Wild Basin And Ouzel Falls

Thursday August 14, 2014
Glacier Basin Campground
Rocky Mountain National Park

 

Rocky Mountain National Park has several sections.  We have so far concentrated on the east side where we are camping.   But our inadvertent drive up here on Route 7 took us past two of the more southern areas of this HUGE park, over 249,000 acres.  Today we are going to drive back down Route 7 in Ruby and do the 5.4 mile out and back Ouzel Falls hike in the Wild Basin area of the park.

I do love my commenters.  Sharon recommended this hike as one of the best in the park and oh was she right.  We probably would not have driven back down to do this without her enthusiastic recommendation so I must thank her and encourage you all to please tell me what you loved in any area we are visiting. 

 

 

We get a late start somewhat on purpose as we are trying out different times of day for hiking to see if anything other than 5am works.  I’m all for 5am but David not so much.  Today we leave at 1:00, drive 20 miles down Route 7 to the dirt road entrance to the Wild Basin Trail Head.  Down the road about 5 miles we find the Wild Basin Trail Head.

The parking lot looks packed and we are thinking, Oh Dear, but actually there are a number of trails that go off from this trailhead so we are hopeful that lots of these folks are going on longer hikes than we are.

We stop by the ranger station and chat with him about the trail.  I get my National Park Book stamp.  I’ve had my poor book for nearly 20 years and it is just falling apart.  They came out with the spiral type some years after I got mine.  I hate to get a new one since I lose all the stamps in the old one sort of.  But at this point I am having to put stamps on pieces of paper and tape them into my book.  But that’s only in certain sections of the country like here in the Rocky Mountains. 

 

 

 

 

Our plan is to hike to Ouzel Falls.  We’ll pass Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades.  It’s going to be a water day and I’m really looking forward to it. 

 

We’re immediately walking over St. Vrain Creek and we follow it the half mile to Copeland Falls.

 

 

 

As usual, the wildflowers along the way are lovely.

 

 

 

 

The water views and sounds along the trail are splendid.   There are a number of small falls on our way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copeland has an upper falls and a lower falls.  They are both beautiful.  I stop at the lower falls on the way up and save the upper falls as a treat for the trip back.

 

Wonder when the next big flood is going to come by and throw that rock on down in the creek.

 

 

From here the trail gets a bit more rocky as we climb, climb, climb.  At some points, the trail looks as rocky as the creek bed beside it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure how they decide which of these beautiful water spots to name.  Along the way to Calypso Cascades we cross bridges with fabulous water tumbling down the rocks.

 

 

 

 

Just after I cross the bridge I stop and watch a couple of little golden mantled ground squirrels.  One is snacking.  They are so cute.  He’s obviously storing up the fat for winter. 

 

 

 

On up, up the trail and then it’s time for a snack for us.   No problem finding beautiful spots.

 

 

 

 

When we make it to Calypso Cascades we are only 1.3 miles from Ouzel Falls.  The loss of the lodgepole pines to the pine bark beetle has really littered all the waterways including the cascades.  The sound of all this water is just magnificent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We come across a trail crew doing more bridge repair from the 2013 flood.  They certainly do beautiful meticulous work.  It is all done by hand.  They tell us that they must find all their materials on site.  I guess the pine bark beetles have helped with that problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn’t this look like an ornamental grass growing out here along a trail?  It’s really beautiful but I can’t find anything like it in any of the ID books.  Any of you Rocky Mountain folks know its name?

 

 

More rocky climbing but we can hear the falls now so we know we are near our destination.

 

 

 

We arrive at Ouzel Falls where we find that the bridge is out and a work around has been created.  I guess this will be the next project for the work crew we passed.  We follow the blue tags as instructed back and around on no trail where we no doubt would not be going if the original trail hadn’t been closed at this point. 

 

 

 

 

I suspect that the viewing of the falls was originally from the bridge or a platform.  The spot from which we see it now is blocked by a huge boulder so without climbing around on the rocks (which of course we do) we cannot see the full drop.  This is a large, loud, lovely falls.

 

 

 

 

 

The falls are just gorgeous but the absolute icing on the cake is the American Dippers.  We’d been looking for the fall’s namesake bird all the way up the trail in every bit of water we passed.  And here they are.  How perfect! Ouzels at Ouzel Falls.

 

 

At first we see only one hanging on to the slippery rocks as the water comes flowing over them.  I’ve heard them described as part fish, part duck, part song bird.  They are always found near cold fast moving water where they hunt for insects by walking on the stream bottom or swimming with their strong wings.    I love this bird.  It feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae, including mayflies, MOSQUITOES and MIDGES. They also eat dragonflies, worms, small fish, fish eggs, and flying insects.

 

 

They are so much fun to watch.  When they are not dipping in the water they are bobbing up and down.  They do a deep knee bend dance pretty constantly.  It is really hilarious.   I took a short video of it but don’t have the band width or the patience with U-Tube to post it.  But HERE are some short segments posted by someone else that show what we were SO LUCKY to see.  I have to say ours did much better deep knee bends.  But that may be because we soon find out he is a juvenile biding his time until his hard working parent provides the food.

 

 

 

Here he is squawking for food just as his parent turns away after feeding him to go back for more.

 

Notice how much chubbier junior is than mom, or dad.

 

 

 

As they move down stream, we climb up on some higher rocks to keep watching the show.  David, with his long legs, beats me up there.

 

 

 

 

 

Here comes mom feeding this glutton again.

 

 

 

 

He’s squawking as mom flies away and he keeps it up after she is gone.  I wonder if this is the dipper version of the terrible twos?

 

 

 

 

One parting shot of his gorgeous colors as he waits on a lichened rock for his next snack.  He’s a chubby one all right.

 

 

 

We could have stayed here for hours watching these two and laughing but we’ve been here quite a while and it is time to turn back.  One last look at the falls and we head down the way we have come.

 

 

 

 

In addition to the beautiful scenery that we get to see again, I also have a fun time with this little chickaree.  They are just too cute.  Look at that tongue and those furry toes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is there anything more wonderful than the sounds of a mountain stream?  I’m in heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

I said I’d show Upper Copeland Falls on the way down so here I am, stuck with all this wonderful water all round me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great hike this has been.  The entire thing, all 5.5 miles of it.  We’re almost back to the trail head when we have a little surprise encounter with this Mule Deer Doe.   She makes a perfect farewell to this place I would be happy to return to tomorrow and do it all over again.   Don’t miss this one if you come here.

 

 

 

Can’t thank you enough Sharon.  It was a fabulous day!