Sunday Morning Hike

I went out this morning for my first hike in several days.  It sure felt good to be back on the trails.  My body was really telling me to get outside and move!

I set up the hill through our neighborhood to Chautauqua and then up the Bluebell Road to reach the top of the Enchanted Mesa Trail.  It took me two miles of uphill to get there, but I was rewarded with pretty views, the smell of pine, and the sensation of crisp mountain air.

Then I headed back and picked up the Bluebell Mesa trail which parallels the road on a gentle downhill.  It winds around to main trail that runs up from the front of the park.

As I approached the main area of the park it was now about 10:30 and I realized that there were a lot of people in the park.  Oh, that's right, it's Sunday.   Usually I don't go up into the park on the weekends and I had forgotten how crowded it can get.

I think it's great that so many people love the park and get out to enjoy it, but I prefer to get my hiking done when everyone is working or still in bed.  It's one of the advantages of being older and retired.

There were also a lot of wildflowers in the park.  I've been trying to take photos of the lupine for a few weeks now and haven't had much luck, but the photo I took today turned out pretty well, don't you think?

I may never get a good picture of the wild poppies in the meadow, but I'm trying!  I love the Colorado poppies which are now in bloom in practically all the yards here, including ours, but to see them growing wild is very cool.

I don't think this is a wildflower since I spotted it growing by a nearby street, but it might be since it was all alone with no friends to keep it company.  In any case, it's a beauty. 

We are expecting showers this afternoon and it looks like clouds are coming in, so I'm off to do some yard work before relaxing the rest of the day.