If you didn’t take advantage of the sunny, summery weather in Colorado on Sunday, February 18—I don’t know what to tell you. You missed out big time.
Boulder’s Chautauqua trails were packed all day with locals and visitors wielding CamelBak packs, dogs and children (and for one woman, a selfie stick). The weather fluctuated from sunny and warm on the hike up, to windy and chilly enough to warrant a light jacket in the shade.
Thankfully, I always come prepared with a jacket, hat, gloves, camera, water bottle and snacks. My packs are occasionally heavy but my mental burden is always light. On the Bluebird-Baird trail up the side of Chautauqua towards the first Flatiron, I was hopping over and tromping through muddier sections.
People, and every breed of dog you could ever want to see (including a tiny and fluffy white dog that I stared at long enough for the owner to yell back “He’s a hiking dog, really!”), headed towards the first and second Flatirons—traversing rocks that were slightly covered in slush and some rare patches of ice in the shade. One couple descending across a section in the trail that opens up to a side of the mountain completely devoid of trees and resembling a gigantic natural rock wall—were dressed in full business attire. The woman swung her leather briefcase around as she squatted down to get more steady footing, clearly not having expected to hike, but completely drawn to the warm weather and the popularity of the trail that day.
Everyone was taking advantage of the final dregs of sunshine—a welcomed calm before the arrival of a winter storm. By the time my friends and I had made it to the top of the Flatiron and back to the bottom of the trail, I felt like a new person; because nothing beats a day of hiking in the Colorado sunshine.
Photo Location: Chautauqua Park. Boulder, Colorado.
Postcards From the Weekend is our weekly photo series showcasing images and stories from our adventurous and outdoor-loving contributors at Elevation Outdoor Magazine. Follow along and see where our team of adventure-seekers like to spend their weekends.
