The Too Late for Lupines Trail

So, back in early July...Zouey and I took a trail who's name promised bountiful lupines...  Unfortunately, I think we needed to go in June to see them!  They were all done by the second week of July.

 Idyllic Colorado!

 The one patch we found...

But the trail was still worth doing - just look at the views!  Here, we're looking down at the town of CB.

 Unknown wildflower

 Another mysterious plant...

 A cattle guard that was particularly tricky for my little Zou!  Open grating, with plenty of spaces for a paw to fall through and two or more feet of height to do it in!  Amazingly (to me, anyways!), she made it over the first time, no problem.  But on the way back, she balked (understandably!), and I ended up heaving her over it somehow.

 More beautiful blue flax, and another little beauty in the background.

 Maybe they should've named this trail after the paintbrush instead?! 

 A pretty scene a little further down the road from the trailhead.

And another one, on the way back home and just south of that town I mentioned above.

W. Gulch

Back at it, in CO, another hike - early July...

 Zou Zooms up the trail.

 Scary shadow coming towards me!

Wild roses.

 Scarier than a bear sighting.  When you're enjoying the peace, quiet, and adventure of a solo hike (with pooch, of course).

Zouey poses, with signs of civilization behind her (we're not that far out this time...).

 My girl likes to live on the edge...

 You can see the road we came in on.

 We were a bit early for the larkspur (not really in full bloom yet), but other wildflowers were coloring up the trail nicely.

 Some brilliant blue flax.

 Mules ears are going good, larkspur getting ready to go off.

 Zou in the thick of things...

 Canine color.

Purty flowers.

 Trottin' downtrail.

 Behind the blue flax.

 Zou, on another lookout.

 A beautiful swallowtail finds one of the few larkspur that has come out already.

 Mules ears and dogs ears.

 What most of the larkspur still looked like.

 The trail winds down to a dirt road, which will eventually lead us back to our car.

 Some more nice lupine.

It was a warm day, and the trail was mostly shade-free, so we were both pretty excited to see this little creek!!

Feeling good!!!