Golden Gate Canyon State Park Loop
While most flock to Colorado’s more popular national parks, I’ve decided to do more exploring of the state parks this year. I haven’t always ignored the state parks. I’ve scaled a lot of the rock walls and flew down the trails back when rock climbing and mountain biking was what I lived to do. But, those activities never afforded the opportunity to explore and see what the parks had to offer. So, this year with my camera in hand, I’m going to get to know a few of the state parks a little better. And, hope to come home with plenty of landscape, nature and wildlife photos to share.
There are 42 parks in the Colorado State Park system steeped in history such as homesteading and ranching, logging and sawmills, mining and quarries. Stone tools dating as early as 9500 BC to 1850 AD have been found in some parks. And, if you know me, you know I love history. I will stop and read every history plaque and marker along the way. Needless to say, the history geek in me is pretty excited.
I decided to kick things off with a trip to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. I’ve been here quite a few times since it is so close to Boulder. But, I was either trail running, mountain biking, or rock climbing.
My plan for the day was to hike up Windy Peak and maybe run into one of the resident moose along the way. I arrived at the ranger station around 8:30, needed to renew my annual pass, but they didn’t open until 9:00. I killed time in the parking lot watching plenty of cars drive by in the direction of the Windy Peak trailhead. I started to contemplate a plan B.
Plan B, I came up with a 5.5 ish mile loop that was just down the road from the ranger station. My reasoning, the high peaks were hidden in a thick layer of clouds, so it wasn’t worth hiking to the summit with everyone else…Covid has made this introvert even more of an introvert.
Given the thick layer of clouds hiding the high peaks and planning a loop down low in the trees, I had to find a creative spark, which hasn’t been easy to find lately. The start was a bit tough on all aspects. My legs were a little heavy, my lungs weren’t working too well, and that whole creative thing was still hiding.
I stopped to delayer just below a rock outcropping that had a few trees growing right out of the rock. How are trees that grow like this so healthy?
While not an amazing hang on the wall photo, it helped to get the wheels turning.
What nature photographer doesn’t love fallen trees and dead wood! There are so many things you can do with these photos. Unfortunately, I didn’t like any of the compositions I did, but still fun to play with.
The trail took me to an area with a bunch of lichen cover rocks. The sunlight was shining through the trees creating natural vignetting that I couldn’t pass up. I managed to capture a photo that I really liked. The patch of glimmering snow down the middle added a touch of bling to it.
And, wouldn’t you know it, another tree growing out of a rock.
Next, the trail led across a rock outcropping/ridge. My eyes got pretty big with the potential of this spot. The rocks jutted up out of the ground one behind the other and the sunlight was creating great shadows in between them. Just as I was getting my camera ready there was a big ruckus in the trees down the hillside from me. Being in a spot that just had that secluded feeling to it and the fact I hadn’t seen anyone for an hour and a half, my mind immediately went to a mountain lion. There were a lot of fallen trees mingled with the standing trees so it was hard to see anything. Needless to say, I quickly moved on.
The moose that hangout around here definitely left their mark on the aspen trees. I was hoping to bump into some of the residents, but no such luck.
I got to the trail junction that would take me back down to the trailhead, but knew there was a homestead not too far ahead. Being the history geek that I am, I decided to do a quick trip to the remaining barn. It was fun to see that he was a fellow Pennsylvanian ;-) After a mining accident left him without full use of one of his legs, he built this homestead in 1869.
It’s hard to imagine anyone homesteading with the full use of a leg. Imagine doing it back before machines and cars, when everything had to be done manually! And, he had 480 acres.
It hits home just how old these homesteads are when you see mother nature reclaiming them.
The thick clouds were starting to blow into the park making for cold hands, so I started making my way back to the trailhead. The last part was icy and downhill requiring vigilance and deliberate steps, so I didn’t get many photos. And, am happy to say I didn’t fall.
