Bristlecone Pines, mountain air, (and mountain lion scat!)
I just returned from two weeks in Colorado after an intense exhibition schedule (four solo shows in less than a year!) True, it's fantastic to have these opportunities, but its also physically and mentally gruelling and leaves sparse time for reflection.
When I started dreaming about painting and installation ideas the night before we left, I was reminded of why these breaks are so important. Other than a few Instagram posts, and daily stories comprised of hiking photos, I didn't work or think about studio. I focused on the environment in front of my eyes.
My daily routine began with yoga on the deck surrounded by lodgepole pines with mountains in the distance. We hiked almost everyday at high elevations, returning to read for a few hours, cook dinner, and relax some more. Ahhhhh. We were hiking between 10,500 and 11,000 feet and sleeping at 10,850 so my appreciation for oxygen grew daily.
Here are some of my favorite photographs. Not surprising, its much ado about trees and water for me! Mountains, wild flowers, and sky, are also fantastic, but for me the fascination is how trees survive near tree line, and how they differ from my Wisconsin forests that I think about. Water is so sparse here and winter conditions, harsh. We were hiking in mountain spring, so flowers were abundant and water was still flowing from snow melt, supporting all kinds of life from bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and mountain lions.
Check back again soon, I will continue to update with more photos and writing. Mountain lion scat and bear scarred tree trunks are upcoming.
Many of the images above were from the Limber Grove Trail, where a grove of ancient Bristlecone Pines live and remind us of what it looks like to endure hardship — it builds character. The Bristlecone Pine (also known as Foxtail pine) is my favorite tree. I forget this sometimes when people ask, because I don’t see them very often. I think I first saw these pines on the rim of the Grand Canyon on my first backpacking trip. (Also the most excruciating AND magnificent trip I ever did!)
I was fascinated by signs of life in this rugged environment so encountering animal scat and tree gouges reminded me that mountain lions, bears, and elk live here along with the bumble bees busily seeking nectar on this spring hike. (in July, the flowers come alive at this altitude.) I will continue to add images below, so please check back again soon.