#this and the actual city and that one spot in the emerald grove

[vialae]

are u kidding

[imperial-agent]

Out of pure curiosity, what do you think is missing from Halsin's story?

after writing it all down, i realized it's not just what's missing but also what's broken, inconsistent and shallow about Halsin, hopefully that still answers your question :)

his backstory in the underdark comes out of nowhere and is never again brought up!! it is, in fact, brushed off as just some silly goofy thing that happened to him once!! hihi haha i was a sex slave for two years. im so embarrased to tell you this, tav haha anyways how about round two with the twins ??? while im standing speechless mouth agape struggling to process the story he just told me. to say it was written and handled poorly is putting it mildly

he is shown to be a shrewd person (with his francesca choice for the new archdruid back in emerald grove) so expand on that! show that he's more than just a pile of muscles! show me he's cunning and has bite! there's so much political intrigue in act 3, have him comment on it, on gortash's plan, have Halsin compare it to some other people/events that happened in the past and how they mirror what's currently happening in baldur's gate, my dude is 3 50, he's seen some shit im sure, even living in the forest the news would reach him so no excuses

he's so closely tied to act 2 i have no clue why he's locked off as a companion till you find daniel (which on my first playthrough was just before attack on moonrise, that almost made my blood boil bc not even 2 hours later orin snatched him up??? and i was like?? ok?? she took who? i barely know the guy?). i think he's too tight-lipped about what happened all those years ago with the shadowcurse and i would have loved to hear more about it (like the implication of him killing isobel and the conflict with the thorms)

I need him to be the biology/nature expert equivalent to Gale with his weave expertise. he should have more to say about the worms!! he should be studying you under the microscope the entire game!!!! literally bring back all the missing EA halsin dialogue!! i should be able to drag his ass into the underdark!!! I WANT HIS KNOWLEDGE! I WANT IT TO BRING BACK BAD MEMORIES! expand on drows and their culture in this game by using halsin as the conduit that tells you everything he learned from spending his time here!! so maybe that info dump in act 3 about him being a slave wouldn't come out of nowhere

i refuse to believe he'd have nothing to say about the elder brain after seeing it. i want him to be absolutely repulsed, terrified but also intrugied by the mindflayer colony under moonrise, i want him to cautiously study every nook and cranny there and offer his insight

absolutely baffled he won't say anything to that one dragonborn druid back in baldur's gate that is trying to keep a tree alive???? for all his distain for the cities he sure is quiet here, seeing nature failing in the middle of it while a guy is desprately trying to keep it alive. maybe make it so these two actually manage to turn this spot into something more beautiful, a lush tree in the middle of a concrete road that attracts people who come over to relax in its shade

if they bring up his hatred of the city life, why not let me turn him into a full on shadow druid (which is already hinted on during one of the conversations with him in act 3), kind of how you can keep shadowheart a shar worshipper or steer her toward selune. plant some seeds of his loathing back in act 2, how nature had to be sacrificed because people had delusions of grandure (the elder brain plot and the thorms) etc

besides wanting to cure the shadowcurse and enjoying whittling there's nothing more to this guy. after the curse is lifted all he's got are the ducks.............. once he'll mention he doesn't like the city life. okay, you've been on this earth good 350 years, my guy, you know how cities are don't act surprised

an alternative ending is missing, you should be able to go with him

personally, i think his personality is missing because he is too flat and frankly, boring. he is too agreeable even if you're a meanie to others. just as long as you don't kill innocents he's a ride or die. it's not his fault of course, he's just badly written, too surface level. which is a terrible shame bc i'm so in love with him but i'd like to fall for his personality too. once there's a fleshed out one. so it's quite hard to speculate on what's missing about a guy there's barely any information on in-game tho :'(

[mahvaladara]

Neer - BG3 Character Dev Questions

@cassieuncaged Baldur's Gate 3 Character Development Questions

For Neer (Neer is an OC from the Lore of Iasanera story). Applying the answers to the world of BG3

1: Where in the Faerûn is your Tav from?

He'd be a Reithwin survivor (as the Shaddowlands are simmilar to the Cursed Valley). A former noble and city ranger. He'd be a Selunite (though in the world he's from he's a worshiper of Nix, who's Iasanera's equivalent of Shar, having in count the goddess's behaviours and personalities, Selune is more like Nix than Nix like Shar).

2: What is your character's alignment?

Neutral good. Though he's usually quite lawful, he's not against bending the rules to fit his agenda and his morality.

3: Race and subclass?

Elf, high elf. Fey ancestry.

Druid - Circle of Stars multiclassing with Gloom Stalker.

4: If your Tav was a companion, where would they be found?

Last Light Inn or somewhere in the Shadowlands, scouting the abandoned battlefied on in one of the Reithwin building roofs with a moon lantern trying to map the corruption.

5: Dark Urge or no?

No. Noble background.

6: What companion are you platonically close with?

Gale. They both share a love for knowledge and an ambition for self improvement. They share a lot of knowledge with one another and Neer was actually the first to suggest to Gale that perhaps, he's just an educated sorcerer, the same way Neer is a wealthy druid.

Wyll. They have a simmilar background and origin. They do bond over baldurian history and feats of heroism. They have never met before, the Shadow Curse fell before Wyll and Duke Ravengard's time.

Shadowheart. They share some religious understanding and Neer understands her devotion and her religious crisys. Deep inside, he wonders if she's truly a Sharran. He respects her religion. But before she turns to Selune, he pokes fun at her.

He's indiferent to Lae'Zel. He doesn't get in her way, she doesn't get in his.

He loves drinking and laughing with Karlach and sees her as a friend.

Jaheira is his sister of arms, his mentor and both adores her sense of humor and has a large degree of admiration and respect for her.

But of all, he's more platonically close to Gale and Jaheira.

7: Romantically close with?

Halsin and/or Shadowheart/Astarion.

8: Who are they suspicious of?

Lae'Zel, Astarion, and Minthara. The Emperor.

9: Is your Tav from Baldur's Gate? Why are they travelling there?

No. He had been to Baldur's Gate, before the Shadow curse befell Reithwin. He was a member of a noble house and would often deal in diplomacy and politics, so he was often to Baldur's Gate dealing with a myriad of political businesses. Currently he was heading to Baldur's Gate in hopes of finding a solution for the Shadowcurse plaguing his home. Jaheira had sent him towards the Emerald Grove.

10: Are they proficient in playing any instruments?

Piano and violin, as it is expected for a noble bred elf such as himself.

11: Weapon of choice?

Bow and arrow and Glayve.

12: What is their orientation?

Bissexual.

13: What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

Necessary evil. They don't particularly enjoy killing, but they are an ambush ranger and are not against shooting someone down to achieve his agenda.

14: What hobbies does your Tav have?

Neer is into reading, playing music and gardening. And, though he'd never admit it or be caught doing it, Neer enjoys embroidery.

15: What NPC's do they like? Which one's do they dislike?

He likes Halsin, Zevlor, Duke Ravengard, Kith'rak Voss and Withers. Has a soft spot for Mol, and the tiefling kids. Adores Arabella but is also senses something brewing but has chosen to trust Withers. Enjoys Alfira's company. He also adores dame Aelyn. Has a healthy degree of respect for Nine-Fingers, Raphael and Auntie Ethel. He despises the Emperor, Mizora, Gortash and fuckiiing Oriiin.

16: Do they have a favorite creature in the Faerûn?

Dire Wolves, dragons and tressyn. Adding owlbears to the bunch.

17: Do they enjoy life as an adventurer?

He does now. He'd never consider it when he was a noble man playing the politics game. But now he cannot see himself return to the posh, dull and pompous life of high-elven nobility.

18: What would your Tav be doing if they weren't kidnapped on the Nautiloid?

Probably trying to save Halsin from the Goblin camp anyway, as Jaheira would have pointed him towards the Emerald Grove and the Emerald Grove towards Halsin.

19: How do you think they'll meet they're end?

They had expected to be killed by the Shadow Curse or the abominations that dwell within it.

20: Would they destroy the elder brain or control it?

Destroy.

21: What is your Tav's favorite spell?

Telekinesis. Just yeet a bitch of a roof.

22: What languages is your character fluent in?

Common, elvish, druidic and celestial.

23: What do they do after the absolute crisis?

He returns to Reithwin with Halsin to run the commune.

24: Does your character believe in the afterlife?

Yes. He very much does. This was how the Emperor was so easy to manipulate him with the image of his late wife.

25: What arcana major best represents your Tav?

The Chariot Upright on his qualities, the Emperor Reversed on his flaws.

26: What animal best represents your Tav?

The Wolf - loyalty, strong family ties, good communication, education, understanding, and intelligence.

27: What was their life like before the events of BG3?

Neer, before the Shadow Curse was a noble man of a noble elven house, married and with a child. He was a very wealthy man with a high social standing and some political power in Reithwin. He worshiped Selune, and after the worship of the Moon Maiden was abolished he conformed (but worshipped Selune in secret) to maintain his social status and wealth and comfort of his family. After the Shadow Curse he became a lone-wolf ranger, working with the Harpers to find a solution to the curse. He started learning druidic magic under the guidance of Jaheira and the harpers.

28: Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader?

He's the de facto leader. Neer was a noble and former politician. If he wasn't born with leadership skills, his parents made sure he learnt and acquired them from an early age. When Jaheira joins the party he suggests she takes the lead but she trusts his judgement. He's killed Ketheric and proved more than his worth.

29: Does your Tav want to utilize the tadpole powers or not?

Absolutely not. And now that he figured out who the Dream Visitor was? Absolutely not.

30: What's your favorite thing about your Tav?

Other than his overall looks? This guy is very confident and secure of himself and walks around with the smuggest of smiles ever. He has a "takes no shit" atitude. So yes, he told Lae'Zel her upside down bat nose was not any better than his dangling piece of flesh. He sometimes comes off as conceited, but he doesn't do it on purpose, just an overall result of his being of noble and wealthy background and having had the privilege to study and invest on his own personal growth.

[burningfestivalpersona]

Honestly, if the completed exploration of the Labyrinth destroys Etria's economy, it'd be the fault of the town's culture, not whatever lucky band of adventurers survived to get that far.

You can sort of see this at the start of the game. The Guildmaster calls the current adventurers shortsighted treasure hunters who don't care about doing real investigation. And that tells you what the priority here is.

Getting as far down into the Labyrinth as possible at any cost. Throughout Untold, where the Guildmaster actually gets new lines, he comes out to be an even more vocal proponent of this than his introduction states, but it's not like he's the only one to be this way.

In Story Mode, Simon notes that, as much as he might bluster about it, Visil can't feasibly close off the Labyrinth, since that's where Etria gets its raw materials. In the original game, at least, most things didn't need to be restocked, and it's assumed it's because other guilds keep bringing in the materials, and that keeps the economy running.

In some ways, it's more realistic than later games, where all of the store's stock comes directly from your group and no one else. Enforcing that kind of system in a society that uses money directly, and pays you for the provided materials, and then wants you to pay for the refined items, is also not how an economy works.

Anyway. We don't hear anyone in Etria talk specifically about resource gathering, at least not in those terms. There are a few people who ask you to point out gathering spots for business purposes, but that's mostly an Emerald Grove thing.

Presumably, these businesspeople are lumped in with the 'shortsighted treasure hunters.'

During the second Ivory Princess' Dream quest, you're stopped by a guard who doesn't know why a group of experienced adventurers like you would possibly want to hang around the First Stratum. I don't know, maybe because it's a better way of gathering Nectar ingredients than tearing them off the nearest insect?

But being anywhere but your personal deepest is seen as a waste of time. If there wasn't a prophet around to warn people who'd stand a chance against them, this outlook would have seen Etria run over by trees and/or bears. Because who else would stop them? The level one newbies on their initiation?

This quest happens at about the same time that Visil goes missing to become the final boss. In Untold, the Guildmaster is upset that people are looking all over the Labyrinth instead of in the deepest floors they can reach. He notes that there is a chance Visil would be on a higher floor- which is statistically likely, because the deepest floor your guild has reached is more than two-thirds of the way into the Labyrinth- but that going deeper is more important.

Would he regret saying that if Visil was in the Azure Rainforest, and got eaten by a Muckdile because everyone was too busy searching Lost Shinjuku? We don't know, because Visil's the final boss.

The ruins of an old world city, intact enough to still have working technology, is the sort of thing archaeologists dream of. But going deeper into the Labyrinth is the sole purpose of Etria's dream adventurer, so those ruins don't matter, because it's believed that finding them would destroy the town's economy. Because what's the point of the guilds if there's nothing new to discover?

It's not like there's materials people might want extracted, or anything. Or technology to be studied, or an entire past civilization to learn about. No, none of that has any value to these people. Only the high number in the corner of your screen.

So when you get 100% completion, Subaltern Quinn says there's no more need for adventurers. If the sequel is any indication, everyone took him at his word and immediately fucked off to High Lagaard.

Because no one would be stupid enough to declare they didn't need the people making up the backbone of the town's economy if they didn't have another idea, right? If they were really necessary to the functioning of the town, it would be the height of idiocy to say you don't need them there.

And Quinn comes off as a fairly smart guy. So he'd understand that, right? ...Right?

[lordoftermites]

THE FOX & THE THORNBUSH

Part 2: made this one a flashback (and probably should do with part 1 as well) since I just finished reading A Visit to the Impossible Lands. We’ll just pretend I knew exactly what I was doing when I wrote it.

Pairing: Roiben x Kaye

Summary: A bit of G-rated fluff between Roiben and Kaye, because these two never have enough of that in their story and they fucking deserve it even if I gotta do it myself.

Part 1 here.

―――――――――

“Oh, come onnnn. Just try it,” Kaye says, nudging the paper cup nearer to his lips. Steam rises in lazy swirls to dissipate into the cool air of the brugh. It smells faintly of a berry Roiben thinks is familiar but can’t place, and even less like the coffee she promises it’s made of. “I mean, you liked the bacon and honey blend last week, and that was absolute garbage. This is the best one so far, I swear.”

Roiben inspects the cup in his hand, at the artwork representing Moon In A Cup—Kaye's coffee shop in the mortal world.

Printed on the side of the vessel is an intricate drawing of a tea cup. Its well is designed to look like the cap of a toadstool—a deep indigo, with silver speckles of varying size. Woven branches of spring-green thorn make up the handle. Inside the cup, on a wave of black coffee, floats a crescent moon. It seems to reflect the light of the hall, like a stolen sliver of moonlight. Just above that, as if drawn to the silver glow, a miniature green-winged moth hovers.

On the corner of the left wing is a letter H, written in a pastel pink flourish: Roiben takes a guess that Kaye must have finally managed to track down and enlist the talents of her favorite comic artist. Indeed, it’s fine work.

Kaye pushes the cup toward him again. “Would you stop looking at it like it might be poison and just take a fucking sip already? It’s going to get cold—and I’m not trying it until you do.”  Somehow, only she can make the avid impatience of a pixie an endearing trait. Roiben suspects he might have a small bias.

Although, her admission to not having tested the brew herself first is rather dubious.

Roiben raises a brow at her, but concedes with a small grin. “I was just admiring the new emblem,” he says, before taking a tentative sip of the still-actually-very-hot contents. It scalds the tip of his tongue, but to his surprise, it really is coffee. It’s light, and there’s a bitter, but pleasant aftertaste—something familiar.

The burnt spot on his tongue is beginning to dull, replaced by a slight tingling sensation that spreads upward. He frowns, contemplating. Kaye is watching him intensely, those moonless eyes of hers glittering with anticipation. She's very near to vibrating herself right off of the arm of his throne.

They’ve made it to her favorite part of the testing: having Roiben guess the flavors—and hidden tricks—of her new concoctions. He grins again: he was incorrect only once, and that had been for the simple fact he hadn’t known, at the time, what a Goo-Goo Cluster was.

“Ah,” he muses softly. “Rowan berry.” He smiles, and Kaye looks positively crestfallen. She huffs, but it’s a brief sulk; try as she might to be a sore loser, she inevitably cheers when Roiben chuckles and pulls her into his lap. He even takes another, longer sip of the coffee, to which her smile becomes full and genuine.

There are few things in his life that can warm the residual frost in his bones, and quite nearly all of them either begin or end with that smile.

He runs a finger across his lips. As he’d thought, it wasn’t just the coffee’s temperature prickling his mouth. While he’s had a brief education of what the berries might do, he’s not, until now, had to put that information to use. “A mortal safeguard from glamours when dried and strung,” Roiben says, “it seems it also contains much of the same dilutional properties when consumed by fey.”

Kaye frowns, so he elaborates, pointing to his mouth: “I can’t feel my tongue.” There’s the lightest slur in words there, a confirmation of mild insensibility.

The usual emerald green of Kaye’s cheeks have washed out to something closer to pistachio. Roiben’s laugh rings through the otherwise-stillness of the brugh, escaping him before he can help it; perhaps the berries offer a maddening effect as well. “And you said it wasn’t poisoned.”

“But... Ravus said!” Kaye exclaims, panicked and snatching the “poisoned” coffee from him. She looks at it as though it is an enemy, a vicious foe that must be slain in earnest. “Ravus said the berries are only poisonous if they’re eaten off the plant. And even then, you won’t like, die or anything—they just cause… stomach problems. He said, and I quote, ‘as long as they’re cooked, they’re one-hundred percent safe to eat.’” She huffs again, the forced air puffing her green cheeks, and sinks back against him with a sullen glare at the cup in her hands. “I was going to run a special—Free Biodegradable Necklace With Each Purchase—y’know, some rowan berries for the mortals that come into the shop.”

Roiben knows all too well the potion-maker would not have given Kaye information with the intent to deceive; for a start, of the meager list Roiben keeps for friends, Ravus has proven himself, far and away, a creature of honor and loyalty—self-exile notwithstanding. Moreover— and more importantly, Ravus now has the greater duty of being a father; no doubt he would be remiss in a few, finer details. Roiben is almost certain he would be, should such a day ever come (though he lingers not long at all on that thought and does not allow himself the further consideration of what touching Impossibility feels like).

He knows, too, that the rowan berry will do no more harm than it already has: as some mortals have adverse reactions to the pollen of flowers, the fey suffer something similar with rowan, with only a more... mystical variant. Should the berries be ingested, the ability to glamour by speech is thoroughly subdued, until the berries are expelled one way or another. Roiben had learned of its effect on their kind years back, when Ravus had been a lone, exiled alchemist beneath a bridge, and Roiben had been naught but a fool in a king’s costume, taking many an ill-advised risk to win an unwinnable war.

He had proffered sanctuary to the exiled fey in the city then—of which that asylum had extended to Ravus and his mortal lover. And now, their small child of clay and air, with her curls of flaming copper, aurelian eyes and horn-tipped ears, carried with her the protection of the Court of Termites in its entirety; from Unseelie borough to Seelie grove, the girl would be safe.

Roiben had not, neither then or now, forced fealty, and not for more than one night and one day had he requested the man’s aid in the plan he had used to thwart Silarial. A faerie sigh, Ravus had called that brief servitude. How on the mark that turn of phrase had been—Roiben is still not so sure he had taken a single breath at all that day.

“Fret not, little fox.” The private moniker brings Kaye’s ink-black eyes back up to him. Her brows are woven together in real worry. Roiben gives his consort a pitying look, and brushes a wild lock of deep-green hair from her face. “It’s…—ah, an allergic reaction, I believe mortals call it?” Kaye exhales a wavered breath of relief, before nodding affirmatively. He kisses her pout and smiles; she tastes of honey chapstick, and a phantom of roasted dandelion tea—his favorite.

“It’s very possible,” he says, taking back the newfound nemesis and holding it out for careful examination, “as it is rarely put to use by our like due to the nature of the thing, Ravus meant it’s only safe for human consumption, and likely did not think you would try it outright on your own monarch.” Roiben winks down at her, but she doesn’t seem to enjoy the joke.

“In any case—”

With a shocked gasp of dissent from Kaye, he grins, tips the cup to stinging lips, and drains it to the dregs.

“You were right: it’s much better than the bacon.”

He smiles at her—or, at least, he hopes he’s smiling. He can’t tell: his mouth has gone entirely numb.

[minnesotadruids]

One Can Never Have Too Many Chalices

...Unless you’re me (and I happen to be an aspiring minimalist).

As of now I have 29 chalices, grails, or goblets. In order to downsize I’m willing to part with most of them except for the five on the lower right in the main photo. More details on those at the end of this post.

The two matching stoneware bourbon snifters are short and fun to hold. There is a leaf-shaped stamp in the clay which makes a nice spot to place a thumb. The two short “silver” cups are nickel plated brass, and the plating has been scrubbed off on the inside (before I bought them), and they put a metallic taste in wine in about 3 minutes. The tall silver cup is polished pewter and has a small dent in the side. It also makes wine taste slightly metallic. The short green and tan grail fits nicely in the hand. It has a tiny chip at the base and the glaze is crazed (pottery term) but it’s a good goblet for glug-glug.

The quartet of matching earth-tone goblets look like they were handmade in the 1970s. They’re all ever so slightly different. Having wine in a glass vs wine in these retro goblets tends to impart two different moods, it’s hard to describe the sensation. The seven piss-yellow tumblers hold about the same volume as a urinalysis cup. They’re great for nightcaps. The six tiny goblets in front are silver plated shot glasses. They make excellent travel chalices. The silver has a nice dark tarnish that I think makes them look more appealing than polished silver.

The pale pine pigmented grail perched precariously on the pencil box was previously part of a matching pair. It’s basic ceramic, and its twin broke when I inadvertently tapped it against the faucet while washing it.

These last five are the ones I won’t part with. Actually the ruby red wine glass is being donated to a raffle at Twin Cities Pagan Pride this coming Saturday. The two satin pewter chalices are the set that Oakdale Grove uses in our druid rituals. Mine are antiques but Wilton Armetale currently makes goblets like this from recycled aluminum alloy. The medium sized piss-yellow tumbler is one that we use for Second Order rites of passage in my Grove (no actual urine is involved, I’m just describing the glass color). The emerald green tumbler could very well be the literal holy grail of the Reformed Druid movement. [Read more on that here.] Though its provenance was ultimately inconclusive.

The glass tumblers are fairly sturdy and thick. The Vermont Country Store sells these in different sizes of emerald green, cobalt blue, and ruby red. The “Georgia pattern” was popular among Reformed Druids from the 1960s through the 1980s when they were often found at Five & Dime shops.

Now because he’ll probably be at Pagan Pride this weekend, @deckdancer gets first dibs on anything he might like (aside from the forbidden five). Anyway he’s also really cool and [in a nutshell] I’ve actually learned a bit on how to be a better person from following his blog, but I digress.

You must choose, but choose wisely.

[taycofftoadventure]

Utah Park Road Trip

What a year. I’ve taken a hiatus from the blog during 2020 for obvious reasons: pandemic travel is a challenge and not encouraged. It was hard to decide whether to venture out at all frankly. But after a a new gig, I desperately needed a getaway- so we took a week-long road trip to Utah. Our goal was to try to avoid people and get into nature. I’m so grateful for the escape. In the end, my soul really needed to go. Needed the break. Needed the change of scenery. I’ve gotten a lot of folks asking me what we did, where we went, so I decided to dust off the blog and share with folks our itinerary. 

We traveled with surface cleaner, our masks, etc. We took precautions where appropriate. It wasn’t always easy, but I felt relatively safe. We stayed in hotels and cabins- camping is totally an option, but traveling in August meant very hot weather and we wanted the AC. But every place we went had camping options if that is more your speed. Also many of the places we stayed, we could enter the room from an external door. It felt safer generally than riding an elevator or being in narrow hotel halls. We also didn’t have maid service during our stays to limit who was in the room. But I encourage everyone to be smart about whatever they chose to do. It’s hard to control all elements. We did the best we could.

You may wonder why we went to Springdale and THEN Bryce and THEN back to Zion- well, cost (the Lodge in the park was cheaper midweek) and avoiding people. We aimed to hit the Narrows hike on a Wednesday- which was less crowded.

Day 1 and 2 - Springdale, UT

We drove from LA. We opted not to stop in Vegas because they have a lot of coronavirus cases. Without traffic, it’s a six hour or so drive to beautiful Springdale, UT- the gateway to Zion National Park. We stayed at the Majestic View Lodge at the edge of town for two nights. Springdale itself is a gem in the canyon between red rock cliffs towering above.

Zion National Park has a shuttle service with limited tickets to access certain portions of the park (**check for their policies regularly/they changed during our planning and we almost didn’t score tickets). But there are some sites that don’t require a shuttle. We hit those first. After a breakfast at Deep Creek Coffee (really good/we went twice!), we ventured up the scenic drive of the park. Surrounded by giants, we pulled off and took photos as we headed to our first hike on the Canyon Overlook Trail. It’s a moderately challenging hike, but not long. You can do it rather quickly, but we definitely stopped to take many a photo. You’re rewarded with quite a view. Some portion of the trail was narrow- so bring your mask (always bring your mask). After, we cooled down at the hotel pool until it got busier. 

Before dinner, we rode bikes through Springdale to the Pa’rus Trail (paved so it’s not hard to bike). It was mighty glorious as the sun set below The Watchman. The grill at the Majestic View Lodge did have really good ribeye for take-out. 

Day 3-5 Bryce Canyon National Park

The next day, we headed to Bryce National Park for two nights. What a special place. Powerful hoodoos dot the canyon. I felt like I was immersed in a giant sand castle. It was hot when we went. There was no water in the canyon, so take more water than you think you need if you plan to hike beyond the rim. 

Our first hike was the Navajo Trail to the Peekaboo Loop and then up iconic Wall Street. It’s strenuous. If you want something lighter, do just Navajo Trail- but even that has dramatic elevation gain. Also, you have the challenge of Bryce’s naturally high elevation. The most common medical issues folks have in Bryce are elevation related problems. The number two problem; ankle issues (so wear supportive shoes) because the trails are steep. Despite being hard, it was JAW-DROPPINGLY beautiful. No photos need a filter. Go slow, take breaks, take photos, and stay hydrated. 

The next day we woke up early and hit The Fairyland Loop. It’s the longest hike in the park, but you’ll have no issues social distancing. Bring lots of water and lunch- but it’s not as hard as Peekaboo/Navajo. Go early to avoid midday sun. We started at Sunrise point and did it counter clockwise. We liked this for a few reasons- our climb back out of the canyon was shaded by an occasional tree and the last two miles of the hike was the much easier Rim Trail in the hotter part of the day (which does have some climbing itself, but at least you’re almost to your car by the end)... and also I loved ending the hike near the General Store for a little lemonade and fruit. 

Closer to sunset, we checked out Rainbow Point and Natural Bridge. If you skip Peekaboo, Bryce Point will give you a taste of what you missed from above. 

The town of Bryce itself was only established ten years ago. Not too much there. We grabbed picnic/breakfast food in Springdale and then got take out in Tropic for dinners. Stone Hearth Grille was delicious and beautifully situated- I can tell it would be a great place to eat in when this pandemic is over.  IDK Barbecue was also really tasty. 

The last morning in Bryce we hit the Queens Garden Trail- the most popular trail. But you can see why, it’s not-to-be-missed gorgeous and it’s the “easiest” trail into the canyon (and by easiest, I still mean it’s steep). We opted to hit it on a Tuesday and found it wasn’t too hard to avoid folks. I did wear my mask more (i really dig my Variant Malibu mask btw). 

Day 6-8 Zion National Park

After the hike, we headed back to Zion. On this stretch, we stayed at Zion Lodge in a cabin at the Xanterra run hotel in the park. It was worth it because you get a drive-on into the park where only shuttles can go and it’s great to be in the midst of the action (the only caveat is, you can only drive as far as the lodge). There’s also the bonus reality that if you stay at the lodge, the shuttle times are irrelevant, They let you on whenever, you just need a ticket for the day. Alternatively, you can ride uphill to the Narrows by bike.

We rode the shuttle once to go to the famous Narrows hike. We were very much rewarded for our early morning- there were very uncrowded stretches. What a colossally special experience. Almost religious- I felt like I was in a giant natural cathedral. The early morning light gifted us with such dynamic and extraordinary sights. I’ll never forget them. Besides snacks and water, I highly recommend a hiking pole and neoprene socks. Just buy them ahead of time- but you can rent them in town for the same cost. We were glad to just get started early and not have to deal with rentals. The rocks are slippery so mind your step. I also felt the current made it more precarious.  Be sure to check the water quality and for flash flood warnings. Levels were low, but due to little rain there was a bacterial overgrowth harmful to humans and animals. So sadly, we couldn’t submerge (or ingest)- but I felt it was shallow enough to maintain safety. Avoid the algae mats. 

As we wrapped up the hike six hours later, more people hit the trail- the mask was up and this was the most congested I felt all trip! But the ranger at the end of the hike said that actually, this was nothing compared to pre-covid. People used to wait hours for a shuttle... so thanks pandemic, we didn’t wait long. 

In the evenings, we gazed at the Milky Way on the green lawn filled with deer and tried to spy meteors showering by (well, more like a trickle- we saw two between us) and hung out on our cabin porch drinking wine and playing cards. Staying in the park was peaceful. 

Additionally, some of the popular hikes are an easy stroll from the lodge. It would have been possible to avoid the shuttle altogether if we weren’t intending to do the Narrows. We walked on an evening stroll up the trail to the Grotto picnic area where the Angel’s Landing Hike begins (the top is closed at present for Covid). Across the street from the lodge is the trailhead for the Emerald Pools. We would have made the trek but the pools are apparently very low right now. Some things for us to check out next time!

Day 9-11 Sundance, UT

After Zion, we headed north for two nights in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. I was craving green and trees for sure. We stayed at the Sundance Resort but if you’re looking to save some coin, there’s plenty of camping off the narrow mountain Alpine Scenic Byway. The mountain pass is closed in the winter, but right now it’s dotted with gorgeous still-snow dusted peaks and the largest Aspen grove I’ve ever seen.

There were a lot of hikes in the area, but in the warm heat of the summer, we opted for Stewart Falls. There are a few access points- if you don’t stay at Sundance, there is a trailhead in Aspen Grove. If you stay at the resort, you get a free ski-lift ticket (or you can buy one). We took the scenic chalet to Ray’s Summit  (you can go further up to the top for a cold beverage and what-looked-like-delicious nachos). From Ray’s Summit, you can hike a lovely but sometimes steep trail down to the falls. We then took the trail back to our lodging from the falls. Google maps was helpful in navigating the narrow trails. 

We did shell out for the zip line tour which boasts one of the longest rides in the US. It was exhilarating. You fly from peak to peak and down the mountain. Definitely grab a bottle of water to take with you- it took us about 2 hours to do it all... but can take up to 3. Luckily our group was just the two of us, so it went pretty fast and I was thankful to not have to wait for anyone. 

The food at Sundance was excellent with lots of outdoor seating and picnic tables- so it’s easy to get a fine dining meal and a swell spot to eat it in. Everything from the breakfast sandwich to the salmon to the pork chops was really good. 

Day 12-13 St. George, UT

On our way back to Los Angeles, we drove back south again and stayed in St. George- not far outside of Zion. We stayed at a lovely renovated hotel Inn of the Cliff- bonus points for beautiful view and pool. Pro-tip, if you want the pool ALL to yourself, Sunday morning seemed to be the winner (because I think the community is all at church). Also for breakfast, skip the long lines and go to Tia’s Artesian Bakery. We picked up some delectable food ahead of the drive home.

In the end, I was so grateful for this trip. It felt incredibly long (even though it was just weekend to weekend). Getting into nature, surrounded by awesome views, and testing my body- but also having down-time- felt crucial to getting the rejuvenation I needed. On long, popular hike days, we rose early- but almost every other day, we slept in. The balance felt right. We were grateful to pack a cooler and have snacks and cold drinks on long drives or hot days. 

Travel safe. Stay healthy. Take care of your spirit. Go find nature.

Photos by Zach Lupetin and Taylor Coffman

[rosymiz]

Like A Rose, CH 4: Hope

Title: Like A Rose By: ArisuChanSenpai (Visit my blog for AO3 link!) Fandom: League of Legends Ship: Jhin x Sona

The night was silent with the occasional sounds of crickets or footsteps of the guards patrolling the city. Residents of the city have already gone to sleep, save for the few bar hoppers. A room of an inn was dimly lit with a candle, a figure’s shadow swaying about in the room.

Sona sighed as her eyes got adjusted to the light. She couldn’t find the will to sleep. Not with her thoughts clouding her mind like this. A lock of hair slipped off her shoulder and onto the bed.

Today was a long day. Never in her life would she have expected to play songs in front of a notorious criminal, all the while keeping a civil conversation with him. Jhin was indeed the enigma. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking throughout all of it.

Shen’s words echoed, “That man doesn’t just kill someone and be done with it. He makes a display out of them. All to satisfy a sick desire for blood.” She remembered sensing an inner disturbance within Shen as he mentioned Jhin. It was a kind of disturbance that never left him. Always haunting him at every turn.

She never encountered Jhin until today. Her initial impression of him was a much more dangerous man who flaunted a gun and a mask everywhere he went. But now she realized that he was more average than she thought he’d be. She had wondered if Jhin might have been planning on killing her at any point of their… meeting.

But Jhin was calm and collected. He had responded to each of her questions, some jabbing, with a politeness that left her feeling underwhelmed. He made neither a move to attack her nor any quick movements to set her off.

“Are you…” she paused, thinking about her wording, “content with what you’re doing?”

She watched him close his eyes and open them as he looked up at the sky. His solemn gaze lingered on the clouds for a moment longer before he answered, “No… I am not.”

Something shifted in Jhin. Sona saw something different. His eyes seemed to reflect his acceptance of what he’s become. She forced herself to turn her head to avoid staring. It would be rude.

“Fascinating,” Jhin suddenly spoke, making Sona flinch in her spot. “I don’t believe I’ve felt a time when I wasn’t driven by my compulsions, in a long time.” He let out a long sigh. “This is rather nice.” He quickly glanced at Sona, who looked tense. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten you. This is a new experience for me.”

Sona hesitated. She couldn’t find the words to sign. “When was the last time you felt this way?”

He then seemed to look distant, as if he was trying to conjure up a memory. A sound similar to a chuckle sounded from his throat. “I can’t even remember anymore. It’s been so long.”

What would Shen think if he was told that Jhin was, as he said, only driven by these urges to kill?

Sona curled up, leaning her chin against her arms. She looked out into the now-cloudy night. Before Jhin and she parted ways, she offered him to come back to the grove again the next day. She rubbed her temples, furrowing her brows. What was I thinking? she thought.

Not wanting to think about her situation anymore, she decided to resign to bed. The flame of the candle flickered from her movement as she leaned closer to extinguish it. She wondered if her mother was going to come back in the morning. If so, she would have to get her sleep now.

  Jhin, on the other hand, was restless. Sleep wouldn’t come to him, and he ended up staring at the ceiling. Not long after he arrived to his room, he felt the urges come back to him in a wave. The worst thing was that he openly accepted it.

He repeatedly closed and opened his hands to soothe his yearning fingers. Despite the scenarios that flooded his vision, he tried to fight back. Not very efficient, he might have added, but it was a start. There was a clash between these urges and the music that was playing in his head. It was dizzying.

Throughout the evening, he kept refusing the thoughts of red drops of blood smeared like a calligraphy brush…

… a bouquet of charred roses emerging from a shot in the back…

… emerald coursing through veins…

… smoky white butterflies from rosy lips with splayed aqua hair like branching rivers…

No! No, no, no. He had to resist. What did Sona’s music sound like? It was gentle and smooth like a breeze. But how did the song go? As if on cue, her music started to trickle into his mind again. It turned the dark haze into more notes of music as it touched every part of his mind.

Jhin felt himself relax against the mattress until he was hearing nothing but the soft strumming of strings. His eyes were adjusting back to the room, the visions clearing away from his mind.

Quiet laughter broke out from his lips.

How? Just how was he going to cure himself of these compulsions he’s been calling his ‘passion’, when he kept getting dragged back so quickly? These compulsions were paint on an empty canvas.

It was an addiction that had gone for too long.

Exhaustion finally settled into him, his eyes fluttering closed as the soft melody in his head lulled him to sleep.

A knock on the door awoke Sona from her rest. She straightened her nightgown as she quickly made her way to the door, her etwahl following behind. She plucked a string to let them know she was awake.

“Pardon me for disturbing your rest, Lady Sona. But a message from your mother arrived a few minutes ago.”

Sona opened the door and bowed in thanks. The maid handed her a sealed envelope and went on her way once Sona dismissed her. She closed the door and opened the envelope to read her mother’s message.

Her mother wrote that she wouldn’t be able to go back until two days later, as an argument between the sponsor and his associate had occurred. She was going to send a message the day before she leaves to make sure Sona knows she was returning. But until then, Sona had to take care of herself.

Sona pursed her lips. While it was disappointing that her mother would be returning much later, she was slightly relieved that her mother wouldn’t have to see her in her current situation. She couldn’t imagine how her mother would react if she found out that Sona was interacting with a criminal of Ionia.

Her eyes glanced at the grandfather clock. Ah, she needed to get ready soon. If Jhin accepted her offer, he would probably be waiting for her. If not, she could continue her routine of practicing her skills at the grove until her mother came back.

  No one was waiting by the clearing. Only rays of the rising sun shone through the cherry blossoms, lighting up the fallen petals and leaves. Sona stood in the clearing and gazed at the tree opposite of her, where Jhin had sat by yesterday. She found herself droning the same note as she waited, lost in thought.

A clearing of someone’s throat caught her attention. She turned around defensively to see Jhin standing by the edge of the clearing. She felt her cheeks heat up.

“How long have you been standing there?” she signed, almost too embarrassed to meet his eye.

“Not long,” Jhin answered. “But I have been standing here for four notes by now.”

Sona made a shy face. “I didn’t think you’d be coming by again.” Another awkward silence settled between them for a beat before Sona had to break the silence again. “How did you do after yesterday?”

Jhin shook his head. “It didn’t go as well as I hoped it would. But I managed to fall asleep later, to your music. It helped quiet my compulsions.”

She didn’t think her music would have this much of an impact to Jhin. She almost thought this was all an act. “Is that so?” She smiled in slight relief. “I’m actually glad and honored to hear that.” She motioned for him to sit by the tree he was standing by, while she took a seat by a tree opposite to his. “Do you think listening to my music is working?”

A pause. “Yes.” He remembered last night that he had fought back against the visions, for once. He had tried to drown out the whispers of his so-called ‘passion’ with her music. “It is a rough start, but it works.”

She nodded slowly in understanding. She then watched a bird land on a tree branch nearby and consider her golden etwahl. It suddenly flew down and landed on the wing of her instrument. “Would you like to see something interesting?” She took Jhin’s subtle tilt of his head as a ‘yes’ and hovered a hand over the strings. She plucked a note, to which the bird followed in the same pitch. She went for three more notes, testing the bird’s yield to her music, which it followed once more.

Jhin watched Sona create music with a bird’s chirping. He caught himself smiling behind the mask and reverted back to a straight line. “Are you doing that with your magic?” he asked.

Sona looked up and shook her head with a smile. “This is not caused by my magic. This is all of this little one’s accord.” She watched it fly away.

This sparked one more question in Jhin’s mind. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but did you use magic at your concert that night?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I have been curious as to why I react this way to your song, and one of my theories has been pointing to your magic.”

Sona furrowed her brows in thought. “The only time I use magic is to create an aura of light for the sake of visual performance. I do not let that affect my audience, unless I wish to. But I have never done that.” She sighed in hesitance. “I am not allowed to use magic back home, as the people see it as a cacophony to society. I do not use my magic unreasonably and openly for that reason.”

“I supposed you did so for a purpose.”

She nodded. “During performances, I use my magic under the guise of a trick of the lighting. No one has found out so far.”

In Demacia, anyone with magic would be punished or sent to the slums of the nation. But nobles, who were meant to be the nation’s shining example of a just and dutiful person, would be severely punished for any misdeeds. Sona was always careful to hide her magic while in Demacia, all for the sake of her beloved mother.

“That’s very clever,” Jhin commented. “How did you come up with such an idea?”

Thinking back, Sona would ride past Demacian walls to practice her magic. Sometimes, she would even ride farther out into fields of grass, away from civilization, pretending the small orbs of light were fireflies. She learned to control her magic in a way that could prevent outbursts from suppressing it for too long while playing a trick on other’s eyes.

“Years and years of practice lead to it, I suppose. I don’t even know where to start,” she signed. She fidgeted in the silence that settled between them again. Silence was one thing she could never handle. There always had to be some sort of sound. “Would you like to request a song?”

Jhin couldn’t think of anything, given that he’d only heard three songs from her. “Anything will do.”

Sona was troubled for a moment, but she started to play a song she made a long time ago, dedicated to her mother. She composed the song in gratitude to everything her mother had done for her. Her mother taught her how to play her etwahl, learned sign language with her, and still accepted her for who she was—innate magic and all. While the people at the orphanage treated her well, her mother held a special place in her heart.

A distant memory flashed before Jhin’s eyes. A memory of when he was much younger by his father’s side. He remembered the proud smile on his father’s face. But most memories of his father—his childhood—was vague. His father had passed away long, long ago.

“It has a lovely, reminiscent melody. It brings me back to my childhood, though it’s a tad hazy.”

At that, Sona’s eyes seemed to brighten. “I performed this song at my first concert. It was a song dedicated to my mother, my adoptive mother.” She smiled happily. “Well, she practically is my mother at this point. But I’m happy you find it reminiscent.”

“Yes. A memory that stands out is when my father opened his first dojo while he was training me in the art of chi. He was very proud of finally achieving his dream.” His lips frowned against the eel-skin suit. “Rather short-lived achievement, however. He ended up closing it due to a lack of popularity.” He quietly chuckled. “Perhaps that is when I became this,” he said, gesturing to himself and what he did.

“But you seek to change. You are learning to help yourself.”

“With your help, of course,” Jhin added. “I wouldn’t be able to do so on my own, unfortunately.”

“Recovering from a discord that plagued you since long ago will have a rough start. But you will heal on your own.”

“Such confidence.”

Sona gave him a thoughtful smile. “I can hear many things that people don’t. The symphony of a person’s heart and soul, I like to call it.” She played a short movement to give her words color. “And you are well on your way to attaining the harmony you desire.”

As if time had stopped, Jhin felt something in the pit of his stomach. It was different from the peace and quiet he experienced these past few days. It felt powerful for a moment, like a force that wanted to drive him to move forward.

The thought that seemed impossible and was shoved into the dark corners of his mind was now emerging forth. He felt hope. A hope that he would someday be able to rid himself of these compulsions.

And it all started with Sona.

[ladystylestores]

17 Best Hikes In Colorado To Experience – Hand Luggage Only

All across the country, there’s a heap of incredible national parks to hike in the USA. This is no more true that within the state of Colorado. After all, there are so many best hikes in Colorado that you’ll be spoilt for choice. The whole state is awash with incredible mountain ranges, ridges and a heap of trails that crisscross the state. 

Now, obviously, Colorado isn’t one of the only places to go hiking in the USA. There are some firm favourite places to go, especially around New York, Washington, California and in gorgeous places like Yellowstone, too.

That being said, Colorado is equally stunning and an incredible state to explore, especially when hiking. Now, I’ve tried to include a few different hikes for all abilities and fitness levels. Plus, a few that are a little less intense, too. This way, you can find one of the best hikes in Colorado that’s right for you.

Oh yeah, and with any hike, always listen to local and expert advice. If you’re not sure, go with a guide and check in with park stewards, too. After all, no one likes a careless hiker!

Also, make sure to check out the Colorado Trail Explorer that can help you navigate your route, too. 

With that in mind, take a look at some of the best hikes in Colorado to experience. Have the best time. 

1.) The Blue Lakes Trail

An absolutely stunning hike located just outside of Ridgway, this 8.5-mile trek is fairly strenuous, particularly towards the end, but it’s totally worth it for the views. It’s easily one of the best hikes in Colorado for the views.

Here, you’ll trail through gorgeous alpine meadows which are even more spectacular when the wildflowers are in bloom before reaching the glacial basin that contains the three blue lakes.

Oh yeah, and while all of these spots are magnificent, the uppermost lake has some epic views too. Though, as I said, this is for the more experienced hiker and you shouldn’t attempt this if you’re just fancying a quick stroll. 

Read more: Best national parks in the USA

2.) Garden of the Gods (Perkins Central Garden Loop)

Okay, so the Garden of the Gods trails is probably one of the best hikes in Colorado to see a totally different type of landscape. After all, that’s the beauty of states like Colorado; they have so much diversity.

The Perkins Central Garden loop will bring you up close and personal with the garden of the gods that’s just totally gorgeous.

The hike itself is actually easy and about 1-1.5 miles long and doesn’t climb high at all.

The whole trail will take you an hour or so to complete and is perfect with families, too. Plus, you can even do this in your regular sneakers; most of the path has been concretised.

Read more: Best hikes in New York

3.) Bridal Veil Creek Trail

Bridal Veil Creek Trail is easily one of the best hikes in Colorado. Once here, you get pretty close Bridal Veil Falls, which is easily one of the highest in all of Colorado. 

Now, the trail itself is almost 5 miles long and over 2000ft elevation range. This means you should only really follow this route if you’re familiar with hiking and have a certain level of fitness. 

IF you’re interested in joining, follow trail number 507 that goes right through the Bridal Veil Basin.

4.) Crystal Mill in Colorado

Around 9-miles in length, the Crystal Mill is relatively long and will take you around 5-hours to fully complete. Now, the beginning of the hike can be pretty tough, so you’ll know right away if this hike is for you. Though, don’t attempt it if you’re not sure. As I keep saying, no one likes a careless hiker. 

Now, the trail itself is mainly a 4×4 dirt road, so be prepared for min duststorms as some ATVs pass by. 

Read more: Fun cities in the USA to visit

5.) Emerald Lake Trail

Being about 3-4 miles in length, the Emerald Lake Trail passes the base of Hallett Peaks in the Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s one of the best hikes in Colorado to explore that has some incredible views. 

Best of all, if you don’t feel like a huge elevation hike, the Emerald Lake Trail is great for you. It only climbs around 800 feet so it’s nice and easy for the family.

Now, it can be busy at certain times; though you can easily avoid the crowds by heading here out of the holiday season and weekends. 

6.) Mount Bierstadt Trail

Located in Silver Plume, the Mount Bierstadt Trail is around 7-miles long and a relatively popular trail in the area. Now, the whole trail consists of going through the expanses of Mount Evans. Though, always make sure to keep to the trails to avoid damaging the local vegetation. It’s always sad to see people trampling on all the plants and shoots in the area. 

Now, personally, I’d be cautious of this in heavy snow. It can be really tough and not really for non-experienced hikers in this climate. That being said, it’s still one of the best hikes in Colorado to experience whilst in the area. 

Oh yeah, and if you do venture in the snowy conditions, make sure you have full microspikes and plenty of thermal layers to add/remove. If you’re not sure, don’t head on this hike alone (get a guide).

Read more: Fun cities in the USA to visit

7.) Butler Gulch

A moderately difficult five-mile trek in the Arapaho National Forest, Butler Gulch is one of the best hikes in Colorado in the summertime.

This is especially true with all the wildflowers blanketing the area. In fact, there are over one hundred different species here, including Indian Paintbrush and the state flower itself, Rocky Mountain Columbine.

For those interested in a little history of life in this area of Colorado, you’ll also come across two abandoned mines. Now, while it is not safe to explore too deeply within, it makes a fascinating and intriguing view from the outside (and kinda eerie).

8.) Caribou Lake

Caribou Lake is a gorgeous hike located just outside of Denver that’s great if you’re wanting a challenging hike.

  Often considered one of the best hikes in Colorado, you will crest the top of Arapaho Pass before reaching Caribou Lake itself.

Here, you can spend some time enjoying the scenery and having a picnic in the fresh mountain air before returning on the same trail, though the true way to experience the lake is to obtain a permit and set up camp for a night or two.

Although, be prepared for the wind! Gosh, it’s strong here!

Read more: Fun cities in the USA to visit

9.) Crater Lake

A magnificent day hike located just outside of Aspen, this is a relatively easy out and back trail that begins at Maroon Lake, which is very beautiful but also usually very pretty crowded (Well, at peak times).

On this 4-mile hike, you’ll pass through the valley, surrounded by gorgeous Aspen groves and the breathtaking Maroon Bells in the distance, too.

Once you reach Crater Lake itself, you will want to spend some time taking in the pristine beauty of the area. After all, that’s the joy of hiking!

Though, be very careful to stay on the trail here, as you do not want to cause damage to the fragile vegetation.

Read more: Best hikes in New York

10.) The Four Pass Loop

Located in the Maroon Bells Wilderness near Aspen, this 26-mile-long strenuous trek leads you over four separate mountain passes in the span of four days. As you can imagine, this isn’t a hike for anyone but the most advanced hiker. 

On your first day, you will walk past the pristinely beautiful Crater Lake, which is a popular spot for camping, though there is confirmed bear activity in the area. Always stay alert for this and follow local safety advice.

From here, you will cross Frigid Pass before descending into a gorgeous alpine meadow complete with springs and even the occasional waterfall. Oh, and Snowmass Lake is another popular attraction along this path, widely known for its clear blue water set against a dense forest background.

It really is one of the best hikes in Colorado, but only if you’re an experienced hiker or going out with an expert group.

Read more: Best hikes in the USA

11.) Hanging Lake

If you are enjoying the infamous hot springs near Glenwood Springs, be sure to take a day to conquer this short but pretty brutal hike. That being said, it’s one of the best hikes in Colorado to see this beautiful region. 

Most people presume that visiting Hanging Lake must be easy, as the trail is only 2.5-miles roundtrip. Be advised, however, that you will have a very steep trek over rocky terrain, so do not take it lightly and neglect to bring proper provisions and allow yourself time to stop for rest.

Once you reach Hanging Lake, you are rewarded for your troubles with a veritable paradise! Here, the beautiful lake is framed by a backdrop of waterfalls, providing an absolutely breathtaking spot to stop and relax for a while before returning back.

Just make sure to avoid this hike in the winter season if you’re not familiar with snowy hikes. And, of course, have all the correct winter equipment. 

Read more: Best national parks in the USA

12.) The Lake Agnes Trail

This moderately paced, the two-mile hike is located just outside the town of Walden.

Fairly popular amongst tourists and locals alike, it is a favoured fishing spot for those who are in the know.

One of the most rewarding hikes in terms of “bang for your buck,” ascending the switchbacks can be challenging, yet the unworldly beauty of the towering Nokhu Craigs provide motivation to keep on going until you reach Lake Agnes itself. This is a serenely idyllic alpine lake in all of its true glory.

You can trail along the edge, or simply stake out a rock and enjoy the fresh mountain air and spectacular setting while imbibing in a picnic lunch. It’s totally stunning and one of the best hikes in Colorado for sure.

Read more: Best national parks in the USA 

13.) Longs Peak

 At just over 14,200 feet tall, Long’s Peak is the 13th tallest mountain in all of Colorado!

The extremely strenuous trail (and only for the most advanced hiker) as it’s around a fifteen miles roundtrip. For this one, it is vital that you do not underestimate this mountain if you are planning to take it on! It’s intense.

Also, It involves a great deal of uphill climbing, as well as treacherous terrain once you reach the keyhole, too. From here, you must scramble over rocks and be very careful to watch your footing, as people have lost their lives trying to traverse this path.

Those who follow precautions and arrive safely at the summit are rewarded with absolutely epic views at the top. Here, you will literally feel as though you are at the top of the world!

Keep in mind that less than half of the people who attempt this hike make it to the summit on their first try, so do not be afraid to turn around in the event of inclement weather or impending exhaustion; it could save your life! Again, don’t try this hike unless you’re of advanced fitness and always follow expert advice (or guides) on this trial. 

Read more: Best hikes in the USA

14.) Lost Man’s Loop

While this nearly 9-mile, hard, hike near Aspen is frequently referred to as a loop, keep in mind that the point where you begin and the point where you end is almost four miles apart. This all means it’s best to pre-arrange transportation before undertaking this glorious trek.

While the trail makes for a relatively long day hike, the terrain is relatively flat, so this is a good option for anyone who wants to experience a wilderness hike but isn’t ready to tackle some of the more advanced options.

Here, you find yourself on the edge of the Continental Divide near the iconic Independence Pass.

Throughout your journey, you will want to make time to stop at Lost Man’s Lake, which affords a jaw-dropping view of the Rocky Mountains. It’s easily one of the best hikes in Colorado for views. 

15.) Mount Elbert

Don’t be scared of the fact that Mount Elbert is the highest summit in all of Colorado. This all means that the hike is very hard and only for the most advanced hikers to scale. 

Though, in terms of bang for your buck, you will not find a better big mountain climb that has ethereally beautiful views for a relatively little amount of effort.

This is not to say that this 9-mile roundtrip located near Leadville is easy, either. After all, there are indeed some steep spots, and in inclement weather, it can be treacherously icy. However, the elevation gain is gradual and there are no vast rocks climbs.

Once you reach the summit, you will feel as though you are at the top of the world! Be sure to spend an hour or so taking in the beauty of the Sawatch Range before headed back down. It’s one of the best hikes in Colorado winter that’s pretty challenging. 

Oh, and only head here in the snowy months if you’re totally experienced and have snow equipment with a guide. 

Read more: Best national parks in the USA

16.) Mount Ida

A spectacular trail located Rocky Mountain National Park, this hike is just over nine miles long roundtrip.

Moderately paced, there are some steep inclines to be dealt with, but for the most part, the incline is quite reasonable. Towards the end, you will have to traipse over some rocks, so be sure to follow the upward trail marked by cairns. On the last mile, or so, the trail somewhat disappears but cross boulder fields for the last part of the hike. 

Once at the summit, the views of the valley below are unlike anything you have ever seen before, particularly if you come in the springtime when the wildflowers are blooming. The marmots up at the top of the summit have been known to steal supplies, so keep your food and other provisions close at hand.

The hike is tough but doable if you’re committed and have a good level of fitness.  Oh, and make sure to join this trail in the morning so you can still hike down in the afternoon light back to your viechle. 

Read more: Best hikes in the USA

17.) Sniktau Mountain Trail

The Sniktau Mountain Trail is a short but very steep hike located outside of Denver that affords absolutely breathtaking views.

At only four miles long roundtrip, you definitely get your workout here, particularly in the beginning stretch!

You encounter one false summit along the way as well, however, the views of the Rocky Mountains and Loveland Pass get more and more spectacular as you climb your way to the actual top. It’s easily one of the best hikes in Colorado that’s a relatively hard hike due to its elevation climb.

Read more: Best hikes in the USA

12 Best Hikes In The USA To Explore

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Cemeteries are the perfect spot to track our planet’s demise

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/cemeteries-are-the-perfect-spot-to-track-our-planets-demise/

Cemeteries are the perfect spot to track our planet’s demise

Paul Kwiatkowski’s office window offers an unusual view. Where other panoramas provide glimpses of busy city streets or slumbering office parks, Kwiatkowski’s Cambridge, Massachusetts workspace is surrounded by 174 acres of urban greenspace. There are trees of near-infinite variety, structures dating back to 1831, and about 100,000 graves.

Kwiatkowski is the wildlife conservation and sustainability manager for Mount Auburn Cemetery. Situated just west of Boston, the historic graveyard and arboretum neighbors Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. Permanent residents include the behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, geodesic dome inventor Buckminster Fuller, and legendary botanist Asa Gray. And newly deceased members join the ranks each day.

Like many burial grounds, Mount Auburn is also home to innumerable plants and animals, which skim the surface of its ponds, flutter in its treetops, and amble along its winding trails. But in recent years, Kwiatkowski has positioned the cemetery as an important and in-demand laboratory, one that will help researchers monitor the advance of climate change on Massachusetts and the world.

In the 19th century, cemeteries weren’t just eternal resting places. They were also spaces of leisure popular among the living. Long before Central Park in New York was founded, or the Emerald Necklace in Boston complete, “rural cemeteries” like Green-Wood in Brooklyn or “garden cemeteries” such as Mount Auburn in Cambridge provided urbanites with much-needed opportunities for recreation. Archival photographs show just how much fun the cemetery could be: Americans in their best corsets, picnicking atop graves.

Today, we’re more likely to cross our hearts while passing a cemetery on the street than step into its gated confines for a sit-down meal. But the value of this greenspace has only grown as the communities around them have densified and urbanized—leaving cemeteries as unique nature preserves. In the case of Mount Auburn, people have consciously planted diverse trees, shrubs, and flowers from all over the world and cared for them tenderly over decades or even centuries. In other cases, though, plants that might otherwise be replaced by foreign varietals can thrive under a cemetery’s more passive management style, like the prairie cemeteries of Illinois, or even the woodsy outerboroughs of New York City.

“I look at things in different layers,” Kwiatkowski tells me over the phone from his office. “One layer is, I’ll look out and I’ll see this amazing arboretum with more than 5,000 trees from around the world, and I’ll also see this historic landscape—these amazing monuments, fences, and curbing that is so ornamental.” But beneath and between the man-made terrain, a non-human world hums. “When I look deeper,” Kwiatkowski says, he sees an ecological network in crisis.

Drought is more common and severe in recent years. “A lot of the problems that come from drought aren’t what you immediately see,” Kwiatkowski says. “The stress from drought weakens a plant so that a cold snap in winter can do way more damage. They’re much more susceptible to desiccation. They’re much more susceptible to pests.” And that’s not the half of it. When rain does fall, it often floods the cemetery’s ponds and vernal pools. Plants bloom at different times, drawing insects out sooner or later than in the past, potentially threatening the food supply for migratory birds flying north each spring. And summer extends farther into the ever-shrinking fall.

To cope, Mount Auburn has turned a pond into a grand experiment in flood water retention, digging deeper trenches to accommodate regular torrents. It’s reintroduced native species, including the American toad, great tree frog, the spring peeper, and the Eastern red backed salamander. And a climate action plan will guide further efforts to make plants more resilient to weather extremes. “You often hear in the horticultural field, put the right plant in the right place,” Kwiatkowski says. “That is more important than ever now.” But perhaps the cemetry’s most significant effort is its citizen science program in phenology.

Phenology is the practice of observing and recording the shifts in “nature’s calendar,” according to the USA National Phenology Network. (It has nothing to do with phrenology, the pseudoscience whose practitioners believed bumps and depressions on the human skull spoke to an individual’s character.) People have long practiced phenology for poetic or spiritual purposes, or sometimes just by accident. Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden; or, Life in the Woods, kept meticulous notes about the New England seasons for his work, while Billy Barr has kept a detailed nature journal of the Rocky Mountains for more than 40 years because he “got bored one winter.”.

It’s become an increasingly feverish practice in the United States, as people begin to notice climatic shifts on their doorstep. “Start keeping journals that record when plants flower in spring, when that fox comes to your yard, and when the maple drops its leaves,” Rebecca Onion advised in an essay on phenology for Slate this summer. “In so doing, you can anchor yourself in place and be a witness to the way nature is actually responding to change, instead of dwelling on the disasters that might come.”

At Mount Auburn, a team of interdisciplinary scientists now train volunteers in phenological data collection. In the spring, they look for things like bursting buds, insect onset, and the effect of shifting timescales on migratory birds. Later in the year, they monitor the duration of autumn. To ensure accuracy, the specific trees under observation are marked throughout the cemetery; this dogwood, that gingko. And all of this data is shared with the national network. “What we know is that plants are now flowering about two weeks earlier than they did in Thoreau’s time, and trees are also leafing out about two weeks earlier,” Boston University biology professor Richard Primack told local radio station WBUR. “And we know that birds are arriving a couple of days earlier than in Thoreau’s time.” What we learn next will come from the logs Mount Auburn’s team is making now.

Countless other cemeteries have engaged in similar climatic research. In Lowell, Massachusetts, researchers used historical photos of the local cemetery to compare changes in plant behaviors over more than a century. In Ohio, scientists at Cincinnati’s Spring Grove Cemetery have been charting the “floral sequence of bloom” on site, from witchhazel’s wintertime eruption in late February through the slumbering chastetree’s transformation in late August. And in Brooklyn, volunteers at Green-Wood are analyzing the impact of light and pollution on plants common to the cemetery and its surrounding city streets.

While phenology can be done anywhere, it’s clear burial grounds are uniquely suited to the task at hand. Phenology requires diligence, commitment season after season, and a recognition that the value of the work you do today will not be seen for years to come. But, Kwiatkowski says, a cemetery’s changing tree canopy and countless headstones are always great for “putting things into perspective.”

Written By Eleanor Cummins

[allcleartreeservice]

Trees Get Sick Too

Can you remember the last time you were ill? It’s not exactly the best feeling in the world, right? Not only do you look and feel sick but you also miss out on a lot of things at school or at work because we are too sick to even get out of bed. While we dread the onslaught of sickness, they are at times necessary for our body to rest and recuperate. We usually get sick because our immunity went down. When that happens, it takes some time for our body to be back in fighting form with the help of enough sleep, rest, liquids, fruits, and medicines.

We generally think of illness as something that only affects human and animals, it actually comes as a surprise to some that other living things like plants and trees get sick too. And like humans that look sick when they are, you can easily spot a diseased tree too with a trained eye.

Another Torbay woodland is to lose hundreds of its mature trees as a tree disease spreads across the bay's beauty spots. Just a few weeks after more than 1,500 trees were cut down at the Grove on the outskirts of Brixham, hundreds more will go at Occombe Woods in Paignton.

The Forestry Commission have served Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust with notice to fell up to 400 diseased larch trees in an area between Preston Down Road and Occombe Valley Road known as the East Down Plantation.

A similar felling operation carried out at the Grove (below) has left the landscape devastated. Tree felling work has seen wooded areas disappear across Torbay in recent years.The most high profile being the controversial 'natural regeneration' at Churston Woods which saw 1,500 trees come down over the last few months.

(Via: http://www.devonlive.com/hundreds-more-trees-to-be-felled-in-torbay-as-larch-disease-strikes-again/story-30268583-detail/story.html)

We feel for trees that can’t speak and tell us how bad they feel when they succumb to illness. Experts consider a tree sick if it isn’t deemed to survive the next five years or so by measuring the size of the living crown in relation to the bole’s size. A tree will gradually die if only a few leaves are left on a tree with a large bole because it won’t be able to nourish all the tree tissues for nourishment and maintenance. Yellowing of the leaves is also another common symptom along with visible dead tree branches.

Trees are an asset to any community and the people of Vermillion are lucky enough to have trees lining streets and scattered throughout public parks.

Unfortunately, the trees in Vermillion are beginning to show their age and reaching the end of their lifespan. Many are being cut down or destroyed by natural circumstances and are not being replaced.

“We are losing a lot of trees in this town and if you look at little farther, you don’t see anything new being planted,” said Clarence Pederson, a Vermillion resident and member of the Vermillion Tree Board. “I see that Vermillion is a neat looking place. We have a lot of old trees and one of the things that makes it a nice looking place is the fact that we have big old trees, but the fact is they are old.”

Saying that none of the trees are being replaced may be a bit of an exaggeration, Pederson admits, noting that some are being replaced by the city in the public parks. Not enough are being replanted, however, to make up for lost inventory.

A typical lifespan for a tree in Vermillion is 60 years with the potential to survive longer, but most are threatened with the possibility of storm damage and disease. Currently, the biggest threat to the trees in Vermillion is emerald ash borer disease threating the ash trees. Ash trees were planted in response to Dutch elm disease which destroyed the elm trees.

(Via: http://www.plaintalk.net/local_news/article_28cd3e6c-29e3-11e7-a301-27e846c4f9f4.html)

There are trees that have been around for ages and it pains us to see them succumb to illness after providing us shelter and shade for years. However, that’s how life goes. They adapt and their leaves change color with the passing of the season and we witness first hand how resilience they are but a tree disease can easily take the life out of them just like that. So, once it becomes too sick and can no longer be saved, tree removal is the next logical choice especially if there are nearby trees that you don’t want to get infected too. Check this out http://www.allcleartree.com/removal and seek the help of a professional tree removal service company to ensure all dead parts of the diseased tree are removed and the other plants and trees in the area stay healthy and strong for years.

Trees Get Sick Too is courtesy of http://www.allcleartree.com/

from http://www.allcleartree.com/removal/trees-get-sick