Experiencing the outdoors is about a lot of things, many of which motivations we’ve discussed on the blog. One we haven’t mentioned for some time now is companionship, or, as I learned to refer to it as a Scout, fellowship. After all, as wonderful as it can be to spend time with the people about whom you care most, why wouldn’t it be even more wonderful if that time can be spent with a backdrop of amazing scenery, and the tang of fresh air?
My mother was in town recently, and we often will spend a great deal of our time finding places where we can walk around and talk. I wouldn’t go so far as to call them hikes, but there is more to them than simply strolling about the neighborhood.
The first place at which we chose to amble was Painted Mines. The iron compounds in the clay and sedimentary rocks make the exposed formations, which seem like areas where the surrounding prairie simply blew away, make for some vibrant colors. Apparently, local tribes used to mine the area in order to create paints and dyes. There were about six total miles of trails, none of them especially strenuous. If you like the Badlands in South Dakota, this is a little bit like that: a strange formation emerging from the endless, open expanse of the Great Plains.
The following day, we decided to perambulate at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. This was a lovely place for some quiet hiking, with significantly more shade than is available at Painted Mines. Based on the size of the parking lot, I suspect it gets quite crowded there, on occasion, but even by the time we departed, there weren’t very many people. There is a $7.00 parking fee. At first glance, the park seems quite large, but we found that we were able to hike much of it in a leisurely morning.
Where I am, the weather is about to take a drastic turn from the high seventies to the mid thirties, with a side of snow, so stay tuned for a probable winter camping post on Friday.
Lloyd's Outdoor Explorations 