Spring wildflower hunt

In an ideal world, I’d have almost all my non-work time dedicated to spending time in the outdoors.

But life does not work that way.

As much as I love the outdoors, there are other ways I do enjoy spending my time on occasion.

Take this past Saturday. I was again invited to partake in a holiday gathering with a family to whom I am very close. I consider them among my closest friends in Boulder.

A traditional Passover frittata. Well…only if you invite a guy named “Magnanti” ever year.

And Sunday, I promised the someone we’d spend some time together that did not involve a hike or a camping trip.

But I still wanted some outdoor time.

I kept it local Sunday. I do not partake in the Boulder Open Space as much as I used to in the past. The trailheads are often quite busy. But I do have one trailhead I can still use that is still fairly uncrowded. The trail head area lets me get to the places I want to see in a little round-about way.

My camera was packed. And I went on a wildflower hunt.

I was hoping that all the snow of last week would accelerate some wildflower blooming.  Another week or two of good sunshine, and I think the wildflowers will really pop.  What I saw was not bad at all, though.

My second favorite spring wildflower, a collection of sand lilies,  was spotted.

The non-native species (I believe?)  were colorful, too

Some Western wall flowers graced the trails.

The transition zone between the High Plains and the foothills of the Rockies is always visually interesting to me.

The trails themselves? Still a bit muddy after last week’s snowstorm.

Even some seasonal streams were flowing in the High Plains area.

But all the moisture meant the bluebells were blooming a touch ahead of normal schedule.

As I was taking some photos of golden banner, I gave an impromptu wildflower talk to a father and child. Playing nature guide can be fun at times.

Alas, I suspect we’ll need a bit more consistent sunshine before I spot my favorite spring wildflower…

I love spring and how everything is coming alive again.  The landscape is  becoming green and popping with color.

A promise of more good outdoor days to come.

My favorite wildflower guide for Colorado and nearby areas? Check out the Rocky Mountain Wildflower Pocket Guide.