Hiking Garden of the Gods

It is said that she’s made of storm cells

And a wild wolf’s hungry heart,

That she’s learned the lightning’s secret

To ripping darkened skies apart.

The power of her presence

Can bring the mountains to their knees,

Her song is one of chaos

As she stirs the angry seas.

But if you’ve met, you’d be none the wiser

Since she’s also born of light.

Another face amongst the crowd

The hidden, hiding in plain sight

Great power doesn’t always come

Inside the forms you’d assume,

But you would never doubt her strength

When she’s howling at the moon.

~Author Unknown

Last week was a demanding week at both work and at home.  When that happens, I find myself needing the beauty of creation even more so.  Even in short bursts, it heals like medicine and it’s where I go to recalibrate…maybe it’s my howl at the moon.

The week started with a trip to Colorado Springs to check out a project for work.  We had a full day that started before sunrise with an hour drive from the airport.  We managed to sneak away just before dinner to see Garden of the Gods.  It was my first time in CO and I had hoped to get to Pikes Peak, but Mother Nature had other plans.

I was surprised to find that Garden of the Gods is city park.  It has “National Park views”, with free admission and is super accessible.  If you don’t have a lot of time but want some wild,  this park is perfect.   Had I come out for recreation, I would have tried to see a even more of it.   We still managed to get in a couple mile walk, climbed around where we were allowed to and I counted it as one of my #52hikechallenge hikes.  I highly recommend the visitor center and getting a map of the formations before you head out exploring.

My favorite formations were the “Kissing Camels” and “Balanced Rock”.

Thankfully, our micro-adventure was leisurely enough to allow this tired flatlander to adjust to the altitude and wild enough to make my heart feel at home.

Happy trails,

~WP