Coyote Ridge Hike - A surprise at the top

Part of the view on top of Coyote Ridge

 I have been getting on meetup.com a lot to find groups to connect with as well as places to hike.  For those of you that have not connected with Meet Up, it is a wonderful site on the web that gives you lists of various types of local groups.  Pick the one or ones you wold like to interact with and click on them.  You usually have to join.  Easy thing.  They will email you events and gatherings. 

As I searched for upcoming activities, with new groups,I found a site that is a group of hikers.  O! How I would love to do this, and will when I am a bit faster.  These people have been hiking for a long time.  My measly shuffle would leave me behind in a matter of minutes.  BUT!  They had scheduled a night time hike.

This intrigued me.  I wasn't sure if I was up for a hike in the dark so I decided to head out in the day time and check out the trail.  My research brought good news.  The hike is a straight line from the back of our home, across some prairie.  Driving directions took me around the prairie and another development.  In a matter of minutes I was at the trail head.  Just what I have wanted, easy quick access.

This is the reverse view from the top of Coyote Ridge - my car is back near the homes and there are 3 ridges and 3 valleys to go over to get to the top of Coyote Ridge

I stepped out of my car, looked across the prairie and said, "I can do that."  Attaching my car keys to my waist loop, grabbing my water bottle and slipping on my back pack, out I headed.  I had on shorts, t-shirt and a sweat shirt.  It wasn't long before I was taking the sweat shirt off.  I think Colorado is a big, no  huge projection on the earth.  Why? You ask.  Because it is November, the temps are in the 40's and sometimes the 50's and I am hot.  The sun beats down so strongly here that even in winter temps you can hike in shorts and a t-shirt.  For a person who was born and brought up in Vermont I am finding this a bit weird.  I leave the house with all my cold gear, just in case (the reason for the back pack).  Alas, I never seem to use it unless I am still out when the sun goes down.

In school I read about the prairie and the desert.  They kept saying it was hot in the day and cold at night.  I would repeat this bit of information with great gusto, feeling like I knew what I was talking about.  I never had a hint as to the actual truth.  I had no idea what it was truly like. I could only relate it to my life in Vermont and Florida.  Never shall the twain meet, their is no resemblance in any way, shape or manner.

Lugging my winter clothes off I went.  Today it is in the low 40's.  My first adventure was a field full of Prairie Dogs.  They are so cute.  Here is a pic:

Prairie Dogs Ft Collins, CO

 They were everywhere.  Their cute little bodies pretending they are a pile of sand, standing as still as a statue waiting for you to walk on by.  As soon as you leave their sight they begin to talk to each other.  It is so cute.  One would speak, silence and then another would answer.  This kept going for the duration of my travel across the FIRST prairie.  Yes, the first prairie, You read that correctly.  I was in for a surprise as I continued.  The ground began to loop up and I thought, "This was an easy walk, I can do this in the dark."  Such an innocent I am. 

I crested the first ridge to find another valley and another ridge.  'O, okay,  I need to cross this valley and go up there.'  I thought as I walked along the first ridge.  I had met several people coming back from the walk, never thinking I should ask questions.  Being the 'seasoned' hiker I was, I headed down the trail confident I can do this.  Across the valley, I found myself in the yard of a home.  Hummnm,  with an outdoor privy.  I guess I'll just borrow that for a moment.  Slipping quietly in the door giving thanks that I didn't have to pee on the prairie, once again I was ready to hike on.  No one was around so I just walked on through the yard and up the trail I found behind the house.  It was getting a bit steeper. 

Then it turned sharply to the left and walked up and around the corner of the ridge straight into a big mud pit.

Remnants of my forerunners, bike ruts as deep as my ankles are tall, foot prints showing suction holes, and snow.  Yes, it snowed a couple of weeks ago and it was still on this trail.  I hadn't thought of mud or snow and was in my sneakers, not my boots.  For the first time I experienced the feel of huge clumps of mud adhered to my shoes.  I felt like Frankenstein with his thick soled boots.  The added weight made me clumsy, sharpening my nerves as I slipped along the trail with a wall of stone on my left and a cliff on my right.  One 'ophs' and I would be sliding down a raven. The stories of lost hikers flew through my brain as I realized I hadn't told anyone where I was going.

Just then a policeman came along on his bike and all thoughts of tragedy disappeared.  We chatted about the trail and how safe it was for me to walk by myself anywhere around here.  I only had to watch out for the bears and rattlesnakes.  Now, I don't know about you, but which would you rather have a hoodlum or a bear or a rattlesnake?  I am thinking I might fair better with the hoodlum.  Hummmm!

I did ask him about the trail.  I had to go around the ridge, cross another valley and climb the last ridge.  The last ridge had a long switchback.  This part was pure rock, yes rocks not boulders or big things but little ones that like to turn your ankles and see if they can scratch them all up at the same time.  I missed a lot of the view in this part as I dared not take my eyes off the trail, that's how I bumped into, or almost, a man on a bike, would you believe, riding down these rocks.  Yes, riding down this steep trail filled with rocks on a bike.  That must be why his hair was white, he scared all the color out of it.  Smile

Shortly after that a little lady with hiking poles walked past me.  She was no where to be seen and suddenly she was passing me.  I looked incredulously at her.  She smiled and said she hikes this area a lot.  She had on a shirt that had a circle with a big 75 in it.  Apparently she is 75 or older and the member of a hiking group for those 75 and older.  I wanted to hang my head down and bury it between my legs.  I was so ashamed of my lack of athleticism. She shook my hand.  I have never felt such power in a hand before, not from a male or a female.  This woman is who I would want around if I got in trouble.  She was a good example for me and I will keep her in my mind to remember where I want to be.

That is ridge 2, I am standing on ridge 1

Looking out from Coyote Ridge across the next valley and beginning to see the Rockies in the distance.

 

 

 

The trip was a bit longer than I had anticipated but well worth it.  I look forward to walking this trail again, with my boots this time.  Also, next time I don't want to be short of time.  I want to stay on the top of the ridge for a while and just take in the beauty.  A city girl gone wild,  before long I will be riding horses and roping cattle.  Chuckle!  Chuckle!.

Ultreya buen camino
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