On a windy, ever-changing Easter Sunday afternoon, my pal and I drove to the intersection of Fish Creek Highway and the doorway to Cheley Camp to hike the Homer Rouse Path. This can be a four-mile spherical journey journey that took us about two hours and offered many pleasant moments. You might hike it much more rapidly, however we have been having an excessive amount of enjoyable exploring and taking images.
The path is a cooperative effort between the Estes Valley Recreation and Parks District and Larimer County.
This path isn’t crowded and I’m advised is a favourite of locals. It’s open to individuals strolling canine on a leash, bicyclists, runners and horseback riders.
To get to the beginning of the path, we walked the gravel street from the car parking zone close to Fish Creek Highway to the arching signal that claims “Cheley Camp.” As an alternative of going into the camp, we went straight and noticed the signal asserting the beginning of the Homer Rouse Path.
Most of this trek uphill is a large street, although some components within the center are trail-sized. On the day we went, there have been nonetheless many pockets of snow nestled beneath the bushes, making for lovely surroundings. The craggy low rock formations are fascinating…a witness to the facility of wind and rain and ice and warmth.
A few third of the best way up the path, we stumbled on an open area the place Cheley Camp has cleared some bushes. The view into the Estes Valley was wonderful, regardless that it was a cloudy, windy day with graupel (gentle, tiny hail) falling from the sky in spurts.
The path begins out by winding to the left after which abruptly turns proper and takes you additional towards Freeway 7.
The incline is mild and never tough, leaving power to admire the panorama which — on at the present time — included small rivulets of water from melting snow working down the hill. There was fairly a little bit of mud and a few snowy patches, however we didn’t want spikes.
About two-thirds of the best way by way of our journey, my pal and I noticed a fluffy coyote not even six toes away from us on the street. This majestic animal was concerned with us, although not aggressive in any respect. It trotted in entrance of us up the street after which down right into a gulley. It even tracked us for a bit from that low level, questioning who we have been and what we have been as much as.
I used to reside in South Texas the place the coyotes have been kind of scrawny and hungry wanting. Not this one! It was well-fed and its lovely tail and thick fur have been an exquisite sight to behold.
We arrived on the previous Baldpate Inn (now the Seven Keys Lodge). This 1917 historic place is so inviting. I can’t wait to test it out quickly. Seven Keys Lodge now options reside music and a whiskey bar together with lodging. It sits at 9,000 toes elevation.
Our means again down was sooner, after all, and dealing with north a lot of the means which offered glorious views of our house city. If in case you have not had an opportunity to take a look at this path, it’s a good different if you don’t have a reservation in the summertime for Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.
I’ll undoubtedly go once more as it’s the mountaineering path which is closest to my home and it brief sufficient to go on a whim when you have got a few hours to spare.
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