Ouzel Falls

After a bit of a lazy Sunday morning (No we were not at a party in Denver last night. No we did not scale scaffolding to a rooftop slip-and-slide party. No people were not using baby oil to make themselves slip and slide faster. Yes the punch was strong.) we decided that an easy hike was in order. So we headed off to Rocky Mountain National Park yet again to explore a bit of the Wild Basin area in the southeast section of the park. Destination: Ouzel Falls.

After a lovely drive along the Peak to Peak Highway, we arrived at the trailhead to falling rain, flashing lightning and booming thunder. Conveniently parked next to a lighting scarred tree and preferring not to get crispy fried in a similar manner, we decided to wait it out in the car for a bit to see if the storm would pass. Weather out here changes so quickly - I love it.

Thirty minutes later we set out in a steady drizzle. An easy 2.7 miles from the trailhead to the falls, the weather was a perfect accompaniment to our wooded surroundings. I had become accustomed to a generally brownish and dry landscape, so the deluge of green we encountered was a complete thrill.


There were also head scratchers like this.


On the way up, we were treated to periodic glimpses of minor falls, and the sound of rushing water was a constant. On both the way up and the way down, Kevin was determined to get a shot of the trout attempting to jump up the falls. Greenback cutthroat trout, the state fish of Colorado and also listed as threatened on the endangered species list, are trying to make a comeback in this area. While you can catch and keep non-native brook trout, you must release any greenback cutthroat trout you may catch, and signs identifying this fish are posted periodically along the river. Thankfully on the way back down, Kevin was rewarded with a few shots of the jumping fish. Look closely and you can see the little fishy smack dab in the middle of the shot.


We climbed up above the falls to see a bit of the area destroyed by a fire (started by lightning) back in 1978. They say it may take more than a century for recovery to be complete, and clearly the area still appears significantly damaged.


We had noticed the many varieties of mushrooms growing in this area on our way up the trail, and somehow, fifty-some-odd photos later, we're determined to identify at least one edible variety. Here are two of our favorite shots.