Category: Travel

The Painted Mines interpretive park is a little known unique geological feature located on the high plains of Colorado, about an hour northeast of Colorado Springs off of HWY 24 near the town of Calhan.

My plans for day 4 were to continue hiking up in the San Juan mountains. Mother nature had other ideas, however.

The spring wildflower bloom in the desert southwest was incredible. Then, the spring wildflower bloom in Oregon was excellent. Colorado also saw historic snowfall last winter. I was keeping an eye on Colorado’s spring/early summer weather patterns. Sure enough, the monsoon rains came early and often. In fact, the monsoon rains began before the winter snowfall had melted off. I knew the wildflowers would be off the charts!

The Colorado high plains have a fascinating history from rags to riches to bust. Towns sprang up and grew rapidly, then died, leaving a skeleton proof that a bustling life did once exist on the high plains.

I decided to go and hike the San Juan Mountains in Colorado because I heard that they’re having a historic “super bloom” due to extreme snowfalls the previous winter along with an early and reliable monsoon season adding more than adequate moisture for flower growth and bloom.