Florissant Loop

No school on Presidents' Day, so I wanted to get out and hike.  I also wanted to find snow, since it's been a pretty warm and dry winter here in Castle Rock.

I went out to Florissant and got 1 1/2 out of 2.  I hiked, and there wasn't no snow.  Just not an abundance of the white stuff.

The hike was almost over before it even started.  I'd read that the Visitor Center at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument would be closed today, but I didn't realize that also meant gate to the entry road would be closed and chained.  Undeterred, I drove a little further and parked at the Hornbek Homestead where I re-evaluated the trail situation.  Fortunately, most of the trails interconnect.  So I picked up the Florissant Loop there.

Like my only previous visit, there was a lot of scat on the trail.  There's clearly plenty of wildlife in the area -- hoofed stock and predators alike.  I just have so far only seen their poop.

The big attraction here are the petrified stumps.  I didn't make it to "The Big Stump" on this visit -- it isn't close to the loop trail.  But it was quite cool to see a living tree growing out of a petrified one.

Not sure what caught my eye exactly about this pine cone on the trail.  But I do like the glistening of the snow.

Speaking of snow, I hit a section of trail that was legitimately wintry!  I guess it's shaded enough not to melt off.  I enjoyed it.

Besides the petrified stumps, this rock formation is another highlight of the Florissant Loop.  As in, it's labeled on AllTrails.  And it is pretty striking.

After the rock formation the trail was pretty gentle as it meandered through a rolling meadow back to the homestead.  Probably really colorful when the wildflowers are in bloom, too.

At the homestead I was captivated by the textures and subtle colors on this old wagon wheel.

Just under eight miles in just under three hours, with the fast pace primarily due to not stopping for many photos.  I'm not done looking for snow-covered scenery this season, though!

Related Links:

• Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
• Twin Rock Trail

Pancake Rocks

I ran into a local on my hike at Lovell Gulch a couple of weeks ago, and while we were chatting he recommended Pancake Rocks for foliage.  When I get advice from a local, I typically heed it.  So this past weekend I found myself at the Pancake Rocks trailhead before sunrise.

The first couple of miles of the trail are fairly typical Colorado mountain fare -- beautiful, fairly heavily treed in, and moderately steep.  Then things started to open up and the vistas began to peek through.

Aspens grew denser, and I popped off the trail to shoot in the midst of this small grove.

The canopy thinned, the trail widened, and I could feel my destination approaching.

Your first sight upon arriving at Pancake Rocks is an overhang so deep it's practically a cave.  I got there early enough to have the sun bursting through the golden leaves.

It is not hard to figure out how Pancake Rocks got its name.  There are several stacks like this one dotting the area.

And the views?  Epic.

Fall seems like the perfect season to visit this spot, with the vibrant yellow aspens, red rocks, and deep, blue skies.

I spent nearly an hour exploring the space.  As the crowds began to arrive, I took my leave.

Two Grey Jays gave me the opportunity to feed them on my descent.  They figured out quickly I had nothing to offer, so I was lucky to get this shot before they abandoned me.

I started my hike before sunrise but made note of the creek I passed along the way thinking it might be worth a stop once the light was better.  I was right.

Water always adds something to a scene, especially when you can get even a little reflection off of it.

I heard two other hikers comment that they didn't even think the foliage was quite at peak yet.  Hard to believe given the spectacular color I witnessed.

The parking area had two other cars when I arrived at 5:45.  When I returned about five hours later, cars were lining both sides of the road as far as the eye could see.  Not hard to understand why, given this view to the west.

Once again, trusting a local pays off as I enjoyed some truly stunning foliage.  I covered 7.39 miles and 1,915 feet of elevation gain in a tidy 4:27:46, which as I mentioned included an hour of bliss at the rocks themselves.

Happy fall, y'all!

Lovell Gulch to White Gulch Loop

Wildflower season is over, and foliage season hasn't started yet.  But I still needed to get out to hike and shoot some pictures.  The Woodland Park area has been a favorite of mine of late, and that's where I found the Lovell Gulch to White Gulch Loop on AllTrails.

Bristly Beard Lichen adorned some of the trees.

The first few turning aspen leaves of the season had fallen, decorated with water droplets.

No wildlife to speak of other than a Fremont's Squirrel who just wanted to be eat in peace.

With still a week left in summer, some vegetation like this Woods' Rose were getting a head start on their fall wardrobes.

I didn't realize that wild roses put out fruit like this.

Most wildflowers had long since past blooming, but not this Common Toadflax.

The trail doesn't have much elevation gain.  But it's always nice when the roots provide steps on the ascents.

Not much in the way of sweeping vistas other than this one quick peak peek to the west.

The highlight of the hike was chatting with a local who advised a nearby location for "spectacular foliage" in a couple of weeks.  Until then, this preview from an aspen grove that just can't wait for the change of season will have to do.

Roughly 6.3 miles in about 2:40.  A decent pace without too many photo stops in comfortable conditions.  Now, bring on fall!

Mueller State Park

 I really like the Woodland Park area (Cafe Leo has awesome coffee and terrific bagel sandwiches).  And I really like our state parks.  So I indulged both last month with my first visit to Mueller State Park.

AllTrails recommended the Rock Pond, Rock Canyon, and Outlook Ridge Trails Loop, which the ranger in the Visitor Center validated as a solid choice.  And right away, some great views presented themselves.

There were also some great smaller views, like this Edwards's Fritillary... 

...and this Lanceleaf Stonecrop.

A curious Fremont's Squirrel didn't immediately scurry off as I captured its likeness.

Wildflowers were still popping, like Fragrant Evening Primrose...

...and Prickly Wild Rose, this one also popular with pollinators.

I had been looking for lakes, but settled for several picturesque ponds.  The first was Brook Pond, where I got down on my belly to capture some wildflowers in the foreground.

The pond looks just as good in landscape view.

Some beautifully blooming Rocky Mountain Beardtongue on the way to the next pond.

Cool reflection at Rock Pond of, presumably, its namesake rock.

Geer Pond comes up third, with a nicely placed rock and wildflowers to aid in composition.

I don't mind the wind ripples breaking up the smoothness of the lake surface.  Adds some authenticity to the scene.

It's always a treat to see Columbines on hikes.  They're like the cool kids of Colorado wildflowers.

Lost Pond is the final pond, and I don't know why it has that name.  Maybe it dries up in dry seasons?

One final vista from Outlook Ridge as the clouds rolled in, then I finished up the 5.7-mile trail in a tidy 2:53.  A truly terrific hike, capped off with a stop at the aforementioned Cafe Leo for a Dirty Chai and Spicy Avo on my way home!

The Crags

This past Saturday I decided it was time to expand my hiking range a bit.  Specifically, since we live farther south now than we did before I wanted to find something in the Colorado Springs/Woodland Park area.  The Crags came up as a popular destination, so the choice was made.

Crossing Fourmile Creek right at the trailhead is a beautiful start to the hike.

I didn't even realize that the snowy summit I could occasionally see was actually Pikes Peak!

These rock formations in the distance looked suitably craggy, so I assumed that was the trail's ultimate destination.  But I was mistaken; the trail actually bent toward the north instead.

Where the trail did end was also quite craggy.  And quite beautiful.  It wasn't hard to figure out what makes the hike so popular.  The summit itself is striking ...

... as are the views ...

... in every direction!

I got an early enough start so that the summit wasn't too crowded, which gave me time and space to take an 18-image panoramic.

Conditions were perfect -- sunny and warm, which the Rocky Mountain Marsh-Marigolds seemed to appreciate.

Thank goodness for the idiot who carved a label into this aspen.  How else would anyone know what it is?  It frustrates me to no end that so many people feel the need to do this.

These Limber Pine cones had actually formed on a downed branch, which looked like it had been detached from a trunk for quite a while.  That's how good the growing conditions have been this spring!

Add me to the list of people who love this hike!  Great variety of ecosystems, going from forest through meadows to the rocky summit.  Reasonable distance of a little more than five miles out and back, and less than 700 feet of total elevation gain.  I spent a wonderful 2 1/2 hours on the trail, and would definitely consider a return visit!