Spring in the Rocky Mountains is an amazing time of year.  I always feel so lucky to witness it and here are the things I most love about it.

This time of year is a very exciting time that marks a major transition from the cold, snowy winter days to the hot days of summer.  Spring and fall are my favorite seasons partly because of this transition and partly because it is not too hot!  All life in the Rockies is very aware of the arrival of spring and greets it in different ways.  I love just about everything about spring, but here are my top 5.

5 Things I Love About Spring In The Rockies

Tree buds – I love seeing the buds on trees opening and new leaves growing.  It is as if you can see and feel the trees coming back to life after shutting down over the winter when they went dormant.

Sun – On a nice, sunny spring day nothing beats being able to go for a hike in the mountains without layers of clothing.  I love the feeling of hiking in a t-shirt again and feeling the sun beat down on my skin as I wander along a trail.

Flowers – after a long, dreary winter where everything is white or gray it is so awesome to see all the bright, colorful flowers that bloom in the spring.  Some of my favorite spring bloomers in the Rocky Mountains are the arrowleaf balsam root, indian paintbrush, and penstemons (including the Rocky Mountain Penstemon).

Foothills – I love to explore the foothills in the spring.  In spring, most of the higher areas on the mountains are still covered in snow, making them inaccessible.  The foothills come to life and are soon covered in life with grasses, trees, and flowers.  Spring is the time to explore these areas because later in the summer the foothills get too hot and dry out.

Baby animals – spring time is when many of the common mammals of the Rockies give birth.  This means that as you get out to enjoy the mountains again you may be extra lucky and get to see baby elk, deer, or even baby bears.