Horsetooth Mountain Park

Another weekend, another rainy day! Will it ever end? I didn't even bring the camera this week because it was spritzing when I left. Good thing since it spritzed the whole way. I thought it was going to be a dreary hike but it did end up being nice since everything was so green and the flowers that were blooming were vivid! I didn't see any wildlife this week but did hear lots of birds. There were numerous deer prints however.

Red Mountain

Finally, spring is here! As I was just typing this in I was thinking about what a wonderful hike I had and then...I felt something creepy crawly on my arm. Ewww....a tick! That's a first for around here. I'm going to have to go take a shower!

I feel much better and I'm tick free! :) Anyhow...about this 'wonderful' hike I took. I went way out to Red Mountain today. It's closer to Cheyenne than it is to us but is considered part of the Ft. Collins open space. Ewww...I wonder how long this creepy crawly feeling is going to last. I'm feeling imaginary bugs crawling on me (at least I hope that's what they are!)

The drive to Red Mountain is long but fun. You are out in the boonies and spend about the last 7 miles on dirt roads. It is an open range so I saw TONS of cows and baby calves. One was even standing in the middle of the road nursing!
I saw a couple of pronghorn from way off running. On the way home I even got to see a couple of bison. Not bad for 'wildlife.'
I started off on the Bent Rock trail and did a loop. It was only about 2.5 miles long and started off in a pleasant canyon w/ a stream running through it.
The buds were just coming out on a lot of the vegetation.
The wildflowers were starting to come out along the Bent Rock Trail:
I'm thinking it would be a fun place for the kids to go on Memorial Day weekend. A small hike and then grill out at the covered picnic area w/ this cool sign.
Everything is pretty much 'red' at Red Mountain except for a small section on the Bent Rock Trail. There is rock that looks like chalk.
I also saw many cool geological features/formations along the way.

After that I headed to the rising sun trail and headed off to the Cheyenne Rim Trail to end at the Overlook Trail.

I saw lots of wildflowers along the way:
The view at the overlook was really nice. Plains, foothills, and snow capped mountains all rolled into one.
I even found the marker for the top.
I came down the same way and then cut back through the Big Hole Wash Trail. It is most definitely a wash: Lots of gravel and few plants.

Red Mountain
Trails Used:
Distance: 11.2 Miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Moving average: 3.6 mph
Moving Time: 3 hrs, 25 min
Total Ascent: 1899 ft.
Maximum elevation: ft. 7190 ft.
Satellite View of Hike:
Elevation/Time of Hike:

Kind of a stinky, gray day again. It was around 45-50 degrees and looked like it was about to rain the whole time. It was still an enjoyable, butt burning hike. We saw Pasque flowers, some small pink flowers and these white flowers. Of course when I have time I will come back and name them! ;) On the drive back home we saw a whole herd of elk grazing by Loveland on Hwy 34. They were very shaggy looking! If I had a camera that would work for me I would have taken more pictures and definitely some of the elk! Maybe next time.

Hike: Round Mountain
Trails Used: Summit Adventure Trail
Distance: 8.58, but my GPS only recorded 7.7 miles of this, another source says 9.1
Difficulty: Difficult (Butt Burner)
Moving average: 2.4 mph
Moving Time: 4 hrs, 12 min
Total Ascent: 2707 ft.
Maximum elevation: 8499 ft.