Let the Hiking Season Begin!

Spring has sprung in the Front Range area of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and it is time to get out and hike again. I wanted to do a hike close to home since it is mud/snow season in the high country and I need a little time to get my body adjusted to climbing and altitude. I left the camera at home to reduce the amount of weight I was carrying as I am still recovering from surgery and wanted to offset the difficulty of the trail with less on my back.

My choice today was Deer Creek Canyon. There are a multitude of hikes to chose from at this park - most are rated moderate to difficult, some are hiker only trails. From C-470 exit at Kipling Blvd and head south. Turn west, (right) on W. Ute Avenue, then west (right) on Deer Creek Canyon Road. Turn left on Grizzly Drive, then right into Deer Creek Canyon Park.

Detailed park trail maps and trail profiles are available online. I suggest printing the map and profile to take along with you since the trailhead did not have any maps available today. They had a wide assortment of other paper products, but no maps of the trails. There is a large kiosk with a map of the trail system at the trailhead, so worse case you can photograph it with your digital camera to use it as a reference on the trail.

I headed up the hiker only Meadowlark Trail and soon had a fabulous view of a Golden Eagle perched on one of the picnic shades. It was scanning the meadows for a nice breakfast snack. The birds were out in numbers today as the temperature was in the mid-50s and it was slightly overcast - mostly a "ziggy cloud" that hung over the foothills. It was blue sky for as far as you could see to the East! We had a little rain Friday evening so the ground was fresh with dewdrops.

I was serenaded by Rufous Sided Towhees most of the way up the trail and was pleasantly surprised to see a number of Black-Billed Magpies which seem to have disappeared from my neighborhood. I was also treated to a bird of prey doing a fly-by at the end of the trail - it had white spots on the tips of its wings but it was too far away for me to identify. I also got a glance of a beautiful blue Western Scrub Jay at the end of the hike and there were plenty of finches and robins singing their songs. I cannot really say that I heard any meadowlarks here but I have seen them on the trails near my house. Maybe it was a wee bit too cold for them today.

The Meadowlark trail had a surprising number of wildflowers already in bloom. The shrubs and trees are just starting to bloom and a few were flowering. The scrub oak was still struggling to get out of winter mode.

The white sand lily was prevalent in large clusters and is often one of the first wildflowers of the spring. Carpets of small purple weed like blooms were also plentiful, but I always forget the name of this tiny flower. I was surprised but delighted to see a few Early Larkspurs scattered about the trail. There were a few tufts of Common Mouse Ear (chickweed) on the lower sections of the trail. It was hard to find a decent photo of this wildflower (apparently a noxious weed) online - yet another reason to always carry my camera. This is a pretty small, delicate flower on a long stem so it can be difficult to get a great shot of. The dandelions were plentiful for you wine and salad lovers and a few other yellow flowers were just starting to bloom, but I only saw one or two plants, which were difficult to identify since they were not in full bloom yet.

The Meadowlark trail is a gradual uphill climb through meadows, scrub oak and meandering switchbacks. After about a mile you have a great view of the Denver skyline, Chatfield Reservoir and the surrounding red rocks of the foothills. From here the trail is very mild and rolling until you head downhill into a heavily forested area. Once you reach the Plymouth Creek Trail junction you can either head uphill for some grueling steep climbs and access to other great trails or head downhill to enjoy the sound of the gurgling creek. Watch your step as this section of the trail has lots of rocks and steep sections. Also be on the look-out for mountain bikers grunting their way up the trail. The Plymouth Creek section of the trail had many more people and bikers than the Meadowlark Trail today but all in all it was a great way to get out and enjoy the sunshine and cool temperatures of the spring.

Happy Trails!