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| Hikers on the Farm Lane spur trail leading to Cherry Creek Trail. |
Substitute hike leader/driver Mary Kay Ryan, had the bus parked, at the entrance to ACAA, door open to accept hikers, when this hiker arrived mere minutes after 7 a.m. As hikers arrived, they signed in before boarding the vehicle.
As the bus made it's way down Parker Road into a more rural landscape, Mary Kay could feel the power of strong winds shoving and pushing against the vehicle.
When the bus stopped in the parking lot of Hidden Mesa Open Space, little time was needed for riders - all seasoned core hikers - to prepare for a day on trail. This site is part of the Douglas County Division of Open Space & Natural Resources.
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| Albert approaches the top of Hidden Mesa. |
The site is open to dogs on leash, hikers, horses, and mountain bikers. The TH is equipped with a port-a-john, fenced parking lot, a few covered picnic benches and a trail system kiosk. The system includes 6.9 miles of well marked natural surface trail.
The .5 mile Farm Lane spur trail leading to Cherry Creek trail provided an 'in your face' test of what to expect, in terms of weather conditions the remainder of the day. Anything swept up by the wind was tossed about and carried into whatever and whomever would be unlucky enough to be in it's path.
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| Marsha, and Mary Kay and Ed Ryan. |
Most in the group wore hooded outer shells, cinched firmly at head and wrists. Many wore gloves to protect exposed skin. Both pieces of attire were good decisions on a day like this.
That first half mile was a reminder of how relentless Mother Nature can be. Hikers had to lean into the wind to maintain a heading in the direction trail lead them. In fact, this hiker uses poles for balance while hiking. Today they were a must!
After climbing to the top of the mesa - some 400' - the full impact of continuous wind blasts could be felt. Mary Kay did stop to ensure all members of the group remained together, although those stops were shorter than normal.
An observation during one of the breaks had to do with my poles. While standing with my right arm facing into the wind, and with hands through their designated pole strap, both poles were slowly lifted off the ground a few inches. Immediately, the wind caught them, thrusting them 40 - 50 degrees from their original upright position.
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| Hikers lean right into the wind. |
Atop the mesa, the view is amazing The Rockies to the west and the imposing outline of Pikes Peak of course is like no other. Trail here flows around a series of various rock formations and pockets of scrub oak. Plus trail snakes across a wide area on the back side of the mesa covered with large slab type rock.
The spot originally picked for lunch would be passed today due to wind conditions. We did stop long enough to capture a group photo, using a large rock as a backdrop and to shelter us from the wind.
Before we completed the Rim Loop, two mountain bikers...yes, two crazy 20 somethings, out to prove, what, that they could bike the entire Mesa in wind gusts reaching a reported 60 - 70 mph...approached and passed us. We would see them again while we were finishing lunch. They were then on their way back to the TH. Who knows, they may have thought, 'what is this bunch of crazy seniors doing out in these conditions?'
The entire Mesa Rim Loop trail was completed and we returned down slope to a stand of scrub oak where we had lunch.
The approach to the TH felt like a continuous force was pushing at our back. Retracing the final .5 mile across open pasture, one was again forced to lean into the oncoming gusts in order to maintain some degree of progress.
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| Left to Right: Ed and Mary Kay Ryan, Marsha, Susan, Clietta (seated), Gary1, Monica, Betty and Albert. |
Although it was another in a long line of memorable day hikes for this group, I had thoughts of leader/driver, Ed who with his wife were in flight to London to visit their daughter and her family. We trust the flight went as scheduled and they arrived safe.
To Ed: "Blusty thoughts of you..." Missed yuh: bjd / Mary Kay. "We all broke wind together, thinking of you." Susan M. "Enjoy every minute with the new granddaughter, Penelope." Gary2
A stop at Starbucks, in Parker provided everyone the opportunity to relax, stretch out the knots, and warm the body core before we headed back to Aurora..
Total Miles Completed = 6.3
Minutes before I planned to touch the 'Publish' tab for this article, I received a phone call...the one I do not enjoy getting. The person staffing the front desk at ACAA informed me the hike to Dakota Ridge next week is cancelled due to lack of sufficient - my guess is less than 8 - registrations.
SO: The next ACAA scheduled hike will be Tuesday, May 13th., to Spruce Mountain. It will be a 5.5 mile jaunt with 500' elevation gain. Remember to pack any personal meds, a healthy lunch and a minimum of 24 to 32 oz. of water. Ask friends and family to call the front desk at: 303-739-7950 today to register.
ALSO: To avert future cancellations, talk to your friends, neighbors, and family members about joining us. If a person is looking for good healthy exercise, it doesn't get any better than this.
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