Biking the South Platte and Highline Canal

Our trip this week took us down the South Platte River, across to the Highline Canal, and back to Jim and Chris's for a cookout. The weather was spectacular, no wind present, and the fellowship was superb.

If you're wondering how we got from the South Platte to the Highline Canal, well, we took the new Dry Creek Trail pictured below. I didn't even know about it until this trip.

Our fearless leaders showed us the way. It's a good thing we have them though. I'm the world's worst biker. I hardly come to a stop at a stop sign, I never look right or left, I ride the brakes to death, all techniques I learned from my Uncle Rusty. Jim and Chris always get us there safely.

St. Mary's Glacier

Royal blue sky, warm spring weather, and panoramic scenery greeted us April 2nd at St. Mary's Glacier, just ten miles from I-70 off exit 238. Our two and a half hour hike took us to the top of St. Mary's and if the wind had not been a factor, we would have gone further.

James Peak was another several miles away and would be a great day hike later in the spring. We particularly liked the the views from the top looking back down at the lakes.

Snowshoes were a must as the snow was deep at the start and ice-crusted and steep on the climb up.

We enjoyed a fairly solitary hike with only a couple of skiers gliding down and a few other snowshoers along the route.

Mount Falcon Park

We hiked three different trails today at Mount Falcon Park. The view of Denver from the top is really nice and well worth the time. This was about the most snow we saw on the trail, so snowshoes were not needed.

The trail took us across the meadow to the old Walker mansion, which burned down in 1918 and is now preserved for history. Walker owned Stanley Steamer, but Ford was the car of the future with its internal combustion engine.

Then, we hiked a little further to the "White House" which was intended to be a home for Presidents of the U.S. It was never completed. See the photo below...

After our hike we all went to Morrison and had a really good lunch together. Fellowship together is always good when you share a common love of Christ.

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:2

Mueller State Park

Mid February found the group at Mueller State Park shoeing in the winter snows. Times like this keep us mindful of God's wonderful love and mercy to us.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, Moon, and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Shoeing near Moffat Tunnel

Our group enjoyed a beautiful, quiet snowshoe hike above the Moffat Tunnel yesterday. The hike was about three miles up to the lake and three back. It snowed most of the hike but when you're in the forest, you don't really notice it. The trees are a nice filter I think.

The fellowship was great and we enjoyed a quick lunch at the lake up near the top. It was well frozen I'm sure. We parked near the Moffat Tunnel but didn't get to see Amtrak train coming out. That would've been interesting.

Even though the trip was challenging it reminded me to not lose heart. "though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day..." So we "...look not at the things which are seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:16ff.

Butler Gulch

Butler Gulch is quite nice draped in snow. At the top, up near the Continental Divide last week, we enjoyed a different kind of view. We also enjoyed a different kind of fellowship. There is nothing quite like getting to know a fellow believer while shoeing in the mountains!

"Put your confidence in God; remain quiet where He has placed you."
Ecclesiastes 11:22

Butler Gulch

Our first outing of the year took us up Butler Gulch and included snowshoes, nice weather, and happy people. The biggest challenge was getting everyone in the photo. Everyone went at their own pace and spread out a little since there were 15 of us hiking and talking all the way up the hill. Afterward, we met at Beau Jo's for pizza and enjoyed even more fellowship together.

Walking in the quiet snow covered forest, I thought about what a wonderful gift God has given us in the outdoors. I remembered Romans 8:32 which says, "He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not, with Him, also freely give us all things?"