Muscoco Mountain Hike

Here's a hike up Muscoco Mountain, in another of our incredible city parks. It starts by crossing this stream.

Socks was leading the way up the mountain (this was before we got Laika).

It was steep.

But the views made it all worthwhile.

The mountains seem to go on forever. (The city is in the opposite direction.)

Any way you looked was beautiful.

I always love the pine trees that cover our mountains.

Socks was proud to have made it to the top!

And that's my weekly entry for Our World Tuesday; the blue skies make it a good entry for Blue Monday.

Barr Camp

From a 1993 hike up Pikes Peak, here's a photo of Barr Camp.

The whole Barr Trail climbs from Manitou Springs to the top of Pikes Peak in about 12.6 miles (20.3 km) and gains 7,900 feet (2,407 meters) in elevation along the way. Barr Camp is about halfway along the trail. And yes, we hiked all the way up in one day. There's a marathon each year that runs up and back, and the best runners can finish in about three and a half hours! Visit Vintage Weekly for more old photo fun.

Three Pronged Lightning

Here's a lightning photo I've not yet posted - three prongs, with the center one striking ground.

This was taken from my back deck, and is an obvious Skywatch Friday post.

Cable Cars

There's only one place I've ever visited that has these.

That was the turntable where they're turned around at the end of the line.

I tried to capture the hills in this next one.

They even go around corners!

Yes, of course these photos are from San Francisco. And they're for Our World Tuesday.

Beach Bird

Here's another photo from Pismo Beach in central California. I loved the sunset silhouettes!

Camera Critters

Saturday's Critters
I'd Rather B Birdin'

Black Forest Park Post-Fire

Those of you who have followed my blog will know there was a terrible wildfire in my area each of the last two summers; each destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of acres. The one last year burned within a few streets of our house. Here are some more photos from my walk in the nearby Black Forest Regional Park, parts of which burned in last year's fire.

The burned area can be dangerous because in places the roots burned away, leaving the trees subject to falling at any time. However, where I entered the park (in the far southwest corner) no evidence of the fire was visible.

It didn't take long to reach areas showing signs of ground fire; these trees survived.

Walking further into the burn zone, there is a mixture of destroyed trees and those that survived.

But deeper into the fire zone, everything burned. These areas will take decades to regenerate.

You can see new vegetation shooting up through the ground.

I guess it did make the Pikes Peak views easier to see.

Our World Tuesday

Signs, Signs

Wiesbaden (2)

Here's another 1977 photo from Wiesbaden - I guess the trees were blooming when we were there.

Vintage Weekly