pleasant day.