View of the Boulder Mountains from the trail.

Driving and hiking seem to fit well together in springtime in the mountains. A short drive north led us to the Chocolate Gulch trailhead. Love the name. Should have brought some with us.

It was a spectacular day - sunny and mild. Mark was carrying some water bottles and the satellite phone we take with us whenever we are out of cell coverage, which in our neck of the woods is almost everywhere outside of town. Hailey was along for the adventure, already bounding up the trail in search of birds and squirrels.

Western Peony on Chocolate Gulch Trail, May 2020

Alpine Phlox on Chocolate Gulch Trail, May 2020

The trail, like so many here, starts uphill and then heads uphill and then continues uphill. We passed thru a small open meadow, meandering between the streams and the just blooming aspens before heading up into the deeper forest. The switchbacks are cut amongst many downed trees, many stripped of their bark but hauntingly beautiful in structure and form. The Lodgepole Pines and Douglas Fir reach high overhead and every now and then open up to a vista of the Boulder Mountains in the distance. The higher we climbed the more we found tiny wildflowers just beginning to peak their heads out and look around. We were glancing up and down and around to take in all the sights.

At the top, the reward is a vast stone outcropping offering territorial views in every direction. We stopped for the obligatory photo to document that we had made it this far in good spirits. The fist part of the descent is mostly scree which requires patience and concentration, giving way to a long stretch through meadows and Quaking Aspens. By now the sun was fully up and playing hide and seek across the trail. The final several miles stay close to the Big Wood River which was racing on its way deep into the Valley. Portions of the trail had suffered from months buried under the snow and the subsequent melt. But the sound of the water side by side with our footsteps was magic.

These weekend days bring me peace. Walking with Mother Nature reminds me of the eternal continuum of life and death and rebirth; delivering hope and peace deep within my heart. We can walk these paths together, finding our way back to ourselves in uncertain times.