ROCKY MOUNTAIN METEORS

WHOSH! A reddish orange colored meteor streaked across the entire length of the sky, parallel to the mountains spreading out across the northern horizon. This was the first of 65 meteors I would see over the next 2 nights in the mostly dark skies at 8,100 feet. Because it was twilight, the meteor had a flat arc and hung low in the sky. Another large white meteor streaked through the stars shortly after. As night progressed meteors flashed through the sky, originating in the NE quadrant. Most were small white streaks with short lives. Most likely the size of a grain of sand. The larger ones I saw earlier were the size of marbles perhaps.
As the hour passed midnight meteor activity increased as the earth moved parallel into the meteor stream, the leftover debris of comet Swift-Tutle which has a 150 year orbit around the sun and last passed Earth's vicinity in 1992. Meteors are erratic travellers and can flash in diametrical angles to each other and can come in spurts. A long bright white one flashed right through the Milky Way and Cepheus. Two more flashed just below this one in succession. The galazy spins around the north star. By the middle of the night the Big Dipper is laying on it's side just above the horizon. I put the telescope on Jupiter and see 4 of it's moons, 3 lined up in the same plane and close to the mother planet. Some of the moons travel very fast around the red giant.
This was the peak night of the shower but the next night proved to be more productive with 40 meteor sightings. About 2:00 a.m. a burst of 15 meteors broke through our ionisphere. I had a good fire of red oak glowing to chase the 48 degree mountain crispness. Fire brewed coffee, Emerson Lake & Palmer on the headphones and time lapsed photos on the Canon Rebel Xti kept the night interesting. A pack of coyotes and an owl made their prescense known.
Sunrises and sets are muted and brief. I am camping atop a morraine encircled in mountains so good sunset lights are limited. The granite of Longs Peak and the surrounding Battle Mtn. picked up a pinkish red glow for about 5 minutes just before 6:00 a.m. local time. This is late summer in the mountains so afternoon monsoonal T-storms are always a possibility especially now with the jet pushing an abundance of subtropical moisture into Colorado. A short hike up Steep Mtn in the morning gave way to a towering thunderhead that dropped heavy cold rain in early afternoon. The clouds persisted into the night limiting sky viewing.
This morning I hiked a few miles up to Emerald Lake. A blueish green lake sitting in the bowl or cirque right under Hallet Pk. and Flattop Mountain on the continental divide. Morning clouds burned off and gave way to blue skies. Snowfields and wildflowers are scant even at this elevation (10,150') at this time of year. The lake is encased in massive landslides of granite of all sizes and a big drop waterfall at the end of the lake of a 150 feet or so. It's rushing water fills the crisp cool air.
Heading back to camp for my last night in Rocky Mountain, hoping for clear skies. Then I push down to Glenwood Springs for rafting, biking, hot springs. I'm expecting it to be hot there but of little concern since I'll be camped right on the Colorado river. My 975 mile 23 hour journey from Minneapolis to Rocky Mtn was smooth sailing. Ran into an odd weather situation just east of Mitchell just past midnight. The temp went from 77 degrees to 93 degrees in a few minutes with swirling tropical storm force winds. I believe I was in the vortex of a strong low pressure system riding a warm front pushing up from the south. Lightning as thick as tree trunks flashed just to my south. I was able to outrun what was sure to be a nasty storm and landed in Chamberlin for a crash and burn session at the rest stop. **QUICK NOTES: Cherry wine at the winery in Loveland. Colorado Peaches harvested - the best. Heavy pine scent fills the air. Sage and pine smell permeate the air after the rain. Donut Haus is in session. Elk are up in the high meadows. END mef


I landed in Rocky Mountain National Park the evening of