Hiking to see wildlife and our last day atop Peak 8 at Breckenridge

(Carrie's family hit the road home after Pike's Peak, and Mario and I returned for a couple of quiet days to ourselves in Breckenridge.) 
A highlight of any trip to the wild is to see the creatures that live there.  Fortunately for Mario and me, we returned to a woods/meadow area recommended to us for its trails and sightings of wildlife.  Sure enough, just a couple minutes into our walk, a fox appeared within 10 yards of us.  We stopped and spent several minutes watching him.  Now this was not a skinny little Illinois brand of fox.  He was large and strong, with a full white face and a white tip on his bushy tale.  I asked Mario if the fox was afraid of us.  His answer was, "The fox doesn't know what we are.  Just be still."  That seemed to be the truth, as he passed right near us and mosied on his way without missing a step.  He was a beautiful animal.  On that same day, we saw several ravens, crows, and an eagle that had swooped down to the ground, flying low enough for us to see it up close, and then off he went.  What an exciting time we had in their natural habitat.

On Friday, Mario and I journeyed one last time to the top of Peak 8, riding the gondola, then the ski lift, (this time with the safety bar DOWN!!!), and then hiking a bit farther up than the previous two trips.  The trip up and down took several hours, but it was well worth the time and effort.  I had some breathing difficulties in the higher altitudes, so I would just find a boulder and rest on it as needed.  Now these accompanying photos DO tell the story.  But they cannot communicate the silence, the wind gently whispering, and the Still Small Voice you can hear if you listen.  I loved it there and will return someday.  I had no idea the mountaintop had flat paths for walking and fields of multi-colored wild flowers everywhere.  What a sight!