As I made my way cautiously along the side of the steep mountain, the sloping green meadows, soaring stand of fir and jagged peaks nearby kept catching my eye.
So did the fresh – and enormous – cow patties underfoot.
It blew my mind that a 1,000-pound creature could not only navigate the narrow path, but could relieve himself (or herself) there without toppling off.
I saluted that cow.
***
When I searched for a hike near Durango, the options overwhelmed me.
I found exactly what I wanted in a little guidebook in Maria’s Bookshop downtown: Castle Rock. A hiker stood triumphantly atop the rock in the picture, taking in 360-degree views.
The hike was only 6 miles. Yes, it rose 1,600 feet to top out at 10,000 foot elevation, but I’d done a similar hike in length and altitude at home. No sweat.
Actually, sweat was one of the defining features of this hike. Copious amounts of it.
It was hot this Labor Day weekend in Durango, much hotter than when a thunderstorm chased us down from Engineer Mountain the same weekend last year.
On this day, it was 80 degrees even at 8,500 feet. The brilliant sun blazed down as the first two miles of the trail switchbacked through some of the tallest aspens, spruces and firs I had ever seen.
The tall, thin trees meant few sizable patches of solid shade.
Electra Lake glimmered into view across Highway 550 as we climbed, followed by rocky peaks. The sounds of the highway began to fade.
When we finally reached a cabin at the edge of a meadow, I wolfed a sandwich from the co-op and guzzled water.
I knew I wouldn’t stand atop Castle Rock this day – the tree cover was basically finished, the steepest climb lay ahead and the day just kept getting hotter.
But before we turned back, we couldn’t resist climbing across the meadow to see what views lay around the bend. That took us out to Cow Patty Ledge.
As we descended, the will-I-make-it-to-the-top chatter stilled, I focused on getting into a rhythm so my senses could engage more fully: with the scent of fir, the sound of crows in the trees 60 feet above us, the chickadees flitting from one side of the trail to another.
This is probably the last week heat will be a factor on that hike for a long time. Patches of aspen leaves already glimmered golden, and some swept down in the breeze around us as we descended.
I still want to see what southwest Colorado looks like from the top of Castle Rock.
Maybe I can catch a ride with a cow and see how they do it.
Hike length: 5 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Trail traffic: a bunch, including horses
Wildlife spotted: finches, chickadees, crows, butterflies, grasshoppers
Woman Seeks Elevation 