Trail Log 1995-1997 - Lamar at Colorado State University

ut not all that messed up. Turned and headed up the loop. Lunched at a nice overlook rock with
two magpies and a Stellar's jay anxious for some of my lunch. Spooked about six elk. Later, nice
view of four coyotes, especially of two of them. Watched for perhaps half an hour until one, a
young one, got so close I gave myself away, lest it get closer. Trail goes on around somewhat
under Many Parks Curve; see map. Out about 2.00 p.m. 6.4 miles counting the walk in.
On way about, about 30 elk in Horseshoe Park, including four great bulls in my scope at
once time.
November 8, 1996. Five mile run.
November 10, 1996. Nunn Creek Trail failed, then McIntyre Creek Trail from Browns Park
Campground (Old Glendevey). Nice day. Coyote about Ted's place on the way up. More snow
on the Nunn Creek Trail than I wanted to walk on. This is posted in lower end; see who owns it.
Returned to car and explored Browns Park area. Hiked the lower end of the McIntyre Trail, which
comes over to the campground and does not go out through the Old Glendevey route, which is now
an outfitters lodge. Still more snow here than I thought. Lunched where the trail joins the main trail
at the creek, with a good bridge. I could find enough space on a south facing slope there to have
a good lunch clear of snow.
Drove around the loop road, via four corners. 33 antelope on a hillside. Napped at the Rawah
trailhead on the way back, and found myself hustling to get off the Laramie River road by dark. The
Laramie River road was often snowpacked, though lower down great stretches were quite clear.
7 bighorns in Poudre Canyon, one full curl ram, one half curl and the rest ewes.
November 17, 1996. Day in Everglades, as spinoff from Conference on Philosophies of the
Environment and Technology, Florida Atlantic University. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge,
just east of Boca Raton and Delray Beach. Several of us were out briefly Saturday, and I returned
all day Sunday. Hiked around the Marsh Trail doing birds, then the Visitor Center, and Cypress
Boardwalk. Then went south to an entrance where there were airboat rides, took one, walked some
there, and returned at the close of the day to the Visitor Center area.
Bald cyprus swamp. The vegetation is quite a contrast to the sawgrass of the glades. Cyprus trees
covered with air plants. Understory guava, pond apple, wax myrtle, strangler fig (these are
introduced). Notable air plants are cardinal wildpine, with red (cardinal) flower stalks, reflexed
wildpine. Much Spanish moss, and ball moss. Worked the ferns on the Cyprus Boardwalk some:
royal fern, swamp fern, strap fern, sword fern, leather fern, shield fern. The leather fern is
especially spectacular, fronds to 16 feet long, the largest in North America. Sori on the underside
are thick and give the appearance of brown suede leather.
Baton rouge, a lichen here, which makes the tree trunks reddish pink. Quite notable. Lots of
duckweed. Birds: The commonest were coots and common moorhen, or common gallinule.
Great egret, cattle egrets, snowy egrets (a few), great blue heron, white ibis, glossy ibis,
mockingbird, loggerhead shrike. Half dozen osprey, seen well. Red shouldered hawk. Boat-tailed
grackles. Black vultures. Mottled duck. Lots of anhinga, one seen with a good sized fish, trying
to eat it. Pied bill grebe. Kingfisher. Tri-colored herons, somewhat like great blue, but have white
underneath. Apple snail; the snail kite is here, but not seen, rare.
Everglades are nutrient poor, and the phosphorus runoff from sugar cane to the north brings
nutrient flush that is detrimental, spreads cattails. Florida just defeated in the election a 1 cent a
pound tax on sugar to help correct this problem.