Great Colorado Weekend or Day Trip

March is a special time in Colorado.  We start to have some warm days remembering that winter will not be here forever and our Spring flowers will soon be arriving.  It does however bring out the Spring fever and desire to be outside when the weather permits. I say that because as nice as March can be sometimes, Colorado gets most of its heavy snows in March and April.  These are the heavy, wet, huge snowflake snows that are incredibly important for our environment but also for the water that these bring.

As I sit working today waiting for the snow predicted to start later tonight through tomorrow I am reminded of another special March event -- the migration of the Sandhill Cranes.

March 11 - 13th is the Annual Monte Vista Crane Festival which is in its 28th year this year.  Approximately 25,000 cranes fly through in their migration from New Mexico up to northern Idaho and western Wyoming. 

The sand cranes are spectacular not only because of the number of birds that fly together but also because of their size.  They average about 4 feet tall and wings can be 6 feet wide. 

The cranes start arriving in mid-February, flying from their winter nesting ground around Socorro, New Mexico.  The best place to see them is the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge.  The festival works with the Division of Wildlife and offers tours in the early morning and late afternoon.  Find out more in Monte Vista at the headquarters office, Sherman Avenue & Hwy 160 (East of Monte Vista).

The birds are abundant in areas near the town of Monte Vista and are easy to spot. Wildlife watchers can see the birds most readily in the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and in the Rio Grande, Higel and Russell Lakes state wildlife areas.