It’s that time of year again! Welcome to the glorious aspen and ground cover colors at Cottonwood Lake. It is a small lake three miles off State Highway 306, best known as home to Cottonwood Pass. We will visit there soon for amazing beauty at 12,126 ft elevation. Now, we are about 9,600 ft high along the shore of Cottonwood Lake!
We have walked in Red Rock Canyon Open Space before, but today we are exploring a short .2 mile connector trail called Quarry Pass Trail. We are heading down Red Rock Canyon Trail for the last mile of our 4-mile morning hike. Although overcast, it is not smoky today. The huge wildfires north near Rocky Mountain National Park (oh no!) have been inundating us with smoke when winds head south. We have a nice respite today, so let’s explore the connector trail I’ve never done before. We’ll have a new adventure together!
Off We Go!
Mueller State Park is about 28 miles into the mountains from Colorado Springs. Covering 5,121 acres with ponds, rock outcropping, mountain views in every direction, and amazing aspen groves, a walk this time of year will be spectacular! Grab your water and get ready because we start our hike at about 9,650 feet and it will be a down and up huffer puffer as we drop 500 feet to Preacher’s Hollow and Never-Never Pond. We’ll take it slow because the thin air at this elevation will take its toll on us both!
I have not spent time exploring prairies, but occasionally drove through them in WY and MT. With nonexistent experience and naiveté, I believed prairies were flat and boring. I have a lot to learn! Living on the Front Range of the Rockies offers many opportunities for a short drive East to explore Colorado’s contribution to the Great Plains. Today we will explore Paint Mines Interpretive Park, a unique walk through history exploring both prairie and badlands. Amazingly vibrant geological wonders await, so let’s go!
