The Colorado Rockies

A lot of my readers are from different parts of the world and many have never seen Colorado, so I figured I'd write a little bit about where I live.

Of course I'm not going to give everyone directions to my front door but I will tell you that I live in the Pikes Peak backcountry.  It's a beautiful land with panoramic vistas, forest covered mountains and (mostly) friendly people.

I was raised in the desert near mountains.  I would always look at them longingly, wishing I could live in snowy forests.  Now I live 9500 feet (just a little under 3 km) above sea level.  It's a bit extreme and gets very cold in the winters.  However, the sky is brilliantly blue and the clouds get close enough to play tag. :)

Most people have heard of Pikes Peak.  It stands out from the surrounding plains like a sentinel that draws people to it.  Sometimes, when the the afternoon thunderstorms come along, thunder rolls down the mountains to the ground below, creating an awesome sound. 

I lived in Colorado Springs for a few years and met my wife there.  Eventually we moved up into the mountains behind the peak.  Everywhere you turn is a new vision.  There are elk, deer, bears and bighorn sheep that roam the valleys.  Even though I live in town, we still see foxes, raccoons and skunks running up and down the street in front of our house.  The skunks usually leave us alone as long as we do the same.  The biggest pests are the raccoons, which get into trash and tore a hole in my roof that I had to patch this last weekend. :(

The back side of Pikes Peak isn't as recognizable as the front side, but it's the land surrounding it that really makes the viewer gasp.  The primary types of trees are aspens and evergreens. 

The view in October when the leaves turn vibrant colors is absolutely stunning.  People come from all over to take pictures and line the windy road to the town where I live.

Snow falls in the winter, laying a blanket over the town.  Every once in a while, things become hushed and you can hear the snow softly falling.  In January and February it usually comes with howling winds that pile snow up the side of the house though.

At sunset, when there's leftover clouds in the sky from afternoon thunderstorms, they light up from below like fire in the sky.  Vibrant pinks, oranges and purples linger in patterns only nature could make.  Patches of dark blue fill in the sky to the east while metallic light blue creates a canvas for the setting sun in the west.

So that's a small taste of the Colorado Rockies.  I hope you enjoyed it. :)