Goose Creek

Our group hiked into the Lost Creek Wilderness area yesterday on the Goose Creek trail. The weather finally improved and off we went to enjoy God's creation. Personally, I think we need to live more with nature if for no other reason than to get more of an impression of God's majesty. That's hard to do at Broadway and Colfax or inside Wallmart.

An interesting feature of Lost Creek Wilderness is the abundance of granite. Below, we are walking on a large rock which has groves in it worn by years of water running over it. What's really nice is to stop and listen to the wind. Trees carry on this most pleasant and refreshing conversation. And even though all the needles talk at the same time, it lulls the external senses.

Close to four miles up the trail is the shaft house which dates back to 1891. At that time, an attempt was made to build a dam on Goose Creek. There were several old cabins which housed workers. None of the work was really ever begun, but the houses remain.

We walked down to the creek and checked out the beautiful scenery. There were some fishermen nearby trying to catch small brook trout. We were just enjoying the hike and fellowship together.

Elk Meadow Trail

Our original plan today was to take us up to Goose Creek in the Lost Creek Wilderness. However, because of concerns over the weather we decided to stay closer to home and went to Roxborough Sate Park. We followed the trail up toward Carpenter Peak and then took the Elk Meadow Trail around to the South. We saw old homesteads, animal tracks, a couple of foxes, and an unusual patio high up in the rocks.

This track in the mud was a little old and we couldn't see any claw marks (clearly making it a bear track). Was it a mountain lion (they have retractable claws). Either way, it was fairly large and I'm glad we didn't meet it.

We did meet this little fox on the trail and he let us get pretty close. We also watched him catch a mouse and enjoy a little lunch.

As we neared the start of the Carpenter Peak trail we saw this! They were mountain lions carved out of wood and placed on the rock as though they were stalking their prey. Someone had a great imagination.

Close to the mountain lions pictured above, we noticed two beautiful stone patios perched high in the red rocks with commanding views of the valley below. They even came with patio furniture! All of this made for an interesting hike today. Next week, we hope to return to Goose Creek and get better weather.

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.