Mid-April 2024 update

In the middle part of March and over four years into the COVID-19 pandemic, my family and I tested positive.

Although we all only suffered mild symptoms, we took some time off and isolated.

Our first adventure back to the outdoors was for my son's birthday at the end of March. We returned to the Aiken Canyon, where we'd hiked three years ago in the early part of the pandemic.

For my first trail run after recovering, I went to Rampart Range Road.

The clouds were stormy and brewing something up over the Peak when I first got started.

I made it to the swing, way up above the city, and the clouds disappated.

I enjoyed the quiet, solo downhill.

I brought Pippin with me the next time to the same location, for our first trail run together in several weeks.

The warm days and desert-like conditions persisted when we visited the Palmer Park bluffs in our next run.

And a nice, clear evening for a night hike with my kids.

The next day, I took Pippin to the Red Rock Canyon inner loop. It was a beautiful day for it, if a little warm at the start for Pippin.

I thought the overlook might still be icy, so I stayed to the inner loop, which showcases some of the best formations in the canyon.

I got a double dose of southwestern beauty this day, because I took an afternoon walk with my husband and a friend at Garden of the Gods, and took a photo from the famous rock view window at the Siamese Twins.

For our next session, I wanted to find somewhere a little cooler with more tree cover for Pippin. It's unseasonably hot already for this spring in southern Colorado, at least along the bluffs and the sandstone formations.

So we started from the Mt. Cutler trailhead. There was some ice at the very start and a few patchy spots, but it was fairly clear all the way through Daniel's Pass trail up to Gold Camp Road.

Gold Camp was largely clear, but had some big patches of snow on each side of the road. We followed the road for a few bends to the south before joining the trail that cuts over towards St. Mary's Falls.

Unfortunately this connection trail was completely snowed in at the top of the first small hill.

So instead of progressing towards the falls, we turned and climbed the nearest high point, which afforded wonderful views into North Cheyenne Cañon.

From this viewpoint, just the very summit of Pikes Peak looks down through the valley.

We soaked in the views for a few minutes before heading back down, this time taking the road down the whole way back to the Mt. Cutler parking.

This was our longest trail run since getting back to it, adding up to almost 11 miles.

The trails are definitely in spring condition in the local mountains. There are some very steep snowfields where the drifts landed, broken by dry patches of trail that get the most sun.

At the end of the month, I'll be heading down to Arizona for a few days. I hope to get at least one desert run in while I'm there.

In the meantime, I'd like to get at least one more longer adventure in the local mountains. But I'll have to temper my expectations, because of deep, crunchy, postholing snow. At least it's great for our water system - there's still quite a bit of snowpack that has to melt off!