Friday, February 25, 2011

Watery Horsethief Park

One of my favorite hikes last summer was to Horsethief Park, which is on the western side of Pikes Peak (the opposite side from Colorado Springs). It's named because it's where horse thieves used to hide out in the days of the Old West. On this day, there had been some rain the previous night, making for some lovely reflections.
The trail travels up a valley near a creek, and at one point the land opens up and a beaver dam (on the left side of this photo) creates a pond.
This area is wet enough that moss survives, not a common thing in this part of Colorado.
 If you continue up by the creek, the trail splits in two. A long climb to the right heads up to the wonderful Pancake Rocks, but that's not where I headed this time. Instead I followed the shorter trail to The Falls.
As I continued, I marveled at the wonder of nature around me, including this tree branch.
The views across the valley were terrific.
Finally I reached the waterfall, more of a cascade down a slab of rock.
This is one of my favorite places to hike, and I try to head  up there a couple of times each summer. You may find more hiking photos from around the world at the Scenic Sunday meme.
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17 comments:

  1. forgetmenotFebruary 25, 2011 at 7:32 PM

    Such beautiful shots. I would visit Colorado Springs every summer as a kid--it was and still is one of my favorite places--always beautiful, summer or winter.
    Mickie

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  2. GaelynFebruary 25, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    Looks like a beautiful place to hike. Thanks. For sharing some green.

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  3. Sylvia KFebruary 25, 2011 at 9:05 PM

    Such a great looking place, Al! Love the green, the waterfalls and lovely skies! Hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  4. tattytiaraFebruary 25, 2011 at 10:03 PM

    Gorgeous hiking grounds indeed, and what a rich history to boot. Those hills could definitely tell a few interesting tales!

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  5. Jidhu JoseFebruary 25, 2011 at 11:45 PM

    awesome shots

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  6. LindaFebruary 26, 2011 at 3:32 AM

    Interesting to read that you don't have much moss. We could export some to you if you want!
    Lovely shots - I can see why you revisit.

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  7. annalarssonphotographyFebruary 26, 2011 at 10:35 AM

    Beautiful shots!

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  8. Martha ZFebruary 26, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    This looks like a lovely hike. I'm ready to get back into the mountains but I think it will be quite a while until my Sierra is free of snow.

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  9. UnknownFebruary 26, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    Wow, nature is so amazing. I love all the details you capture!

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  10. giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•.February 26, 2011 at 3:43 PM

    Hi Al
    mi piace molto la foto n° 3
    Ciao Myriam :)

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  11. Walk in New YorkFebruary 27, 2011 at 5:11 AM

    Belle serie et cela donne envie d'aller faire une promenade, thanks for sharing

    Remember, Every Friday, The Challenge "Walk In The Street Photography"

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  12. Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪February 27, 2011 at 2:23 PM

    Did the thieves steal beatiful women too? I don't like to stay out in the forest with unwshed and unshaven smelly men. LOL

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  13. JoyfulFebruary 27, 2011 at 3:52 PM

    Your images always transport me to a place of quiet and beauty :-)

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  14. ViolaFebruary 27, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    W
    O
    W

    Extraordinary pictures, and I just love all of them!! :)
    The moss is so lovely! We have a lot of moss in my country.. But I just haave to admire it each and every time I see it..
    :)

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  15. LinneaFebruary 27, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    It must be a beautiful place to hike; you certainly found a lot of photo ops there!

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  16. Beth NiquetteFebruary 27, 2011 at 9:22 PM

    That first photo is SO inspiring--and the last one of the waterfall is breathtaking...both fill my eyes.

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  17. RaineMarch 8, 2011 at 5:19 AM

    From the first photo of a small puddle to ending up with the final pic where water cascaded against the rocks completed this photo story too. I thought it was cool sequence of events captured in the moment.

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