With more and more cars rolling in (as well as an approaching storm), we decided to start making our way back out of the park, pulling out briefly at some of the more interesting stops.
At Lava Cliffs, we viewed rock that was formed as a result of a violent volcanic explosion some 28 million years ago.
An overview of several ecosystems... alpine (11,000 feet) down to montane (8,500 feet)
The Clark's Nutcracker (or Clark's Crow) enjoys these subalpine coniferous forests.
Dark-eyed Juncos have large regional color variations, but in general they’re small dark gray or brown birds with a pink bill and white outer tail feathers.
Chipmunks swarm a reststop.
They ambushed one another for scraps of food...
... as well as were quite blatant about requesting handouts!
We stopped at another overlook that had a long wooden walkway. Numerous signs gave us more info about the area.
Spectacular views
Unfortunately there was a lot of dead trees due to the Mountan Pine Beetle. The beetles are a normal part of the forest ecosystem, attacking mostly weaker trees. Unfortunately, climate change has led to a population explosion, and even healthy trees are falling victim due to the sheer number of beetles.
The aspens were still doing well.
Unfortunately this is a sign many people ignore.
Clearly this baby ground squirrel has already been trained to beg for food.
Horseshoe Park was probably named after Fall River that zigzags through its meadow.
I suppose each curve does kinda look like a horseshoe.
A "meander" is the winding pattern of a river in a flood plain.
A Steller's Jay checks us out quickly. These birds have adapted well to humans, becoming unrelenting thieves in campgrounds.
While we didn't see any Bighorn Sheep...
... this turkey was sure taking advantage of the sign.
For a better idea of the size of the park, here are the different visitor centers we stopped at.
This is how our marmot friend spends most of its life!
The people of the area...
... and you could even try a hat on for size...
... or a jacket, if it was more to your liking.
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