The 'Never Summer' Mountain Range in Colorado

Clouds above the Never Summer Range, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

The Never Summer Range of the Rocky Mountains forms a part of the Continental Divide.  This mountain range is situated along the northwest border of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Many of the peaks in this range rise to elevations of well over 12,000 feet.  Although the photo was taken in late June, many patches of snow remain on the slopes and peaks.

I took this photo from the Medicine Bow Curve overlook along Trail Ridge Road (US Highway 34) in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Big Ol' Bison in Yellowstone National Park

American Bison (Bison bison), Yellowstone National Park

Pretty formidable-looking critter for a vegetarian, isn't he?  Hard to believe he survives and thrives on a diet composed mainly of grasses.

I photographed this fine male specimen hanging out in a meadow near the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Photo: Baby Ground Squirrel Following Mom

Baby Ground Squirrel following Mom

This is a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel mother and her baby.  I spotted these two healthy-looking specimens at a roadside rest along US Route 36 in Larimer County, Colorado.  The youngster followed closely as the mother checked around the parking area for any bits of food that visiting humans might have dropped or left behind.

Photo: Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

This good-looking bird is a Steller's Jay.  Like other jays, it belongs to the same family (Corvidae) as crows, ravens and magpies.  These songbirds are quite common in the Colorado Rockies.  I photographed this individual in Larimer County, Colorado.

Here is some good info about this species from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Steller's Jay

Wild Elderberry - Rocky Mountain National Park

Wild Elderberry flowers (Sambucus sp.)

These are the flowers on a wild Elderberry bush.  By the end of summer, each little flower on the cluster will have transformed into a berry.  The berry clusters will likely be fed upon by Deer, Elk, and Bears.

The photo above is a close-up of an Elderberry flower cluster.  Below is a photo of the dense bush on which they grow.  I photographed this elderberry bush alongside a trail near Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Wild Elderberry bush in flower

Post Office Photo: Custer, South Dakota

U.S. Post Office, Custer, South Dakota

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I "collect" photos of post office buildings when I travel.  This one stands on Mount Rushmore Avenue in downtown Custer, South Dakota.  Custer is a town situated to the southwest of Rapid City, SD.  It is near several sites popular with tourists, including Wind Cave National Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Park County Library, Fairplay, Colorado

Park County Library, Fairplay, Colorado

The town of Fairplay is the county seat of Park County, Colorado.  This brick edifice was built in 1874 as the Park County Courthouse.  In 1986 a new courthouse was built a short distance away.  This building then became the Fairplay branch of the Park County Library.