Calypso Cascades
While Seth was in town for the weekend we did two excellent hikes with him!
Our opener was at Betasso Loop above Boulder. It was a 3.5mi trail with lots of gullies and hills, a few stream crossings and spectacular foothills views. For the first mile and a half Wes and Seth were jogging! Van joined them as well. Mom, Dad and the dogs caught up eventually. The second half of the hike was a bit slower, but the boys did great and were so happy to show their uncle a little of their back yard.
For the second hike we wanted something a little grander, so we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park, to the Wild Basin entrance. From there we hiked up to Calypso Cascades - a rocky, log riddled water fall that we forecast to be running strong given the spring run-off had just started. We were right! The river running along the trail was blowing up! At some points the water over took the trail. When we were right by the water it was quite loud, too. Van and Wes liked to put their fingers in the water that crossed the path to see how cold it was (it had been snow the day before after all). The falls themselves did not disappoint - stunningly beautiful. We stopped there, almost 2mi up from the trailhead, and had a snack, enjoyed the cool breeze from the falls and the scenery. It was our first time doing this hike, and we'll absolutely do it again!
One of the things our guide book said to look for was the fairy slipper orchid. It is actually an endangered species in the park, and I really wanted to see one. They are pretty tiny, but being pink-purple made them stand out a little, keeping a careful eye. All the wild flowers blooming were truly gorgeous, but I did manage to find a few of the little fairy orchids! Such a delicate little thing amongst the hearty, rough pines trees and brush.
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| Fairy slipper orchid |
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