Nature SpotChautauqua Park > Review
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perfection!
A sunny day walk in the park
1krispy1 (58)
Broomfield, United States of America
Chautauqua Park is one of the jewels in the City of Boulder's multitude of parks and recreational opportunities the citizens of Boulder and Colorado get to enjoy. This particular park is located at the base of the Front Range that is the backdrop for the City of Boulder. The featured formation at this point of the mountains is known as the Flat Irons. They are a large rock formation formed when the mountain were formed. The base rock was pushed and pushed until they buckled forming these huge slabs we have currently. These are well portrayed in the photographs taken by Koshka in May of 2008. Please check the photo section to view them.
The part of the park that I was most interested in is the meadow. Here one can walk on one of several trails. They radiate out from the meadow in many directions. The day was very bright and sunny. However it was very windy. One should be in fairly good shape for some of the trails as they are steep in points. It is also a good idea to bring water. With altitude and pitch as well as wind like today, it is quite easy to get dehydrated. Again with the altitude it is a good idea to have sunscreen. If one is not used to the altitude it is also pretty easy to overexert. Beyond that it was a wonderful day for a hike.
I tried to park in the main lot, but alas this is a very popular park and the lot was quiet full. However by driving a bit more up Baseline Road (the road that the entrance is on) I was able to find a bit of a spot on the shoulder right on a trailhead. It was from here that I took off. It was a steep start but I found the trail exhilarating. The grass is now very green and very long. With the wind blowing it was very much like watching the sea rolling towards the shore in waves. In this case however the green sea was dotted with the wildflowers of the season. Now in the late spring there are blue ones and yellow ones waving with the breeze as the hiker passes by or pauses to enjoy their blooms or captivating aroma. Caution if you stoop to sniff that one does not snort a bee or other pollinator.
It was a short hike up the sloop toward Gregory Canyon then curving back toward Chautauqua one gains considerable elevation and the City of Boulder is revealed below your feet. From here one can see the red roofs of the University of Colorado, the Flat Irons are on the right (west) with the reservoirs of Valmont and Baseline showing on the eastern edge of Boulder. Looking to the north one can see the spine of the Front Range as it raises from the plains.
Chautauqua is also a gate way for other creatures. This year is a year with lots of concern for bears. The wet spring has delayed the formation of berries and flowers which the bears look for after leaving hibernation. As also can be seen in Koshka's photos deer come into the park very frequently. Just remember where there are prey species there are predators. Shortly after (about two weeks) Koshka's visit a two year old male lion was trapped nearby and hauled farther into the back country in an effort to prevent further conflicts with people. It they are seen they are usually seen early in the morning and around dusk. Most likely one will not be seen but they are about and it does not hurt to be aware they are sharing the space.
The park is at 900 Baseline Road. The meadow is open from sunrise to sunset year round. The phone number is +1(303) 4137200.
The part of the park that I was most interested in is the meadow. Here one can walk on one of several trails. They radiate out from the meadow in many directions. The day was very bright and sunny. However it was very windy. One should be in fairly good shape for some of the trails as they are steep in points. It is also a good idea to bring water. With altitude and pitch as well as wind like today, it is quite easy to get dehydrated. Again with the altitude it is a good idea to have sunscreen. If one is not used to the altitude it is also pretty easy to overexert. Beyond that it was a wonderful day for a hike.
I tried to park in the main lot, but alas this is a very popular park and the lot was quiet full. However by driving a bit more up Baseline Road (the road that the entrance is on) I was able to find a bit of a spot on the shoulder right on a trailhead. It was from here that I took off. It was a steep start but I found the trail exhilarating. The grass is now very green and very long. With the wind blowing it was very much like watching the sea rolling towards the shore in waves. In this case however the green sea was dotted with the wildflowers of the season. Now in the late spring there are blue ones and yellow ones waving with the breeze as the hiker passes by or pauses to enjoy their blooms or captivating aroma. Caution if you stoop to sniff that one does not snort a bee or other pollinator.
It was a short hike up the sloop toward Gregory Canyon then curving back toward Chautauqua one gains considerable elevation and the City of Boulder is revealed below your feet. From here one can see the red roofs of the University of Colorado, the Flat Irons are on the right (west) with the reservoirs of Valmont and Baseline showing on the eastern edge of Boulder. Looking to the north one can see the spine of the Front Range as it raises from the plains.
Chautauqua is also a gate way for other creatures. This year is a year with lots of concern for bears. The wet spring has delayed the formation of berries and flowers which the bears look for after leaving hibernation. As also can be seen in Koshka's photos deer come into the park very frequently. Just remember where there are prey species there are predators. Shortly after (about two weeks) Koshka's visit a two year old male lion was trapped nearby and hauled farther into the back country in an effort to prevent further conflicts with people. It they are seen they are usually seen early in the morning and around dusk. Most likely one will not be seen but they are about and it does not hurt to be aware they are sharing the space.
The park is at 900 Baseline Road. The meadow is open from sunrise to sunset year round. The phone number is +1(303) 4137200.
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