Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area: Short Hike

 It was such a nice day today, we decided that we had to get out and go for a hike, even if it was a short one. We made the short drive over to our local state park, Wildcat Hills, and started our hike on the Nature Trail near the Nature Center.

The air today was perfumed with the scent of juniper and pine. We descended on the Deer Trail and then headed down the Turkey Trail to a narrow side trail that led up a ridge to a nice overlook.

At the top of the ridge we found ourselves at one of the CCC-built stone picnic shelters.

From the shelter we followed a gravel road for a bit into a picnic area where we found a second, mini-shelter.

Then we found another trail and followed it to a to a weird old sign on the ground that read "GARBAGE." 

I'm guessing it was built by the CCC and marked the site of an old garbage can. After passing the garbage sign we got into some fairly deep snow. It was obviously time for a snowball fight!

Finally, we ascended the Deer and Nature Trails back to the car for the short drive home. 

Red Mountain Open Space: Ruby Wash, Cheyenne Rim Loop

 Sierra had a Girl Scouts activity today. That gave me a chance to go for a long hike for the first time in a while. With some snow over the course of the last 2 days, I had to be sure that wherever I went did not have too much snow. After checking Colorado snowfall totals, I decided to go to Red Mountain Open Space on the Wyoming border to hike an 11 mile loop on the Ruby Wash/Cheyenne Rim Loop. This trail would take me through not only Red Mountain Open Space land, but also into the City of Cheyenne's Big Hole Open Space (I would make my way north into Wyoming) and the City of Fort Collins Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. 

It was an uneventful drive south into Colorado. The last 7 miles of drive were very interesting, traversing some unexpected red rock country. I arrived at the trailhead to see only one other car. I used the restroom, gathered my pack and hit the trail. 

Almost immediately, the trail paralleled a small stream and entered into a small red rock canyon.

The contrast of the bright red rock and the brilliant blue sky was pretty amazing.

Eventually I emerged from the canyon,

and entered into a meadow area at a trail junction.

As I traversed the meadow area, I noticed another red rock canyon off to the west of the trail. Unfortunately, it is marked as off limits. 

The trail continued to climb gently. Soon it entered into Ruby Wash and followed the bed of the dry wash for a few miles.

A look back to where I had come revealed a nice view of an interesting looking mountain; Table Mountain I believe.

Ruby Wash entered into another canyon,

and continued to climb higher into some scattered pines.

When I turned onto the Cheyenne Rim Trail, the trail started to climb more steeply and I soon entered into Wyoming at a downed sign marking the boundary of Red Mountain Open Space.

Soon the trail alternated between extremely sticky, yet slippery mud and snow. 

The mud would stick to my boots and get thicker and heavier until it would eventually break off. It was a bit annoying. 

I reached the top of the ridge and the views really opened up. I stopped for a photo at an overlook 

and the continued on. Unfortunately, drifted snow and wind made for less than optimal hiking conditions.

Finally the trail started to descend back down into the canyons. What a colorful canyon I hiked through on the Big Hole Wash Trail!

Soon enough, Table Mountain came back into view and I knew I was just about back at the car. 

This was a great hike. I really enjoyed the colorful, red rock. I think a hike a little later in the spring might be a bit more enjoyable, as the ridge section was windy, snowy and cold. Also, I could see evidence that the early wildflowers will soon be in bloom. I was just a few weeks early to see them. 

Pine Bluffs, Wyoming Nature Trail

 One time on our way to Colorado, we decided to stop at the rest area in Pine Bluff, Wyoming and noticed that there is a nature trail that originates there. Today, Noelle wasn't feeling well and so I decided to let her rest while Sierra, Rosie and I got outside for a bit and headed to Pine Bluffs to explore the trail. We arrived at the rest area and Sierra was already hungry for a snack. She grabbed the bag of potato chips we had brought and climbed one of the bumpy, holey rocks in the rest area lawn.

After Sierra's snack, we set off on the trail. 

Almost immediately, Sierra found another rock to climb.

The trail then started to climb up to the top of the pine-clad ridge,

passing through a disc golf course and some scattered junipers.

Eventually we reached a grassy meadow near the top of the ridge. Here, the trail (really a 2 track road) split in two. We took a left and made a clockwise loop.

The road steeply climbed a gravelly ridge. We found a west facing overlook of distant, snow-covered peaks. The Snowy Range, I'm guessing. 

We continued along the ridge,

and eventually found a concrete and stone structure that may be some type of environmental education station. There were casts of different native animals and plants in the concrete.

Sierra found a rock chair to sit on here.

Rosie had to climb up on the wall to have a look around.

From the environmental education station we followed a spur road out to an overlook of Interstate 80 and the distant bluffs. 

Then, we started to make our way back through the meadow, 

then down to the parking area. 

We ate lunch in one of the shelters at the rest area, and then headed over to the large statue of Our Lady of Peace that you can see from the interstate. 

Sierra was not impressed. One the way home, we stopped at Laura Lee's Double L Country Store and Cafe for pie alamode.

Loveland, Colorado's Foothills Nature Trail

 With beautiful weather forecast for Easter weekend, Noelle, Sierra, Rosie and I headed south to Loveland, CO to get some food (Betta Gumbo), go to the playground (Mehaffey Park) and go for a hike. Lunch from Betta Gumbo was very good. After some playing at the Mehaffey Park playground, we made the drive up the Big Thompson Canyon and hit the Foothills Nature Trail. 

The trail followed an old road with views across the canyon to Palisade Mountain.

We slowly made our way up the trail, pausing every now and then to rest on some rocks.

Eventually, a spur trail broke off of the road and headed up to the overlook.

The spur lead to an old stone, CCC-built shelter.

There wasn't much of a view from the shelter, unless you looked through the trees. After a short time we started our way back down the trail from the direction we had come. We stopped to rest at a grouping of cairns that had been constructed along the trail.

Soon, we arrived back at the parking area. We decided to cross US Highway 34 to check out Viestenz Smith Mountain Park.

Sierra and Rosie cooled off in the river for a bit.

Then, we walked around a bit and explored. We found this circular sculpture to be very interesting.

When it was time to leave, we drove back into Loveland. We explored the Chapungu Sculpture Park for a bit.

Then we started home via Greeley. We stopped in Greeley to pick up some beer from one of my favorite breweries, Weldwerks.