Wow, what a day for Live By Living’s first alpine survivor’s hike!  On July 24, nine of us hiked up to Blue Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

We started with a short reading from Aldo Leopold’s “A Sand County Almanac” about the fleeting masterpieces nature paints in the landscape.
When we arrived at the lake, after a good little hike, we first were drawn by the stunning mountains surrounding us in the cirque of Blue Lake:  Audubon, Paiute, Toll and Pawnee towered above us.  

Only after lunch, and a brief (!) dip in the lake by one of the more intrepid hikers, did we discover the nearby hillside replete with spellbinding wildflowers.  Huge clusters of

Paintbrush, Columbine, Chiming Bells, and Parry’s Primrose fairly covered the slope.

The fleeting beauty of wildflowers teaches us to live in the present. Fleeting though they may be, wildflower works of art return each year to give us wonder and delight. Suggesting another lesson for another time about the cycle of life.  Next week’s hike to Straight Creek will provide another opportunity to lose ourselves in the improbable beauty of such wonders as Elephant’s Head, Silky Phacelia, and more.  Join us!