Revisit of Hollowell Park

Having discovered Hollowell Park in Oct, 2009, and later learning of its beavers, I was anxious to return.  So, we set out on our last hike of the Memorial Day week.  Finding beaver dams and ponds would satisfy me, as we went in the middle of the day.  This time we followed the trail along Mill Creek (duh!) instead of going the opposite direction.

We collected rocks and noted the flowers along the way.

We even spied deer wandering through the meadow.

Finally, we came to ponds, small ones, at first, and then this larger one!

.....and the pond had a dam!

Could it be the 6 ft dam I'd read about?  (Can ya tell - pond at the top of the picture?  The white is the water rushing over the dam.  I know, I prob'ly shouldn't post a picture that I have to explain!)

The dam didn't look 6 ft high, but we guessed that the water below the dam was unusually high because of the wet Spring and this just might be THE dam!  We wanted to continue on, following Mill Creek, just to be sure that this was THE dam, that there weren't bigger and better ones yet to come!  Alas!  we were halted by a huge marshy area, melting snow flowing into the Creek.  Not being prepared for such, we turned back, leaving further exploration to another day.

Deer Mountain

After dessert at Bald Pate Inn the night before, Emily, Alex, Taylor, and Sean chose Deer Mountain to work off the extra calories.  This is a 3 mile hike (one way) which summits at 10,013 ft. with a 1,093 ft. elevation gain.  It is often referred to as one of the easier summits in the Park.  As a hike, though, RMNP gives it a moderate rating.

The first mile of Deer Mountain Trail is gently ascending and offers some of the best scenery.  This includes Ypsilon Mt. and Beaver Meadow with Longs Peak as its backdrop.  The pines are an impressive size and, especially this year, the wildflowers are in great abundance.

The second mile begins to climb more steeply and is shaded by the pine and fir trees.  However, there are several turnouts revealing gorgeous views of the valleys below and the surrounding mountains.

The last mile of the hike becomes level and even tends toward downhill.  The forest is more open and frames excellent views of Estes Park to the East, Longs Peak to the South,  and Ypsilon Mt. to the Northwest.

At the summit, the trees and rocks testify to the harshness of mountain weather, even at 10,000 ft.  Forest fires have created picturesque snags of burned pine while the wind has flattened the tops of the huge boulders.  These forest fires are caused by lightening, and Deer Mountain seems to be a preferred target.  Hikers should take note and descend when thunderheads start to build.