Snowshoeing Pikes Peak

Spring Snowshoe Trip to Pikes Peak

We pay our $10 each and 30 minutes after leaving the driveway we're up the Pikes Peak Highway and along the side of the old ski area, ready to strap on the snowshoes

Young firs are starting to fill in the ski trails.  The electric wires connect to Glen Cove.  Shirley breaks trail.

The snow is deep and wet with a thin crust over a lot of granular ice crystals which makes for some slow going.

After a turn to the east, Glen Cove is behind us with Little Italy full of snow--but, no skiers.

To the north, the lowlands are snow free.

We continue to the top of the ski area, into the Bristlecone forest and my favorite individual.  It has just a couple of live branches on the right side.

 

Pikes Peak is shrouded...

but overhead, patches of blue.

 On our way down we take a few minutes to look at apparent NFS born again fire mitigation efforts along the highway.  Is this a fire break?

  Some sort of micro clear cuts with piles of skinny logs and slash.  Hard to guess what's going on other than a hell of a job of "management"

 

Spring in Red Rock Open Space

Rock-fall in Red Rock O. S.

It's an overcast, spring morning and, of course, there are deer.

On a bike ride, last week,  I passed, at least, 40 of the flora-munching domestiques. 

 The upper lake, once dry, is now a  muddy-shored body of water.

 

Then, coming into the climbing area, I notice a recent rock slide.  Similar to one that happened on the other side of the canyon last year.

Since I am on an amble I take one of the several side trails in the SE part of Red Rock.

 These are social/game trails that are untended, eroded, interesting and "illegal".

It isn't too far along that I come upon another dislodged chunker.

But, it's further down in this canyon where I find a big one.  About the size of a family van, this one is on the trail, which is on the right.

Ya gotta wonder when the geology is more active than the wildlife.

Started Outstanding

Started out standing & wound up on my face

It started out as a late March trail jog.  First tracks in the snow.  But, it's not cold and it's Spring!

So, about once a year I take a faceplant on the trail.  It's always on the flat and I just trip on some little protrusion and go down.  Usually, just a little road rash on the palms and knees.

Not this time.

For some reason I just didn't get the hands out and took it on the nose.

Thank God, no one was around and I was close to the car so I didn't pass anyone.

Saddest part, I tripped either on this same spot or within about 30' a couple of years ago.

Still, a rough day on the trail beats....just about everything.