Colorado

Near Denver — No Comments
22
Jun 09

Johnson Park on the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt

Today my wife and I were running some errands down in town (Arvada to be specific) and afterward we felt like taking a gentle walk. We knew we were close to the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt along Clear Creek so we drove along Wadsworth south of I-70 and we noticed a somewhat hidden park entrance. The park was called Johnson Park and sure enough the greenbelt trail ran right through the park.

We hiked about 1.5 miles west along the greenbelt, passing another park along the way with skating terrain. Then it began storming badly and we were quite soaked by the time we made it back to the car. There are a couple of shelters along the path so we stopped into those to rest as we were running back to the car.

This section of the greenbelt trail isn’t terribly interesting but it was a fun walk nonetheless. Of course at this time of year Clear Creek is a raging rapid so that was kinda neat.

Colorado — No Comments
12
Jun 09

Mesa Verde

The wife and I just came back from Mesa Verde National Park, down in the 4 corners area. We really enjoy seeing remnants of the lives of our ancestors, and I guess for people like us, Mesa Verde is one of the top spots to visit.

It was great to get out of the extreme rain we had been getting at home lately. The weather at Mesa Verde was cool and  mostly dry. I think we couldn’t have picked a better time to visit.

Morefield Campground, the campground inside Mesa Verde, is huge and nice enough for all but the most decadent travelers.

The trails we hiked:
Far View Sites
Cedar Tree Tower (very windy at the time)
Petroglyph Point (don’t miss this one)
Step House (beautiful hike)
Spruce Tree House (make sure you visit this site)
Pithouse and Villages Trail

The tours we took:
Balcony House (tall ladders on this tour, the most interesting)
Cliff Palace (the easiest and most general tour)
Long House (an excellent tour, not crowded)

Near Denver — No Comments
2
Jun 09

Centennial Cone Mayhem Gulch / Juniper Loop

Today I hiked a great loop in Centennial Cone of just over 4.5 miles. There is a trailhead with parking off of route 6 a couple miles west of tunnel 3.

The hike looked like it would be very steep from the trailhead, but it is actually very gentle thanks to excellent trail design.

To hike the loop, just proceed up Mayhem Gulch Trail until it intersects with Juniper Trail. Stay to the RIGHT here, continuing on Mayhem Gulch Trail. Eventually the trail will intersect with Travois Trail (the mountain biking loop). Turn left at the intersection and after a couple hundred feet you will see the intersection with Juniper Trail. Take Juniper Trail back to Mayhem Gulch Trail, and continue down Mayhem Gulch trail back to your car.

While we were hiking this trail, we noticed a rocky cliff area with a striking waterfall, I’m sure you will see it and hear it as well if the water is flowing. From the far end of the parking lot we discovered a faint trail to the base of the waterfall. It’s worth checking out if you feel up to it.

I have added a full description and GPS tracks to the SelectHikes.com web site. Click here for the trip report: Mayhem Gulch Trail

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