Dumont Lake--an Ocean of Wildflowers

Our next stop was Dumont Lake, which had been recommended to us by someone from Colorado that we met in Arizona. It was supposed to be good for wildflowers. That’s like saying Beethoven wrote some tunes. This was the Sistine Chapel of wildflowers. The pictures don’t do it justice, like they seldom do the fall colors of New England justice. We were camped in someone’s perennial garden that went on for miles in all directions. The flowers came up to our windows; we waded shoulder-deep in color.

Not continuously besotted with flowers, we did manage to visit Steamboat Springs, scene of a long-ago skiing trip, and do a couple hikes. The Rabbit Ears Peak hike was particularly satisfying and scenic (the trailhead was right in our campground). We could only stay 5 days here, needing to hustle off to meet our son, Jeff, and Katie in Dillon.

More of our Steamboat Springs area adventures on the Outdoor Project:

http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/upper-fish-creek-falls
http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/hiking-backpacking/rabbit-ears-peak

Our campground at Dumont Lake

Dumont Lake

Dumont Lake and beetle damage on pine trees, common throughout Colorado

Camping in a wildflower garden

Upper Fish Creek Falls, near Steamboat Springs

Upper Fish Creek Falls

Dumont Lake sunset

On the Rabbit Ears Peak trail