Vedauwoo Natural History Site

A beautiful day to be out on the trails. Rosie and I headed down to Cheyenne to check out an area I had read about, but never before visited. Vedauwoo Natural History Site which is owned and managed by Laramie County School District and Laramie County Community College. I had read about it on the website/blog "Away From the Grind" and they refer to this spot as Area 242.  

It was an uneventful drive southwest into Cheyenne, though the wind blew the car around a little bit. After fueling up in town, we made the drive to this spot, located just outside of Curt Gowdy State Park. There is a gated road that leads into the natural area. We parked in a wide spot near the gate (making sure not to block it) and then hit the trail by passing through a stile. 

The road/trail branches twice. Each time we took the left fork.

The views from the road were very nice, featuring scattered pines and distant views of the type of rock formations that the Vedauwoo area is known for.

At the point where road ended at a turnaround, we followed the sign posted there down to a small pond.

Rosie and I enjoyed the view of the pond and then headed through a lovely picnic area, 

on the trail signed for the waterfall.

Along the way we passed an old stone structure,

and lots of blooming pasqueflower.

We made our way down to Crow Creek and of course Rosie had to wade in for a bit.

Besides pasqueflower, there was lots of other early blooming flowers to be seen.

We eventually made our way to the waterfall, really more of a cascade. It was pleasant, nonetheless. 

The trail continued past the waterfall and got a little more rugged and difficult to follow. It passed through diverse habitats including riparian areas near the water, open fields and dry, cactus studded barrens. 

We crossed the creek on a small, wood bridge and then climbed steeply out of the little canyon we had descended. Once back up on the prairie edge, we passed through an education area, followed a road for a bit, and then made our way back to the pond for the final ascent back to the car.

I had planned on checking out the High Plains Arboretum today also. However, upon arrival I noticed that pets are not allowed. Instead we headed into town where I got lunch at Weitzel's Wings

and a beer at Blue Raven Brewery.

Guernsey State Park: Red Cliff and Round Top Mountain

Not the best weather forecast for my days off. Still, I wanted to get out for a hike. I decided to take Rosie out to Guernsey State Park to hike some trails I've noticed, but can't find much information about: The Red Cliff Trail and the Red Cloud Trail. 

After a couple of stops in Torrington for gas and the Bread Doctor, we arrived in the park and parked near the dam for the start of the Red Cliff Trail.

The trail starts along the spillway for the dam, heads into a wooded area and soon reaches a junction with a trail that leads to the museum.

At this point I wanted to continue on the Red Cliff Trail, but it was rerouted to a detour.

I found the detour to be confusing (in retrospect I think I just needed to follow the small flags that had been placed) and so ended up following a road past a small decrepit building,

what I think are the stables that were built by the CCC,

and an area where the park seems to dump old picnic tables and other stuff. Soon, a set of stairs descended to what was labeled as "Round Top Mtn" Trail. I followed this trail through pleasant prairie scenery.

This trail intersected with a two-track road. 

There was no sign indicating which way the trail continued and so I followed the road for a bit, passing early-blooming wildflowers 

and scattered chunks of chert.

At a point where the trail appeared to peter out, I turned around to head back in the opposite direction. I passed the junction with the trail I had followed and took this road to another road that ascended a small mountain, what I suspect is Round Top Mountain. Rosie and I followed the road up the mountain.

There were great views down to the reservoir.

The summit area was relatively flat. There was a solitary picnic table there and more great views.

After a very brief stop on the summit, we started to make our way back down. About 2/3 of the way down I noticed a trail that left the road and so we followed it to the CCC Museum. From there we took another trail to the lower parking area, followed a gravel road for a bit and then traveled cross-country to our original trail. Here, I decided to hike through the closure to see what we had missed. We followed the Red Cliff Trail down into a ravine where a large tree had fallen (probably the reason for the closure), ascended the other side and followed the cliff above the free-flowing North Platte River below the dam. The views from there were awesome!

We even caught a view of a large group of pelicans soaring in the air above the reservoir 

and scared a juvenile bald eagle off its perch on a power pole. Then we returned to the car.

Next, I decided we would figure out where the Red Cloud Trail goes. I parked just off the road and Rosie and I started hiking.

It turns out the Red Cloud Trail doesn't go very far. It led maybe 1/4 mile through a ravine 

and up to a gravel road. I'm guessing it's just a way for the cabin owners who have summer homes along the gravel road to be able to walk down to the water. 

Soapstone Prairie Natural Area: Towhee Loop and Beyond

 I've been itching to get out and go for a longer hike. With great weather forecast for today, I opted to make the drive down south to the Colorado/Wyoming border for a hike at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. I arrived to an empty parking lot and after a quick restroom break, I hit the trail. My first stop would be the Lindenmeier Site, a place where archaeologists found evidence of a large-scale animal butchering operation. Along the paved trail there were excellent views to the west and the high, snow-capped peaks. 

There are some exhibits at a shelter overlooking the Lindenmeier Site, but not much else. No evidence of the digs that happened there in the past is visible. 

From the archaeological site, I retraced my steps for a bit and then set off on the Towhee Loop Trail. I would be hiking the loop in the clockwise direction. The trail starts with a long, steady climb up a grassy ravine.

I caught glimpses of early blooming flowers, including what appears to be some sort of bluebell,

Townsendia,

and the delicate-looking springtime favorite: pasqueflower.

Near the top of a ridge, after ascending the ravine, I soon found a .8 mile, unnamed connector trail that led to the Canyon Trail. At the Canyon Trail,

I turned to the west and followed a trail/two-track road. 

Again, there were great views off to the west and the high peaks.

I stopped to check out a solar well

and noticed a nice looking elk skull with antlers nearby.

I continued west, into Red Mountain Open Space and turned around at the first trail junction.

Having hiked in both Soapstone Prairie and Red Mountain Open Space, I honestly find Red Mountain a lot more interesting. There are some red rock canyons and more varied topography at Red Mountain. 

It felt like a long hike as I retraced my steps back to the Towhee Loop. Once back on the loop, I continued walking clockwise, 

eventually descending back to the trailhead and my car. I estimate the hike to have been around 10 miles. From there, I headed into Fort Collins for lunch and a beer at Rally King Brewery.