THE GLORY OF BIERSTADT LAKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK sow thistle and behind the

sow thistle and behind the cup plants in the distance

skippers and many other insects are attracted to the flowers

The color of autumns box elder trees with the cloud reflections in the South Fork Kishwaukee River had been a majestic scene to behold

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THE GLORY OF BIERSTADT LAKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK sow thistle and behind theIt was a cool August summer morning when I arrived at the trailhead to Bierstadt Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. I started up the steep trail at 5: 15 am to catch the sunrise at the lake and the Continental Divide. It would take me just under an hour to reach the lake. There are numerous switchbacks leading up the mountain through some stands of aspen trees. After about 20 minutes, I no longer needed my headlamp to guide my way up the mountain.