For the past week I have been in the high mountains of Colorado visiting my mother. This time of year there is usually four feet of snow covering the ground. This year, however, there has not been much snowfall so far. Normal winter sports like skiing and ice skating are much more difficult in icy or slushy snow. The local people are out of work, without snow the tourist are not coming for their winter vacations.
But John and I were visiting family, so we stayed active and went on a winter bike ride. There is a riverside road that is not paved, gets little traffic, and hasn’t any major hills north of Beauna Vista. It is perfect for bike riding. The snowy mountains, rocky shores, and majestic river made the trip exceptional.
My favorite spot along the road had to be these tunnels, made by dynamite for a train that no longer comes through but still parts mountain for cars and bikes. Half way through our journey we stopped to eat at a local burger joint called "Punky's". While eating, a group of caroling children dropped in and sung us a few songs. Some of the children were wearing sandals, slippers, or shorts. They hiked through snowy streets as if it were summer while we dressed in layers and still complained about the cold.
The ride back seemed to take forever and I was fairly exhausted by the end. I slept heavy all night and woke up late to a snowy wonderland. A foot of snow had fallen during the night and it enhanced the beauty of the landscape.
There is not a lot of diversity among the plant life in this place that is so high in altitude and cold in temperature. The landscape looks like a rocky desert, spotted only with pine forests. Without the snow frosting the ground it is far less spectacular. Now that snow has fallen, the people can rejoice. Christmas in Colorado will be much more joyful covered in snow!
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