Disappointing Trip to Mount Evans

At 14,130 feet Mount Evans boasts the highest paved road in the country.  Back when everybody shot film I had made a trip here to photograph the mountain goats and their young which usually can be found near the top.  I was hoping to improve on these old images with new digital ones.  In addition I hoped to photograph Rosy-finches near Summit lake on the way up.  Unfortunately things didn't work out.
Problem number one was the huge Saturday crowds that arrived early.  It looked like half of Denver had showed up.  The toll station was not manned this early in the morning and there was a traffic jam as people had to fill out the forms and envelopes.  The parking lot at Summit Lake was jammed and cars were parking along the roads.  Rosy Finches are flighty enough without the hordes of visitors scaring them off.
Problem number two was the lateness of the season.  The mountain goats and also the sheep were shedding and very ratty looking.  On the plus side the wildflowers were at peak and the views, as always, make up for any disappointments.

In the afternoon we traveled back to Denver for hamburgers at Duffy's Cherry Cricket restaurant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KdVFw2JQSU) to see if Man vs Food claims were true.  With 21 toppings you can have your half pound hamburger any way you want it.  Slightly greasy and very messy-perfect!


The cricket burger in all its glory

Home of the best burgers in Denver

After hamburgs we headed to Red Rocks Park (http://www.redrocksonline.com/).  This park is best known for its unique rock out-croppings but with many species including White-throated Swifts it is a great birding site.  Birding took a back seat, however, to a concert by the "Arrival from Sweden: the Music of Abba".

Red Rocks before the concert



Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABBA



The crowd