Sunday was a beautiful day. A few friends came up from Denver and we met for a picnic near the foothills. The sun was beaming and there was a perfect breeze that kept us cool. We warmed our bodies on blankets while we listened to a local trio play in the park. Easy and breezy, exactly what a Sunday should be.
After they headed out, I decided to explore a bit. The park had a few hiking trails and I decided I was up for the adventure. I spend a lot of time hiking and camping in the summer, and this was my first hike of 2010 thus marking my first official day of summer (woohoo)!
I started hiking pretty late in the afternoon and I wanted to make sure I got back down the mountain before sun down, so I stopped at a fork in the trail and headed back. Shortly before the fork, I had come across a strange area. There was a large boulder on its side, and a ton of rocks piled up in conical stacks on and around the boulder. I learned later that these piles of stones are called cairns. They're historical in Ireland and Scotland, and can represent many things, such as a trail marking, burial site, or summit of a mountain. They weren't at the summit, and they were all in the same area, so maybe they representing a burial site or some sort of tribute to someone or something. It was really spiritual, and a little creepy...
On my way down the trail, I jogged most of the way, only stopping before the trail's end to sit down and take in the sights. To my left, the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains, glowing from the sun's light. Below me on the same mountainside, a young couple was playing while a photographer captured engagement photos. And in the distance, three buzzards circled high in the sky above whatever it was their keen eyesight picked up on. Eventually, three more joined them. I watched one bird in particular soar so high you could barely see him. I wished I had came more prepared and brought my binoculars. I'd bet money the sixth bird was not a buzzard.
Eventually I walked down the rest of the trail to my car, rolled down the windows and headed home.
It was a great way to end my weekend. How was your weekend?
On my way down the trail, I jogged most of the way, only stopping before the trail's end to sit down and take in the sights. To my left, the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains, glowing from the sun's light. Below me on the same mountainside, a young couple was playing while a photographer captured engagement photos. And in the distance, three buzzards circled high in the sky above whatever it was their keen eyesight picked up on. Eventually, three more joined them. I watched one bird in particular soar so high you could barely see him. I wished I had came more prepared and brought my binoculars. I'd bet money the sixth bird was not a buzzard.
Eventually I walked down the rest of the trail to my car, rolled down the windows and headed home.
It was a great way to end my weekend. How was your weekend?
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