Colorado Hikes 2015: Mount Falcon Park

A highlight of Mount Falcon Park is visiting the remains of John Walker's home aka "The Castle"

During this trip I had the fun opportunity to meet several of my sister's coworkers from the Epidemiology  and Health field, one of them recommended Mount Falcon Park as a local favorite.  Mount Falcon is part of the Jefferson County Open Spaces and approximately 50 minutes from Centennial taking C-470 West and 285 South to Morrison.  The park is near one of my family's favorite destinations: Tiny Town, a miniature village that includes a small train ride around the park.  Geared towards small children it's been a long time since we have visited.

Taken along the Castle Trail as I started off on my hike.  

Taken in the same spot as above a few hours later as I ended my hike.

Mount Falcon has two parking destinations, I once again headed to the West lot at the end of Mount Falcon Road where it was closer to multiple highlights of the park.  One of the highlights is the remains of a large house owned by John Walker.  Named "The Castle" and along the Castle Trail it was my first destination of the morning.  I arrived early, just after 7 am and was the first car in the lot.  There were several covered picnic areas, trail maps/kiosks, and restrooms near the parking lot.  It was raining and cloudy when I arrived but held out hope for the clearing that the forecast had promised.  The temperature was refreshingly cool and I didn't mind the rain.

A few other hikers and trail runners came along as the morning progressed.  The castle is only .8 miles from the parking lot and easy to find.  I took several pictures in the fog as the effect was pretty cool.  The Castle itself is gated off to keep visitors safe but you can get pretty close.  From some angles you can see the Rocky mountains and I can imagine this was a gorgeous home at one point.  There are interpretive signs nearby sharing John Walker's story and the description of the house. After exploring the remains I headed out along the trail to check out a spot called "Walker's Dream." Naively I thought the destination was called that because it was a dream of a hike for walkers.  It was that, very picturesque and I was serenaded by several feathered friends and rewarded by a variety of wild flowers.  Saw my first flowering cactus of the trip here as well.

 At one of the high points there was a bench formed from logs and I enjoyed a morning snack up here. Still no views available but imagined that this bench is often a beautiful spot to meditate from. 

Close up of the corner stone dedicated in 1911

Foundation for the Summer White House

 Not too far from here I discovered Walker's Dream which was actually the abandoned foundation for a summer home for Presidents of the United States called a Summer White House.  The corner stone had been laid and ceremony held but the project abandoned shortly after in 1918 right after WWI. This discovery made me wonder how many other big projects in history were started but never finished? Kind of embarrassing but myself have also abandoned projects, just usually never publicized. A beautiful spot this would have been but probably difficult to protect.  

sunshine brightens the whole scene including the
rain covered grass

city view from 2 dog trail

    I returned down to the Castle Trail and headed back to revisit some of the other trails I had skipped along the way.  At just about this time the sun became bright and the clouds started to burn off exposing beautiful views of the surrounding area. 

 There was a covered picnic area and also a trail called 2 dog trail to a lookout of the city below and to the East.  The sun shining on the lush grass was magical as it glistened like diamonds.  I edited the picture a little to try to capture the same magic I enjoyed. It was awesome to see the clouds lift above the city below and mountains near and far.   Heading back towards the castle I could see it through the trees. Also from the trail I could see the mountains to the West and also Red Rocks park to the northeast.  

God's earth often looks like a painting

well near the Eagles Nest

selfie near the Mount Falcon lookout platform

After revisiting the castle I took the meadow trail over to the tower trail.  The meadow was beautiful and my real workout began as I climbed up the tower trail to a platform above near an old abandoned fire tower foundation that gives 360 degree views.  I set up my phone for a quick selfie here as well. Climbing down the tower trail there is another great platform and covered picnic area called the Eagles Nest as it once was the summer cottage for a local family. The well is still standing there.
After visiting the Eagle's Nest I headed back to the car which was less than a mile away from here.  The lot was quite full by this time and the overflow lot was starting to fill up.  It is definitely a busy park and has lots to do for everyone.

View from the Meadow Trail

I shared the experience with my sister and we decided to take the kids up during the weekend which we did/  They were troopers and hiked to the castle, through the meadow trail and a little bit of the tower trail.  The horse lovers in the group were rewarded with meeting one of the trail horses in hte parking lot and able to feed him (Jet). 

 

Colorado Hikes 2015: White Ranch and Golden Gate Canyon Parks

View near the picnic area

Western End of White Ranch Park

Often times I find myself misplaced getting to or while on a trail.  This morning I had headed out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. I followed signs to the road the park was on and kept looking for more park signs.  I had driven past the signs for White Ranch Park and decided to do a U-turn and head back to White Ranch to check it out.  This was the second lot at the Western end of the park off of Belcher Hill Road.  Once in the parking lot and seeing the view I decided it was just as well I ended up here and grabbed a trail map at the kiosk and researched some trails to explore.  This park had awesome views of the mountains to the north and west and just as beautiful views of the valley and suburbs to the south and east.  Nearby the parking area was a much coveted restroom so I headed that way.  There were some picnic areas and surrounding the plateau were lots of farm equipment with interpretive signage as well as a memorial rock dedicating the park.  This area belonged to the White family and had been used as a commercial cattle farm before the widow White gifted the land to the Jefferson County Open Space in 1969.  It would definitely be a beautiful place to live but the work would be very difficult and you are quite isolated from civilization.
        Weather reports indicated early afternoon storms and the trails here didn't have a lot of cover so chose a relatively short hike.  I made my goal the Princess Anne View along the Rawhide Trail.  The trail is advertised as flat but it actually contained quite a lot of ups and downs, some that lasted awhile and bikers were walking their bikes a big portion of the trail.  There was a decent water source (stream) at the intersection of Wrangler's Run but not much else on the portion of the trail I hiked.  It was shaded for some portions which offered relief and the wildflowers were plentiful along the trail and fields.  I was able to see my first Columbine, Colorado's State Flower, along this trail as well.

   These trails are open to everyone and I saw bikers, trail runners and dogs on trail that morning.  Definitely good for trail running though it is narrow at parts.  I enjoyed the different views from the trail and the work Jefferson County Open Space put into preserving the history of the land.  My walk out to the Princess Anne Viewing was relatively easy despite the ups and downs.  I was disappointed at the actual viewing site marked with a bench.  It appears there was a nice view at one point but trees had grown up and you couldn't see much more there than other aspects of the trail.  I did enjoy the bench and had my lunch break there.  The clouds were increasing so I decided to turn back and see if I could try my luck in finding the Golden Gate Canyon State Park.

I located the wrong turn I had made on the map and it wasn't long before I was heading into the state park.  At the same time the skies opened up and rain poured down joined by some thunder and lightening.  I'm stubborn but not stupid, so still headed out to the park but spent time in the visitor center until the storm passed.  Was very nice talking to the folks there and they recommended the Panorama Point if my time was limited.  The drive through the park was easy going and I found the location easy enough.  There were several people there and platforms allowed for viewing of the Rockies at the Continental Divide about 70 miles west.

Continental Divide under a stormy sky from Panorama Point

My visit at Golden Gate Canyon did not do the park justice, will have to return someday! Needing to head back for the day I returned the way I came.  I did stop to take pictures from the road of some of the iconic deteriorating ranch and mine buildings.

An old mine site, possibly for Uranium?

https://jeffco.us/open-space/parks/white-ranch-park
http://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/GoldenGateCanyon



   

Colorado Hikes 2015: Matthew Winters Park

After exploring several amazing hiking trails located not too far from Denver, Colorado I decided to document them all in a blog to share with others living in and visiting the Denver area who are after a rewarding hike without much driving time.  Because, let's be honest, are you wanting more time on the trail or rolling on asphalt?  Yes, some hikes and mountains are worth driving to and I did spend two of my days during my recent visit going up to Rocky Mountain National Park, more on those trails in a future post.

I live basically at sea level in central Massachusetts and take all of my breathing and easy access to abundant oxygen for granted.  I knew visiting Colorado would be a challenge due to the elevation but it wasn't until hit twice with altitude sickness did I start to take acclimating to the high altitude more serious.  Now on my yearly summer trips to Colorado (with much gratitude to my sister's family warm welcome) I put to practice the advice for warming up to about 1,000 feet of elevation per day.  My first day on this trip I did 6 miles of walking in the neighborhood to get use to breathing again just at 6,000 feet of elevation. The next day I went on a hike recommended by my sister in Golden right near the Red Rocks Park.

After dropping my sister off at work I drove over to one of Jefferson County's many open space parks, Matthews/Winters Park. There was plenty of parking, a restroom, boot scrubbers, and great signage showing maps of the park, warning signs of animal activity, and some history about the area.
 The parking was near the intersection of routes 70 and 93 about 30 minutes west of Denver.  The highest elevation is about 7,200 feet so would help me reach my goal of adding another 1000 feet of elevation.

friendly trail mate

     The beginning of the trail, "Village Walk", led to a bridge over a small stream and near some picnic areas.  A few small children were playing in the stream and the shade was nice and cool.  It would be the last shade experienced on the trail for quite some time.  I followed the trail to the "Red Rocks Trail" and followed that up to the "Morrison Slide".  The trail up to the slide was easy to follow and smooth with a slow increase in elevation.  As Colorado had been blessed with a very rainy spring and early summer the park was extremely green and covered in many types of wildflowers.  Such a pretty park.  There is a nice sitting rock before you reach the Red Rocks Trail and here I was joined by a blue bug that resembled a lady bug.  It was quite friendly and insisted on sitting on my arm until I convinced it to sit on the rock for a picture.  I was happy to sit here and drink some cool water as the trail was getting hot now.  It was only 8:30 am and the temperature was already approaching 90.

At about 7,200 feet and Red Rocks Park in the background

     As I started up the Morrison Slide a young man running back down with his dog mentioned to me that he saw a Rattlesnake on the switch backs about a 1/4 mile up.  This news both scared and excited me.  I would kind of liked to have seen a snake on the trail but also didn't want any bad encounters.  Cautiously, I eyed the trail and around every rock all the while making obnoxious noise with my hiking poles.  Just wanted to make sure all the creatures knew I was approaching.  Mentally I prepared for a possible bite as well, not much was in my first aid kit but my SOS InReach was charged if I needed it.  The hike would prove uneventful and I never heard or saw the scaled being.  The hike did cross two more shaded streams where I paused for the brief relief from the sun.  I was running low on water and neglected to pack a filter.  There were a few people on the higher elevations enjoying the views and hawk activity.  At the southern end of the Morrison Slide you can see the Red Rocks Park.  A group of young ladies volunteered to take my picture and I in turn took theirs.

 
The switch backs on both sides of the Morrison Slide were not very steep and easy to navigate.  There were several trail runners out as well as a few bikers. The trail is definitely manageable for all travelers.  I would recommend plenty of water or a filter (not sure if the streams are reliable throughout the summer though).  Also this trail would be best in the morning or evening when temperatures are more pleasant.  Additionally, there was  warning sign about a trail runner who lost his life on this trail due to a lightening storm so know the weather and watch the sky as there are few places of shelter .  The hike back to the car was fun as I interacted with a few fellow hikers and also enjoyed seeing children scramble to climb up the big boulder on the Village Walk Trail.  I felt great and so empowered to explore some more of Colorado in the days to come.  I was also extremely thirsty and out of water so headed to a nearby town to grab some water and also enjoyed a large sweet tea at Chik-fil-A. Love sitting in the restaurant listening to praise music and being grateful to God for my health to keep hiking and safety while on the trails.

"When life pushes you down, get back up and reach for the sky." -my hiking buddy Chrissy :) 

 Thanks for reading.  Now go outside and explore something new from the Creator!

https://jeffco.us/open-space/parks/matthews-winters-park/

40 Hikes in 40 Days: Lent 2015

Three years ago I experimented with a new Lenten experience of committing to doing something every day of lent rather than giving something up.  The older I get the more I learn about myself and one thing I have discovered is that I am more successful at adding something to my life rather than taking something away.  I wanted to spend more time with God and hiking is the best way I find to listen to Him.  In 2015 I chose to repeat this experience and committed once again to a hike every day of Lent. I did learn that Lent is actually more than 40 days as the Catholic Calendar doesn't not count Sundays in Lent. I chose to include them so actually had 48 days of Lent.  Initially I started posting each hike to document and hold myself accountable. What I found myself doing though is getting distracted in the "likes" and comments on posts and spending more time on Facebook.  I wanted to get away from that so not only did I stop posting but also left Facebook for a good portion of Lent. I found that really hard to do and still need to make a conscious effort to spend less time on it.  I will share a few pictures below of my Lenten hikes.

One of my favorite devotions of Lent was from Charles Spurgeon: "Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter?" After a really long winter I realize that faith is best when it's pushed the most.  I actually enjoyed the long winter and many, many uses of Mike's snowshoes.  

I reflected on a lot during Lent and found I wanted to prioritize differently in my life.  I would work hard at teaching but not let criticism get to me as much, would spend more time with friends and family, less time on technology (which is why I am so behind on blog writing!) and also work harder at decluttering my physical and mental life so only that which I love is surrounding me.  God is with me during every aspect of my life but it when I am away from all distractions that I hear His voice most clear and see His perspective on what is going on in my life.  As time allows I will add more details to the pictures and this blog but just wanted to get this up and update more of the blog!! Thanks for reading :-)

Munzee road trip to Niagara Falls!

It's the middle of winter, a storm is brewing, and temperatures are dropping, seems like the perfect time to visit the beautiful Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.  Maybe there was a little more involved then just seeing the frozen falls...

Many of you know I participate in geo-location games, letter boxing being my first interest and now Munzee. Through Munzee I have made some good friends, one of them is my primary partner in crime, Laurie, aka bugeye59.  Last year at this time we took a spontaneous trip to Washington D.C. to capture munzees and also were able to see my son and daughter-in-law.  Just recently, she contacted me during the Superbowl and invited me on a trip to Niagara Falls on Valentine's Day.  She was going to meet someone in Ontario  to retrieve a part for a car and asked if I would join her for the weekend.  Mike was encouraging me to go and didn't mind missing Valentine's Day.

On Friday we headed west in the early afternoon and had beautiful weather the entire drive. We stopped off for dinner and a cute field of virtual munzees in the shape of a rubber duck!

After capturing the munzees from this spot we enjoyed a nice meal at a fun local restaurant called Tully's.  I had a new sandwich called the Cape Cod Reuben with fish instead of corn beef and cole slaw in place of sauerkraut, very good! After our bite to eat we drove the remainder of the way to our hotel in Amherst, just north of Buffalo.


Next morning we headed out pretty early to find a few munzees near by in Buffalo and then crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada.  I was hoping to get a new stamp in the passport but guess they don't always add a stamp.  We found the home of the car part owner easily enough and was neat to see the homes with Canadian flags out as this was the anniversary weekend of their flag.  From there we drove on over to Niagara Falls and found plenty of parking in the visitor lot.  Though there was over 3 feet of snow and the temperatures were in the teens, there were still a lot of visitors mingling about.  The visitor center is a great place with stores, information, ticket booths for added attractions and a Tim Horton's. I really enjoyed trying a new coffee place!

Horseshoe Falls with the river frozen just below. 

The falls are amazing, and I love the roar of the water falling over them.  There are three sets of Falls, Horseshoe Falls being on the Canadian side and the largest of the three. They were flowing, and we could see chunks of ice falling over the fall. The American Falls were frozen as was the river just below the Horseshoe Falls.  We did not see the smallest of the three, Bridal Veil.

The Horseshoe Falls behind a lamp shade with peculiar ice formations.

This picture above is of the American Falls as seen from the Canadian side, it is hard to see as it was snowing at this time but they are frozen. The bridge in the background is the Rainbow Bridge and it crosses over to American.

Just above Horseshoe Falls

The Niagara River South of the Falls
Something I learned is that the Niagara River flows North from lake Erie into Lake Ontario. 

A video of the falls: Quick video taken with my phone
Though signage in the park stated they do not maintain the walkways in the winter I thought they did a pretty good job. Here is my friend and munzee partner, Laurie:

After walking around for sometime we returned to the welcome center and enjoyed some warm coffee, cocoa and soup from Tim Horton's.  This is a great Canadian Bakery and Cafe that you should all try if you get the chance! Then it was time to leave this winter wonderland and head back into Buffalo.

We were invited back to see the Falls at night with lights but due to a new storm decided to skip out and enjoy the warmth of the hotel.  We did capture another virtual field that was shaped like a Buffalo at the Arena where the Buffalo Sabres play NHL.

We both earned a lot of points from playing Munzee that day and deployed some new Munzees in Canada so we could add another country to our list of deploys!

We had dinner in the hotel as snow continued to fall outside, and rested up for our drive home to MA the next day.  We really lucked out with the drives as we arrived home hours after another storm that left a foot of snow and by the time we arrived the storm had passed and roads were clear! We had a nice stop in Albany for some munzees and the state house is beautiful! I've also never seen the Hudson river frozen before.

I am sure I am forgetting some of the details but this was a very fun trip and I definitely want to return to the Falls when the flowers are in bloom.