Rust and purple underfoot, cut with white.
Snow doesn’t last long in the sun-baked hills of Golden Open Space. But north-facing hills haven’t yet cast off their last blanket. A few icy spots in the shade of a juniper’s twist dot the trail.
We climb the mesa on the far side of the Arroyo Seco and keep going out to a point. When we’re in these multicolored sandstone canyons, they’re eye-popping. “Tortured,” my husband calls the rock.
But from up here, hues meld and deepen: watercolor, mostly peach.
We chase the sun, our longest hike of the year on its shortest day.
Hike length: 8 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Trail traffic: light
Creatures seen/heard: blue jays, crows, ravens
Woman Seeks Elevation 