There’s nothing like being back in nature and happy!
There’s nothing like the serenity of hiking in the forest several days after a good snowstorm. The clouds have parted giving way to the deep clear blue beyond. The snow has melted, well, off the important places anyway (the highway). The wildlife is back at it, hard at work preparing for the long winter ahead. But the main ingredient here is the quiet and calm.
We headed to a small town just west of Denver called Evergreen where trails and elk alike are plenty. Alderfer Three Sisters Park is a mix of open space, forest, rock formations and outcroppings. No trail redundancy here, just the right amount of terrain to keep your feet moving and your wits about you.
A simple, well blazed trail and no crowds to share it with was just what we needed after a long hectic week. At the trailhead we grabbed a trail map, made a quick decision to hike the perimeter of the park, which made for an interesting mix of different trails forming a nice loop back to the parking area. There’s nothing like being back in nature and happy!
Crunch! The first step was on a thin layer of ice telling us not all is as it looks. In shadows a little snow, in the open spaces warm sun and fresh mountain air, while in between it all, a little bit of everything, including a thin layer of ice and a quick reality check of what season we were in.
In and out of the forest, up through some boulders, over rock outcroppings, down switchbacks, back into the forest, past some golden aspen trees, across a bubbling creek we continued to meander our way along the path. No people, no wildlife, though an occasional squirrel sounding the alarm to our presence and then there was the woodpecker who could care less.
It wasn’t until we were back on the road that we would see the Evergreen mascot, the majestic elk. Several herds in and around Evergreen. Grazing, napping and wandering in and out of backyards, on the local golf course, along the small winding two lane highway we were on and, of course, in front of the local fie station monitoring the area fire danger and watching the cars go by…an elk’s life (in Evergreen) you could say.
Peace,
MAD
MAD Hippies Life 