Horsethief Park Hike (2)

Continuing with my hike in Horsethief Park, it has some lovely mountainous views.

This next shot looks like it was taken with a fish-eye lens, but it's just the natural shape of the hills.

It's called Horsethief Park because horse thieves used to hide out here.

There are some remnants of old structures in a couple of places off the trail, down by the stream.

I would guess they were related to mining. I've got several posts to write about mining in the area as I took a day to explore that aspect of the area's history recently, including going into a mine shaft and visiting an active surface mine. But those photos are for another time!

Our World Tuesday

Hiking Shelter

When hiking in Horsethief Park I came across the following little shelter.

Shadow Shot Sunday

The Weekend in Black and White

Horsethief Park Hike (1)

One of my favorite areas to hike is Horsethief Park, on the back of Pikes Peak. It's an hour from the house so it's not one I go to that often; these photos are from last summer. Right where it starts is an old railroad tunnel, which was then used for the road with traffic lights since it was one lane, and is now abandoned and closed off.

The trail winds uphill through beautiful forest.

I love the long shadows cast by the tall trees.

In one place there's a beaver pond next to the trail.

This trail ends up at a pretty waterfall.

Of course I had my dogs with me, and silly Laika got completely tangled in her leash. She doesn't usually do that! I've got another set of photos from this hike that I'll post in a few days.

Our World Tuesday

Blue Skies & Trees

Skywatch Friday

Horsethief Park

From a hike last September on the west side of Pikes Peak, here are some photos from an area known as Horsethief park, so known because it's where the horse thieves used to hide out. It's one of my favorite areas to hike, but it's about an hour's drive from my house so I only go once or twice a year. Here in the initial steep climb I felt like I was in a Lord of the Rings movie.

This time I went on different paths than usual, down to a stream with some remains of human construction.

I found a small cave that might be used for shelter if you were brave enough...

...and the remains of a nearby campfire.

And finally, a large beaver dam.

I've got more shots from last weekend here, but I'll put those up another time. In the meantime, visit Scenic Sunday for more worldwide scenery. And also PicStory, where this week's theme is "outdoors" which is perfect for this hike!

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.

More Golden Aspen

For Scenic Sunday, here are more aspen photos from last weekend's hike in Horsethief Park. There weren't many good stands of golden aspen, but I found one.

Here are a couple of close-ups.

I liked the pine tree in the middle of these aspen; in a couple of weeks it will be much more visible.

Finally, here's a wide shot of the valley up which I hiked to see these aspen. To get back to the road, you'd hike down to the base of the pine-covered mountain, turn right, and hike downhill for another half-mile.

For more landscapes and other scenic shots, visit Scenic Sunday.

Golden Aspen & Blue Sky

This hasn't been a good year for aspen, as the incredibly hot, dry fall has stressed the trees, and many of them are dropping their leaves while still green. But I was able to find one good stand after hiking up into a valley a little over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation on the back of Pikes Peak, in an area known as Horsethief Park (because it's where horse thieves used to hide).

I'll post more aspen photos in a couple of days. For more sky-themed photos, visit Skywatch Friday.

Pancake Rocks

Today I hiked up to Pancake Rocks, on the back side of Pikes Peak. This is one of my favorite hikes although I don't do it that often, since it's further from my house than several other hikes that I enjoy. It's about a six-mile round trip, with a good amount of elevation gain, about 1,500 feet, and some gorgeous views.

As you can see from the ice on the stream, it was a chilly morning.

The trail still had some snow in spots from last week. If the weather forecast is correct, it will have a lot more tomorrow!

Here's one of those stunning views - pictures don't do it justice.

Here are a couple of shots of the unusual rock formations at the top of the trail.

And finally, I found this old log at the top intriguing.