Impression Evergreen

Columbine on the Chavez Trail Down in Beaver Brook it was a sunny day on the Chavez Trail. Traversing a north-facing slope the dense forest was deep, dark and damp. The little known out and back starts with a steamy descent and you'll finish in a sweaty mess. The strenuous hike is a weekend workout. After such a wet spring, a profusion of Columbine has collected on the moist mountainside. The pretty perennial is Colorado's state flower. Swaying in the summer breeze, these wildflowers appreciate sunlight but prefer cool shade. They're usually seen settled up against a tall pine. Always in the foreground, green grass carpets a cathedral of arched aspen. The altar of open air is a perfect place to commune with nature. If you're searching for silence, Chavez Trail will fill the bill. It's a great place to exercise the heart and soothe the soul. Little known Chavez Trail The forest is dark and damp A strenuous hike Colorado Columbine, th

Chimney Gulch "There is in every American, I think, something of the old Daniel Boone - who, when he could see the smoke from another chimney, felt himself too crowded and moved further out into the wilderness." ~ Hubert H. Humphrey Chimney Gulch is a steep gully that drains into Clear Creek just west of Golden, Colorado. Upstream from the Coors Brewery, kayakers take a beating while training in a whitewater playground. Crossing the bridge and slashing through a jungle is required during a lowland approach to the ravine's upper reaches. A path of red dirt has been worn into the contours of the shaggy, green mountainside. On an ordinary evening you'll probably see magpies and mule deer. Alert as ever, they will only tolerate a peaceful encounter. Pressing onward will involve some huffing and puffing but the effort will earn isolation for those seeking silence from the bustling city far below. Sweeping views of a fervent sunset in the foothills will entice th