Indian Peaks Wilderness Macro Photo Project

King Lake, our destination, sits just below the Continental Divide at 11,648'. 

On the Fourth of July I ventured into the Indian Peaks Wilderness area with 2 friends and 3 dogs.  The Indian Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area, just west of Boulder, is managed by the United States Forest Service within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. The wilderness area borders Rocky Mountain National Park to the north, and the James Peak Wilderness to the south, and straddles the Continental Divide.  Summary:  it's gorgeous.

The Front Range received its second rainiest June in more than a Century, which means great things for our watersheds and wildflower viewing.  Over the course of our 13 mile hike, I quickly realized that my pictures of meadows filled with blooming wildflowers weren't doing the beauty justice, and thus my macro photo (close-up photos) project was born.  Since picking the flowers was out of the question (in keeping with the Leave No Trace principle Leave What You Find) I decided to take a series of close-up photos of wildflowers, leaves, tree bark ... whatever piqued my interest - including my friend's dog, Harvey.  It was a great way to explore the intricate beauty of my surroundings.  

Oh, Harvey ...