Colorado Springs to St Vrain State Park
5 / 5
We left Colorado Springs that morning, but not before one last stop at the arena at our Norris Penrose campground. Several horses were being worked in the ring, some ridden and others led from the ground. We climbed the stairs to the seating above for a better view. Country music drifted over the loudspeaker, and when Alan Jackson came on, it took us straight back to the Orlando concert that kicked off this whole trip. We stayed for a bit, then hit the road and headed north to St. Vrain State Park.
Norris Penrose arena
1 / 10
We arrived to a wildlife frenzy. Our campsite sat right on the lake, and soon after we pulled in, osprey were circling overhead. One hovered, locked in, then folded its wings and plunged straight into the water. Then another. Several were scanning the surface, diving and lifting off with fish clutched in their talons.
I managed to capture some incredible shots of them pulling fish from the pond. As exciting as it was to watch, I did feel a twinge of empathy for the fish. Between the osprey above and anglers along the shoreline, it is not an easy life in that water.
The activity did not stop there. A muskrat cruised past near shore, barely rippling the surface. A snake slipped through the shallows not long after. Bunnies darted through the grass while geese escorted their fuzzy goslings along the bank. A sharp-looking Western Kingbird perched confidently on nearby red rock, its gray head and bright yellow belly catching the light.
For a park sitting right alongside the interstate, it felt unexpectedly wild, like a front-row seat to a wildlife documentary.
I managed to capture some incredible shots of them pulling fish from the pond. As exciting as it was to watch, I did feel a twinge of empathy for the fish. Between the osprey above and anglers along the shoreline, it is not an easy life in that water.
The activity did not stop there. A muskrat cruised past near shore, barely rippling the surface. A snake slipped through the shallows not long after. Bunnies darted through the grass while geese escorted their fuzzy goslings along the bank. A sharp-looking Western Kingbird perched confidently on nearby red rock, its gray head and bright yellow belly catching the light.
For a park sitting right alongside the interstate, it felt unexpectedly wild, like a front-row seat to a wildlife documentary.