Now This is Colorado

On our first full day with no travel, we couldn’t wait to get out and see all that Colorado Springs had in store for us.  We knew we wanted to get some hiking in and experience the mountains we caught a glimpse of coming into town, so we headed to Garden of the Gods as our first stop.  After a brief discussion with the volunteer at the Visitor’s Center, we decided on a 4-mile loop that would take us past several notable rock formations and some awe-inspiring views of Pike’s Peak.  We fell easily back into the rhythm of hiking and began pointing out different plants, birds, and unique rock features as we walked along.  The kids loved climbing all over the rocks and trying to squeeze into the narrow crevices until we came to the Siamese Twins formation, known for its picture window view of Pike’s Peak – amazing!  As we headed onward toward Balanced Rock, the kids began to fade and we had only brought one snack with us, but the Trading Post came to the rescue with a giant pretzel for some quick energy.  By the end of the loop, we realized (based on Matt’s new GPS hiking app) that we had really gone over 5 miles instead of the 4 we thought we signed up for – but we all agreed it was completely worth it as we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the tailgate of the truck overlooking a grand view of the mountains we explored.

Next up was America the Beautiful Park – a tribute to the song written by Katharine Lee Bates after she was inspired by her visit to Pike’s Peak.  Although the Julie Penrose Fountain was not on (it was a bit chilly), the kids enjoyed checking out every piece of playground equipment.  They spun in circles until they were dizzy and tried to balance on the wobbly beams until their legs gave out.  Matt and I enjoyed watching them play freely among children half their age with wild abandon and little care about what was going on around them.  Seeing the smile on her face as my 13 year-old twirled and twirled may have been the highlight of the day for me.

Finally, after a couple of hours of rest and dinner at the camper, we headed back out to the Cave of the Winds nearby.  We all enjoyed the various caves and caverns we visited on the last trip and were eager to see this new one to add to our list.  Seeing the cave formations always causes me to ponder the length of time it took for them to form, how they were found, and how they are being preserved for the future.  In this case, Abby especially noted how commercialized this cave experience was compared to those we have had in national parks – and the Junior Ranger has spoken.  I concur.  Nevertheless, our experiences in Colorado Springs were a fabulous beginning to the Mountain West.

See below photo for poem & sketch.

First Hike

Our very first hike,
on Summer Dream Trip 2014,
all 5.3 miles we liked,
and the many formations to be seen.

Red sandstone formations,
framing snow-capped Pike's Peak,
caused some exclamation,
when we saw it at the start of our week.

Throughout the trail we twisted and turned,
through ups and downs in rocky terrain,
we walked and we learned,
about how to hike safe.

--Abby

Pike's Peak by Isaac