What I learned on my summer vacation

At the suggestion of Brownie I went wandering about Dinosaur Ridge two weeks ago. I ended up run-walking the 5+ mile loop across Dinosaur Ridge, down into Matthews Winter's Park, past Red Rocks and then back up the Ridge. My lungs took a beating being even further above sea level than in Denver, but it felt good to be trail running at an altitude slightly higher than my norm because in just 3 weeks I'll be going to the InterAMs in Winter Park. The weekend will consist of running trails at a higher altitude than Denver and then drinking. But I digress...

My jaunt up and over Dinosaur Ridge brought me in close proximity to the local avian crowd (photo for Mark's benefit);





much further away by foot from my car without enough snackage than I strictly preferred;









and much closer to the local fault line than I ever though I could get. A fault line. In Colorado! Like _you_ had ever thought of fault lines in Colorado, eh?

Turns out, once upon a time, we also a coast line! There was a river that ran smack through the US during the Paleolithic Era(?) and right past Colorado (though the guide with whom I was talking did know if said river despoited the Sand Dunes in the southwestern corner of the state.). We also had dinosaurs roaming about, though I did not see fit to take photos of their foot prints or bits of skeleton for which Dinosaur Ridge is named.

My guide through this adventure and inspiration for the next, since I didn't make it to Green Mountain on this excursion, was Trailwalker's Guide to the Dinosaur Ridge, Red Rocks and Green Mountain Area by Harald Drewes and John Townrow.