Garden of the Gods

Sorry about the lack of blogging lately, I've just been so incredibly busy with lot of important things. Many of them. All important.

...no, really.

;)

A few tan lines and sunburns later, I decided it was once again time to hike the fabulous hills, mountains, and red rock formations that make up Colorado Springs. One of my new friends from work volunteered to come with me. Her name is Sarafia, and she's a pretty darn good time, I must admit. We decided to hike the trails in the Garden of the Gods. Since my last trip to the Garden left me with a bloody leg and a wounded pride, I was eager to have a better experience and further (and hopefully less painful) exploration. Well I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Garden of the Gods is INCREDIBLE. With its unique bright red rocks, its awe inspiring views, and, come spring, its blossoms, you can hardly ask for more from a hike.

...except for maybe some rocks to scramble around on. And the Garden does not disappoint there either! Scrambling, or rock climbing without official permission, training, or safety gear, is frowned upon in the park, but as long as you don't fall off and die I don't think anyone will make a big to-do about it. *snicker*
While traipsing and trailing it around the park, Sarafia and I would randomly leave the trail to climb something that looked interesting. (Translation: I would leave the trail and Sarafia would yell: "Where are you going?" to which I'd reply: "Look at this ROCK! We have to climb it!")

The rock above provided a lovely place for a shadow play, which Sarafia and I gladly put on for an audience that consisted of a slightly confused but patient family of four. I think they'll appreciate it more when they've had time to discuss it amongst themselves and recognize it for the true piece of art it was....or they'll just talk about the 'crazies' in the park.

We continued to climb up and around that rock formation until we could get no higher and go no farther forward lest we fall off the edge and down to our deaths. Since it was a dangerous and life threatening situation we found ourselves in on the edge of that cliff, of course it turned into a perfect Kodak moment opportunity!


And yes, that is exactly as DOWN as it looks. :)


Sarafia did not appreciate me making her hold that pose while I took the picture. Brave as she is, it's never fun to lean over a precipice like that and look down for long. :)

Sarafia and I on the edge!

I did actually find another way around that lead a little higher, so of course I went. I blame it on my new shoes. They're so sticky and handy for climbing! Sarafia proved herself wiser than I and stayed at the bottom while I climbed up to get this picture of the view below and behind me.

After we had our fill of scrambling for a bit, we got back to the trail and continued our hike. The views you come across around every corner in the Garden are all photo worthy, this was one of my favorites.

But it wasn't complete without our grinning faces in front of it.

On our way out of the Garden, we stumbled across a bathroom that Sarafia immediately made a break for. As she was heading in, a man heading out said "It smells like 20 bears peed all over in there." Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to warn Fia before she'd already disappeared inside. Pity. I thought I'd take a picture of her on the way out to see if I could capture on her face what I'd heard from the unfortunate fellow. If the women's was as bad as the men's, she didn't seem too offended by the alleged bear perfume.

While driving out of the park, we stopped to scramble around some more on some of the rocks at the high point of the park. The sun was setting ,and therefore the lighting was ripe for some heroic poses. If you know me, then you know what's coming next. :)

Yep. You know it.

I am rather proud of this picture. I love the blooming plant right in the center and the Garden's beautiful rock formations framing it in the background. That picture is my computer's background right now.

Aaaaaaaand of course I can't end on a serious artistic note no matter how hard I try.

Hence the seal-like posture I'm striking here as I stop to smell the flowers. :)

After the successfully sweaty and fun hike, Sarafia and I ended the evening with ice cream from Dairy Queen and a Disney movie from my extensive collection. A good time all around!

Coming soon: The hike with Abby through the old Manitou Railway Tunnels! During which we visit 'Starbucks', blatantly trespass on private property, and Abby falls off the side of a cliff. Stay tuned!