The Art of Finding the Ultimate Spring Hike

Copyright 2008 Jan Gorski - Las Vegas, NV

So they say it is spring. But in Colorado, April is probably one of the most unsettled weather months of the year. Yes, we have had epic snow in the mountains and it doesn't seem to be stopping. But we are all tired of being cold and bundling up to enjoy the outdoors vs pacing about in our cages...

Hiking in Colorado is a fine art in April and May. Lots of people whine about it being the "muddy" season, but this year I'm taking this on as a challenge to see where I can hike with the least amount of complaining :) I'll have to admit that although there are many snowshoeing options right now I'd rather be enjoying the warmer, lower altitude hiking instead!

This weekend we were heading for Roxborough Park to do a mid-day hike on a Saturday. I wasn't quite sure what the trails would be like since we had two days of snow and a cold front that did not want to leave the area. As I turned off C-470 onto Wadsworth a sign reminded me of our little gem "Waterton Canyon."

"Let's hike there instead" I urged my hiking companion. I know the "trail" will not be muddy because it's actually a road. This dirt road, that is closed to vehicular traffic (except the Denver water board and a few lucky local residents) - is a perfect choice for a questionable day on a typical trail.

The sky was blue with a few puffy clouds in our vicinity, but the weather looked threatening in other sections of the front range. Neither of us had seen a recent forecast, but that didn't matter since it seemed to change every few minutes. We navigated through the potholed, muddy parking lot, geared up and headed up the trail.

Waterton Canyon is typically a very busy place on the weekends but I noticed the parking lot was quite vacant. This gem, so very close to suburban Denver, offers fisherman, bikers, hikers, joggers, picnickers and Colorado Trail enthusiasts a quick getaway. This particular day we saw more joggers and bikers than anything. I also noted that the wind managed to rub us the wrong way in both directions. There was a bit of chill in the air with the cloud cover and we found ourselves adjusting our clothing throughout the hike.

We were blessed with sightings of two magnificent blue herons in flight, a kingfisher awaiting a tasty meal, several mallard ducks enduring the icy cold water and multiple pairs of geese enjoying the green grass. I'll have to say I've never seen geese in the canyon before. Although we saw many tracks and traces of bighorn sheep we were not so fortunate to see them wandering in the canyon. I suspect it was a time of day issue. A few hearty fishermen were down in the waters trying to catch a dinnertime snack - in the summertime they jockey for the best spots.

There are always intriguing things to enjoy in nature. The rock strata throughout our hike provided great explorations, questions and key moments of discovery. The sounds of the Platte River continue to soothe our souls. As we completed over 6 miles of hiking my companion said - "we didn't see any dogs today." Yes, unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in this canyon due to the bighorn sheep presence - so if you need a 'dog fix' or a great place to walk your dog you will need to find a different trail to hike!

Are you a caged cat or a dolphin ready to explore the great blue waters? Share your favorite spring hike with all of us in cyberspace!

Happy Trails!

Copyright 2008 Jan Gorski - Las Vegas, NV