 |
| South Table Mountain |
On a sunny September morn, we got out of our chairs and headed for South Table Mountain in Golden, Colorado. The inconspicuous trailhead was concealed in an urban environment but after the domestic beginning, we found ourselves in a rugged outback.
Slightly on our way, we encountered a sleepy serpent basking in the warm sunshine. After the rattlesnake rendezvous, we were fueled by a rush of adrenaline. Trailblazing up a series of sharp switchbacks, the heart-pumping path rose quickly.
In the cool, blue shadow of a magnificent mesa, we ascended ever higher. Finally, after a leg-burning scramble through a narrow passage of loose scree, we attained the flat, false summit. Off to the west, a solitary butte was a beautiful bastion overlooking the foothills.
In order to obtain the true finish circle, we mastered the final gut-busting set of steep stairs. From atop the round tower, an oval plateau offered a panorama of the pleasant landscape. After a while, as the sun continued to rise, we began our descent.
The return trek was a knee-pounding drop. A downward spiral emptied into the flowery snake den where the reticent reptile had so unceremoniously slithered off trail. Back at the beginning, hot and tired, a bottle of cold water was welcome refreshment after the weekend workout.
 |
| A rugged outback |
 |
| Rattlesnake basking in the sun |
 |
| A magnificent mesa and its cool, blue shadow |
 |
| The flat, false summit |
 |
| Gut-busting stairs |
 |
| The summit plateau |
 |
| A pleasant landscape |
 |
| A downward spiral |
 |
| A flowery snake den |
Comments
Post a Comment