Skywatch Friday: Clear Springs Ranch Trail

We're at that time of year when there can be big weather fluctuations here on the high plains of Colorado.


This was last Friday.  We were supposed to get a trace to two inches of snow.  We ended up with six inches.  Predicting the weather along the front range of the Rockies can be difficult.  The unexpected moisture was more than welcome as we are experiencing drought this winter.


By Monday the snow was melted and we were once again in high fire danger warnings because of the high winds and dry conditions.  We decided to go check out a trail we had only visited once before.  Maisy is always happy to go on an adventure.


There were a couple geocaches along the way that my hubby had to check out.  I waited patiently on the trail while he went prodding and poking in the dead snag to find the cache.  This is the time of year those rattlesnakes are waking up and I wasn't about to venture into the "bush".


An old, worn down bridge along the way.


Looking for another cache in another dead tree.  This one evaded him.  Aspen doesn't like her dad to get too far away.


The trail meandered alongside some hay fields and out to a road which is where we turned around.  Above is a peek of Pike's Peak.  Did you know Zebulon Pike sighted and documented Pike's Peak during his 1806 expedition, but he never actually climbed it?  The first documented successful European hike was in 1820 by Edwin James.

Lets keep it real though--the native people founded and named this mountain long before Zebulon and Edwin arrived.


Choices to make.  Don't you appreciate the people who put the markers on the trails?


We finally came to a view of Fountain Creek.  Water level is extremely low due to lack of snowpack in the mountains.


Looks like a beaver has been hard at work.  Question of the day--do you know why beaver's teeth are orange colored?  The enamel on their teeth contains high levels of iron to make their teeth strong enough to chew through wood.

It was a nice hike, but not my favorite trail.  Not enough tree cover and too many open areas.

Linking with Skywatch Friday



Comments

Jim said…
Interesting post.
March 12, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Yogi♪♪♪ said…
Yep, the Native Americans found everything first. Most people don't think about that but you do.
March 12, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Jocelyn said…
Love the shot of Pike Peak
March 12, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Light and Voices said…
Native American's were here first. So they get to name things first. And so it is. Lovely photographs.
March 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM
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