The sky up at the top of the hill was really nice, but of course I wanted to be at the bottom before it got too bright. Lots of pictures today at flickr, too many to put here.
Even though I'm looking Southwest here, the colors from the sunrise carried pretty far across the sky.
The gate at the top of the service road was sitting open today, so I figured I'd best be on high alert for vehicles. Pedestrians are allowed there either way. I wish all service roads could be like that.
Obligatory service road safety mirror self portrait.
Poor kitty! I hope he found his way home. This poster is at the bottom of the gulch, and the apartment complex is at the top, so they must think he's very adventurous. And yes, I took a second picture of the phone number, just in case I found him.
Mushrooms for the Mushroom Queen.
This is the largest fallen tree root system I've ever seen. I had to go pretty far back to get it all in frame, and I'd guess it's 11 feet high.
4.25 miles in 1:25, 9,139 steps, 425ft gain
Once I emerged from the gulch, I decided to go back via the main road instead of the upper trail. I saw the entire trail system last time, and figured I may as well get a better look at the businesses around there. I finally laid eyes on a restaurant I've wanted to try for a while. I gotta say, if you're on a busy street, it's nice to have a separate trail instead of just a sidewalk or shoulder.
It's funny to see reviews of the gulch trail system say the trail's hard to find from the park. It's pretty easy. There's a doorway-style marker!
And look, a trail leading off into the woods!
That gulch is nice to visit occasionally, but it's a lot further from home, a much easier hike, and really lacks options. I'll drop by once in a while. I can tell there's room to expand the trail system, and I hope they do.
