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

Dogs vs. Wildlife - Encounter at White Ranch Park

Copyright 2008 Jan Gorski - Bighorn Sheep
Our second hike of spring was Saturday 4/5/08 at White Ranch Park between Golden and Boulder, CO. This 4,391 acre open space park is a gem of a resource that is very close to Denver and a great place for early season hikes.

The park history dates back to prehistoric times when Nomadic Ute and Arapaho tribes camped and hunted here. In 1865, Welsh immigrant James Bond and his wife Mary were headed to CA but decided to settle on this land after their young son was killed under the wheels of their wagon. In 1913, Paul and Anna Lee White began purchasing portions of the land and operated a Hereford cattle ranch until 1969. There is a fabulous display of many old farm implements along a nature trail on the West end of the parking area, which also leads to a picnic ground.

When we arrived there was a large group of camouflaged "Young Marines" in the parking lot, apparently restocking supplies, as we found their camp a few miles up the trail. Must be a good training site! I suspect they endured a very cold evening in their 'pup' tents.

We chose the Rawhide Loop, which is a varied trail that passes through forest and grassy plains. I don't hike here much so I forgot the key "feature" of this trail. It travels downhill for a long time at the beginning - which means you have to climb back out to return to your car. It actually felt like we went downhill more than uphill until we hit the final climb out (+1380'/-1386' elevation change).

The first section of the trail is an old ranch road that is in an open plains area and was quite windy and chilly. We found a number of muddy sections and parcels of snow that had not quite melted yet. I was surprised to see snow since it's been fairly warm, but this is at an altitude of ~7,450', and although it is officially spring in CO, we have a winter storm warning tonight - so anything is possible on early hikes!

We chose to take the loop from the east to the west, as recommended in a hiking book. It meanders downhill for quite some time through broad meadows and eventually enters a beautiful ponderosa pine forest. It was in the forested area that I missed a chance encounter with a large elk. My hiking companion got a glimpse of it as it thundered away. I only saw the dog that was headed top speed into the elk's territory. This is why we have leash laws.

We all love our pets and we love to exercise them and we love for them to have freedom. But when they harass the local wildlife - the love is gone. The chatty couple that also went flying by us on the trail was oblivious to what their animal had done. I was very disappointed, since I was hoping to see some wildlife in this land that has not yet awakened from it's winter nap. Instead I had to be happy with the rock sculptures we saw along the way - the tortoise, the chunky pancake rock and a lot of very beautiful quartz and mica specimens strewn about the trail. Luckily we were also awarded with stupendous views of the plentiful water sources for Golden and Boulder, as well as a hazy view of downtown Denver and surrounding vicinities.

Once again I did not carry my camera on this hike, as I was more interested in hiking without the weight of it hanging around my neck. So the photo of the bighorn sheep in this blog is just a general statement to everyone. If you want a chance encounter with a majestic animal - allow it to exist in its territory without fear of danger.

Happy Trails!