Granite Falls and Haynach Lakes

[@bearnature4519]

Great video thanks, I love the mountain bluebird I think it's so much prettier then are eastern bluebird, when I was out west I took many pictures of the bluebird

[@hike734]

I love them too! They have an almost ethereal blue to them... although the rich blue of the both the western and eastern is pretty amazing. :D

[@potatothorn]

always a great hike with you two! Burned areas are interesting because like you said, we see more.. all kinds of good stuff here, love the flower IDs and great views thanks for taking us along.

[@hike734]

For sure! I read a recent article talking about crown fires and, while we always feel like those are the worst/most destructive, there seems to be a cohort of animals that literally go after burned areas from insects to birds (mountain bluebirds and black-backed woodpeckers) and of course some plants thrive where it has catastrophic burns such as fireweed and lodgepole pines.

[@Columbia.Hiking.Club.29212]

Love the wildlife and plant closeups. And I'm wondering if that area was subject to periodic prescribed burns before the fire.

[@hike734]

Good question. I don't believe so. There were a lot of dead trees in that area from a beetle kill... especially above Big Meadows. That didn't help I'm sure!

[@JamesRobertSmith]

All of those meadows will make exceptional grizzly bear habitat if they ever recolonize Colorado.

[@hike734]

That's super interesting! I wonder a) if they will and b) if the food sources would be right. I'm assuming they would be pretty good, but not sure. The black bear population in Rocky is pretty small... but they do eat different things.

[@JamesRobertSmith]

@hike734 Colorado was once wonderful grizzly bear territory. The last grizzlies in the state were killed around 1974, I think. The ecosystems are just waiting for their return. As I understand, the lack of an effective land corridor blocks their way.