Pogwatigue Perambulations: White Ranch Park

Though the temperature was to remain somewhat cold, yesterday's forecast also announced not just 'sunshine,' but 'brilliant sunshine.' I'm not one to let a day of brilliant sun go to waste. After lunch I headed west to the mountains to find good trail. Along the way, the Colorado Railroad diverted my attention for about two hours, but a few good hours of daylight remained after my visit. I found my way to White Ranch Park in the foothills northwest of Golden.

I hiked a modest distance (4.3 miles), though if you knew how tight my back was today, you'd expect more. This park attracted me because it has a lot trails intersecting at numerous points to create a bunch of route options. In addition, though not by design, the route I ended up following went partway along a social trail packed through the snow. Though I didn't need snowshoes or extra equipment, there were plenty of stretches where some extra traction would have been most welcome.

The trip started with a quick descent into a pleasant pine forest. This portion is the part where I was led off-trail. Once I re-connected with the official trail system, I paid extra care to remain on it. For the rest of the way, I mostly followed the same trail, named Rawhide, though on account of the late hour I did take one short cut to save about half-mile of hiking. The best view came at a break in the trees on the northernmost leg of the hike. The break revealed, across a deep gully, Ralston Buttes still bathed in late-afternoon sunlight .

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Shortly after turning south, I passed through a campground. Somewhat to my surprise, it hosted a small group of campers set up in the snow for the holiday weekend. They had a large fire going, a warming sight even from fifty yards away. On the last mile-plus of the hike, it started to get rather dark and much, much colder, but I managed to make it back to car without needed a flashlight, whereupon, I cranked up the heater and drove back to Denver.

Trip Statistics
Length: 4.3 miles
Total Time: 1 hours 58 minutes
Min. Elev.: 7,100 ft.
Max. Elev.: 7,510 ft.
Net Gain: 410 ft.
Total Ascent: 1,092 ft.

Elevation Profile