I’d like to say the weekend was lazy.
But it wasn’t..at least not totally.
There were things to do. Items to accomplished. Chores to be done. And some coffee to drink in the morning.
But I managed to carve out some outdoor time.
A late afternoon ski when the crowds were mainly gone. (As a side note, a new parking lot built by the USFS for winter use at a trailhead is now overflowing on weekends. Less than five years after being built, the lot is maxed out. )
Even late in the day, the place was busy. A few Nordic skiers such as myself. Many snowshoers. And quite a few fatbikers. This season seems to be the tipping point for fatbiking becoming a very popular activity in my nook of Colorado. Everyone is polite, but the etiquette is still being established. Luckily I can control my skiing…
Everyone recreating like me. Just a lot more of us now that the economy is doing quite well in Colorado.
So it goes.
Today (Sunday) the someone and I did a hike where the plains meet the foothills. Cold and sunny with snow on the ground. We managed to grab the last spot in the parking lot.
Easy to see why. The hike is easy, but rather scenic. Just right for stretching the legs a bit before resuming weekend duties.
We saw coyotes, prairie dogs and a few hearty winter birds.
From a vantage point, we could see the expanse of the high plains meeting the higher foothills in the near distance.
It was a dramatic winter view, but only if someone paused and looked.
Shortly after, we made it to our car. While my better half was making using of the facilities, two cars came up and our spot was eyed.
Going forward, I think I’ll need to get more creative in finding winter spots to get away.
West of Boulder is a traffic mess on weekends, nearby areas are full of weekend warriors such as myself.
Call it an “AH HA!” moment this past year, but I think the time is getting closer to forming an alternative schedule.
We’ll see what the next year or so brings. Until then, I’ll do some more quick overnighters to balance out the crowds and traffic a bit and maybe some alternatives yet-to-be-determined.
In the mean time, I look at photos such as the ones above and remind myself..Ya know, I do live in a beautiful place.. Quit yer kvetching…. 🙂