Plans to go ice and snow climbing (or just end up taking our tools for a long walk) fell through, so I drove through falling snow on US 285 to visit a few of Jefferson County’s Open Space parks I hadn’t yet hiked through.
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Loosing elevation after Pine Junction the sky brightened a bit and the snow stopped. Only a light dusting disturbed signs of spring.
I didn’t know geese liked rocky perches, but after yelling at me they gave up their high ground.
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A few other hikers were out enjoying the morning and I kept thinking of the softball mom in the coffee shop that morning: “I shouldn’t be out in this weather.”
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Having nearly finished my loop and left the high ground I returned to the river and a plethora of fly fishermen. I think if I ever took up fishing I’d fish rivers and streams, no still water. Well, maybe some alpine lakes, but certainly nothing formed by a dam.
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Driving to Reynolds Park I enjoyed one of the best roads in Colorado – stretches of county roads 96/97 along the North Fork of the South Platte River. Plus there’s the view of Cathedral Spires.
At Reynolds Park I made another multi-mile loop around the park, disliking the Eagle’s View trail for being on a service road but fully enjoying the rocky and wooded Oxen Draw Trail.
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