We had a gorgeous day for hiking Saturday, sunny and cool. In the sun, it was perfect!
We started out at NCAR (The National Center for Atmospheric Research), and it alone, was a pretty neat place. NCAR is a federally funded research and development center devoted to service, research and education in the atmospheric and related sciences. We wandered through several exhibits on the earth and its atmosphere before we headed to the trail.
We started out hiking on the NCAR Trail to the Mesa Trail in an open area with lovely views of the mountains ahead of us. We had planned to hike to Mallory Cave, though the cave isn’t open to humans due to diseased bats. We ended up changing directions because we were in a group of people that all hiked about the same pace, and we wanted a little tranquility.
After venturing off to the right, walking beneath the evergreens, crossing a creek, and then climbing back up to a sunny area, we ran into a few ladies that said the Skunk Canyon trail has been redone, and it is beautiful. So, we took that trail, that we assumed was damaged from the September floods and now was repaired. It was a lovely hike that took us in and out of trees, past a cabin tucked away in the woods, and even to some snowy areas before we reconnected to the Mesa Trail.
Upon our return, the trail offered a nice view of the NCAR building, designed by IM Pei. After our short 3-4 mile hike, Kelley and I enjoyed a nice lunch Boulder before calling it the day. What a relaxing morning, and a nice way to shed a few of the Thanksgiving treats I indulged in on Thursday! ETB
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