Hannah Hiking Centennial Cone Park

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(left click on the pictures to enlarge)

We went for a hike at Centennial Cone Park on Saturday. The Indian Gulch Fire started nearby today - Sunday. We were lucky that we went yesterday because the stretch of road where we were picked up at the end of our hike was closed down today. My best wishes to all the folks who live near this area. Hopefully the fire will be under control very soon.

The trail we took winds 11 miles through the mountains. Hannah was off the leash outside for the first time since she found us.

Her happiness and exuberance came shining through.

We were all treated to some pretty spectacular views.

Hannah enjoyed eating and "slurping" up the snow along the way.

She ran off the trail twice. 

The first time was to make a beeline for this stream.

She lay down in it for about 5 minutes.

This is the spot next to the one Hannah found where we stopped for a while to enjoy some trail mix, have some water, and lay in the sun with our eyes closed for a quick cat nap.

She had a hiking buddy, Mushka (a.k.a. Mooshoo). They had a great time together. If you expand this picture, you can see Hannah and Mooshoo together on the trail.

The mountains in the distance looked mystical.

The second time Hannah left the trail was to climb about 50 yards up the mountainside. She brought us back this lovely gift. It had us wondering who else was sharing this trail with us.

By this point on the trail, we were all feeling weary,
but not this hiking dog!

There is a great trail-sharing program in place on these trails.
On weekends, mountain bikers bike on the even numbered days.
Hikers hike on the odd numbered days.

The end of the line, quite a few hours later after a great workout with some amazing views.  We had begun on the Travois Trail at the north parking area, headed south around the eastern edge of the park, then west across the southern edge to the Mayhem Gulch trail in the southwest corner.  Then we turned off onto the Mayhem Gulch trail heading southeast towards the parking lot indicated in this sign. We were all tired, but happy to have enjoyed this beautiful hike. Hannah slept the entire 4 hours back to Grand Junction.
  She never made a sound.

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Golden Colorado March 2011

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(left click on the pictures to enlarge)

We took Hannah on a walk through downtown Golden today.

 

They have a great river walk. 

The "M" on the mt. is from the School of Mines.

The pigeons' necks were really pretty in the sunlight.

Flowers are starting to bloom near the Visitors' Center.

I saw a young boy who was completely enamored with these butterflies. My seven-year-old self would have been completely enthralled as well.

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Rachael actually spotted this shield bug before I did.

Castle Rock Mountain in the distance.

There used to be a railway that led tourists to the top. What happened next is unbelievably strange history, especially for Colorado. Read the caption from a tourist sign below:

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The old path of the railway can still be seen today.

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March 2011 Trip to Denver

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(left click on pictures to view them full size)

The rest stop in Parachute, Colorado. I believe that those gigantic (and oh so natural looking) flowers are solar-power cells. Pretty cool!

Lunch at the "Charcoal Burger Drive In."

This place is truly a classic little 50's-style diner. It has won the Glenwood Springs "People's Choice" award yearly since 2006. Customers can get malts, crinkle-cut fries, and buffalo or elk burgers. I had elk with mushrooms, swiss cheese and bacon.

There are several relics in the nooks and crannies.

Pieces that are simply reminders of a bygone era.
Look closely, gas was 36.5 cents per gallon.

I remember when gas pumps like these were much more common.

This place had a cool view, but it was pretty chilly. The elk burger was great. The fries weren't quite right. I like my fries right out of the fryer, hot & crispy. These were a bit dry. The burger was a novelty, but not so good that I absolutely have to go back.

Don't know exactly where we were, but I know where we were not...

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