I had a frustrating week so when Friday dawned bright, snowy and beautiful, I resolved I was going to take some time off and enjoy it. I talked to Jamie about the possibilities.
“I want to go hiking today. What do you recommend?”
“How about Red Rocks?”
“I always go there. I want someplace different–a place that fills my soul.”
I swear that came out of left field and I’ve never said anything quite so cheesy. But that’s how I felt. In my inner core, I sense big, life-altering changes coming in my life and I wanted to just clear my mind and get outside. I opted to climb Mount Galbraith near Golden but after a few minutes on the shady, icy and cold trail, I proclaimed:
“THIS IS LIKE, SOOOO NOT SOUL-FILLING.”
Any valley-girl/self-help guru would have totally agreed.
I drove on Highway 93, surveying the area’s mesas and foothills. I spotted a new-to-me-trail zigzagging its way up North Table Mountain. The base was shrouded by a neighborhood so I wound around the streets looking for a semblance of a trailhead. I was ecstatic to find a recently constructed parking lot and before long, was exploring a new trail.
This probably doesn’t sounds very exciting to most people but it was thrilling for me. I’ve lived in Denver for eight years now and have hiked pretty much everything the Front Range has to offer. Exploring new passages was the perfect solution for my pensive mood.
The connecting trail was relatively steep and slippery but when I summited, I was greeted with a network of trails that included Tilting Mesa and the North Table Mountain loop. The flattop extended for miles and I resolved to bring my mountain bike back to do further exploration.
And, of course, reflections. At this rate, I may even give self-help guru Deepak Chopra a run for his money.
Like, totally.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 