Crossing the Rockies - Finlay Continues His Travels

Approaching the Rocky mountains from the flat, flat prairie, and suddenly seeing the peaks, faint and blue, soaring up from the horizon is a breathtaking experience. Then, the climb into the forested wilds, passing stunning rock formations, and on upwards, to 14,000 feet leaves you feeling like you are approaching the stars.

High up in the mountains are broad alpine meadows where farms are situated. One can almost think, mistakenly, that one is in Switzerland. In fact, many of the settlers in this part of Colorado are of Swiss origin. The farmers raise herds of cattle, but also herds of American bison. All is peaceful and calm in these valleys.

In the mountain forests, however there is a wealth of wildlife, large and small. Traveling through by car, it is unlikely that you will see the largest, most exotic of these creatures. The bears and mountain lions stay concealed. Unless you leave the road, chances are your wildlife viewing will consist primarily of rodents, and members of the deer family - though among the latter, herds of elk can sometimes be spotted. And in the air above, hawks and vultures soar.

Best of all, the high altitude mountain water is fresh and clear, and delicious. We filled up every water container we had before leaving the mountains - and were very happy we'd done so once we had arrived on the Western side in the Utah desert.