A short hike to Judd Falls

 It rained the entire day but mountains loved it. They looked fresh and clear. This was our fourth day at Crested Butte and we didn't want to let it go as this was our chance to see the  town in rain. We stayed at the foothills of ragged side of Mt. Crested Butte.  We went to see the ski side of the same mountain  . I could visualize the crowd during spring. One could still clearly see the district mark of ski slope on the summer. The mountain told plenty of stories of how families came from all over and had unlimited fun of skiing during spring. 

The hustle bustle of ski lift, the noise at restaurants or ski rentals couldn't be felt around this time of the year. The ski lift still takes people up to the mountain to get the best view of valleys, meadows and wildflowers. In summer the ski rentals turn to be bike rentals - business continues. This is one of the favorite places for mountain bikers.

We were already on Gothic Road and determined to go see the Judd falls anyway! A few minutes later, an amazing vista of a valley came with full of sunflower which spread till the end of horizon, where mountains began. It was still windy and raining but we could manage to capture the moment. 

The entire Gothic Road, one could see the bluish green mountains as backdrop, the the top to bottom, were filled with wildflowers, predominantly with sunflower but a mix up many varieties of wild flowers. the place just looked like heaven - no word would describe it. Rain almost continued as we drove through lofty mountains, meandering roads, hair clip turns, a few scary cliffs. Below the road, the river flowed like a reptile, no photo would do the justice to the unfolding landscape. 

People are very kind, polite and helpful. Visitors come from all the states in US. Particularly, nearly post pandemic, people are eager to step out in the wilderness, meet people and share stories. We exchanged tips on various trails. 

We came close to the trailhead. This is just right outside the Gothic town. Temperature had gone down and we were feeling cold and put on thin jackets. One could see a spectacular view of Gothic mountain and Mt. Crested Butte. We were standing at 9600 feet. 

I am not used to big hikes! But the trail was quite well defined. As I started warming up, I didn't feel chily anymore. 

Rocky Mountain Biological Research Laboratory does quite a bit of research here, particularly to study the movement of animals. We could spot a few cameras installed strategically. The tiny squirrel or chipmunk (can't ID clearly) were roaming like kings.

I must say, the trail offers a lot of vantage points to take pictures or just admire the grandiose vistas. The trail is carved with flowers all around. One could easily lose the sense of time but the setting sun would remind you. 

Finally, we heard the roaring fall of water and knew the Judd Falls was close. Very comfortably nestled among pine trees, the fall provided a spectacular view.
The rain had almost stopped by the time we reached the parking lot. We took a bit rest with a few snacks and water and headed back home. As sun was behind mountains, this side was getting dark. Glad we made the trip. 

As we were almost out of the park, we had a surprise - a dear munching on sun flower! hahaha...what a moment to end the day! 

A small and wonderful hike of 2.5 - 3 miles will stay in our memory forever!