Last October, the East Troublesome fire traveled into the eastern slopes of RMNP.  It came "too" close to our house but a big snowstorm stopped it in its tracks (see http://rachelames.com/blog/what-the-east-troublesome-fire-does-on-a-saturday).  It has been fascinating to watch the vegetation come back to life.  The Ponderosa pine trees (which are especially resilient to wildfire) are amazing!  While many trees look burnt beyond repair, there is new growth emerging.  The grasses and flowers are amazing, too.  Here are some pictures that show the change so far.  The video shows a 360 degree view of an area that burned. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the fire is how it burned some areas and missed others.   

This morning was the first time in over two months that I had been to the Sprague Lake area in RMNP.  The last time I was there I saw a white snowshoe hare, and today I saw one in its summer coat.  They are such interesting animals -- clearly skittish around humans but also willing to come back for a second look.  They are so fast that they are very hard to photograph until they are well protected by the sticks and logs that they call home.