Colorado Kimmie

HELLLOOOOO - ello, ello, ello, ello  (echoes in a tunnel) Welcome back - ack, ack, ack! Recently I was in Canon City (near Colorado Springs) and saw this hike that takes you back in time -"Royal Gorge and Tunnel Drive" - and decided I had to do it (to burn a few calories after a fulfilling sushi patio lunch).  Nothing but blue skies, perfect constant breeze, and good company.  Mountain granite dating back 1.7 billion years (which used to be 11 miles BELOW the Earth's surface) and 3 blasted tunnels on a gravel pathway all seemed like lovely features for a perfect day hike with my travel companions (both flatlanders and partially acclimated to the altitude).  I saw ribbons of pink and white granite on this lofty trail which offers magnificent views of the canyon and the Arkansas River. Quuuick side note: I love to post pics like this, because how in the heck does a tree  grow up out of a rock?  Am I the only person who stands and ponders this? Me pondering......

This hike "Uranium Mine Trail" in Steamboat Springs, Colorado is such a serene hike and flashback in history!  To get to this hike, you'll need to drive to the parking lot at the end of Fish Creek Falls Road (where you can hike down to the base of Fish Creek Falls, which is a spectacular hike in itself.)  I believe the parking is $5. The hike to the uranium mines is roughly only 1.5 miles with a total elevation gain of 800 feet.  Several switchbacks take you to a breathtaking panoramic view of the canyon.  You'll see stunning Aspen trees, which Steamboat Springs is known for, along with some berry bushes that pop with the contrast of the white bark from the Aspens.  You may even see a bear!  Some folks on my hike saw a bear, and let me just say, "Bears love berries!" This trail/hike actually used to be a road to access the uranium mine at the top.  In the early 1950's, the United States was in a race with the Soviets to stock pile nuclear weapons and w...