Red Rocks in the Snow

On the morning we were to set out on the next leg of our latest road trip, the kids were with their dad, and I was on my own to find a hike.

To be honest, I dragged my feet, both literally and figuratively, for the better part of the morning – it was cold in the Denver area (18 degrees), foggy and a little snowy. Blah! I am not normally deterred by cold, but this winter, I feel wimpy. I want the sun!

With much groaning, I did finally drag myself out to my car, and after a little bit of aimless wandering, I landed at Red Rocks in Morrison.

I LOVE Red Rocks, but I wasn’t so sure about hiking it in sub-20 degrees, in the snow and ice. Meh.

Side note: I had in my possession a half eaten pint of gelato, which I hid under my car after I parked, to keep in frozen. I couldn’t part with my gelato!

For the first mile or so, I saw no other people. Was I the only nutter out here?  The snow and fog blanketed everything in quiet. Peaceful. (Do Mountain Lions hunt at noon in the snow?)

I did eventually encounter a runner, who flew by me over the icy rocks (he was wearing shorts – this is Colorado, after all).  And then, a few other hikers and the occasional cyclist.

Oh my gosh, though, guys – I have never seen Red Rocks this way! I was freezing my butt off, but the views were amazing!

Red Rocks in the Snow

Snow at Red Rocks

I could only get three miles in this day before I had to gather my kiddos and get on the road – plus my toes needed a warmup, and I needed a hot drink. But it was an amazing little hike.

And the gelato, while ridiculously cold after this frozen hike, was perfect.