Into the Heart of Colorado

If you live in Colorado, you can't help but notice how beautiful the mountains are. From nearly every location in the state, you can see the Rocky Mountains looming in the distance. Many people, both tourists and locals, get out in the mountains to some extent. They hike, ride bikes and make great use of the many trails that Colorado has to offer.

Though we all get our nature fix in some way or another, most of us don't really get out into the heart of Colorado. I have a friend who is, as close to an adventurer as I have ever known. He is a mountain man at heart and loves to be out in the mountains. He is Mike Baughn. An excellent auto tech during the week and Grizzly Adams on the weekends.

Mike spends most every weekend and his vacations somewhere in the mountains of Colorado. He takes his little 4 wheel drive Suzuki and heads out to areas that no one else even bothers to go to. It is high in the mountains and most folks can't take the altitude, much less cover the areas he does. Mike has been camping and hiking through Colorado for years. Even before he came to live in Colorado, he had been here visiting.

Obviously, the beauty of the area gave him incentive to move here permanently. Coming here in the 80's from the Alabama/Georgia area, he immediately began his tradition of getting out in nature. Over the years, it has become a lifestyle. He camps out in remote areas and spends his time hiking and fishing and taking some of the most beautiful photos I have seen. Places, you and I will probably never go to.

I asked Mike once if he was scared to be out in the woods? Out where no one else was even within shouting distance? He told me, he has been doing this for many years and he always pays close attention to the areas he stays in. He has learned to observe the signs of bears or mountain lions in the area and to know what precautions to take in setting up his camp. He always places a perimeter around his camp to alert him of any animal activity.
He also has his trusted friend, his dog, Grizzly. Most assuredly a great asset in the back country. His best friend of many years Buddy, passed away a few years ago, but if you look on Mike's website, you will see that Buddy was his faithful partner for years and loved the mountains as much as Mike and his family. His new best friend has adapted to life in the mountains very well and is also the subject of many great photos.

Mike's website at www.camfirephotos.com is an experience that you can spend hours enjoying. He has hundreds of photographs of his adventures throughout the years. He has captured the true American Pioneer Spirit in his photos and in the way he lives his life.
Mike's Face book page has a quote that, to me, explains it best. " I bought a house in Colorado Springs 22 years ago and I sleep there when i have to. The rest of the time I sleep outdoors in the rocky mountain wilderness with the bears and mountain lions!.Come and visit and I will give you a back country experience you will never forget."

Mike's love of the mountains and the wilderness echo many nature lovers sentiments. He lives his dream in Colorado. You can also see many of Mike's beautiful photos on many tourism sites and brochures. Check out Mike's website and his Face book Page. His Face Book page is at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/camfirephotos/138050699551693 If you love getting out in nature and are willing to rough it for a few days, Mike can give you some great pointers and organizes camping trips for friends from time to time.

It is a refreshing break to have a friend like Mike Baughn. He truly has a mountain man character. He is honest, hardworking and forthright in everything he does. No doubt, being so close to nature has made him the man he is.