Isn’t it funny, now that I’m just working full time and no longer in school, “summer break” isn’t really going to look that different from all the other times of year when it comes to all that spare time I never have. But there’s something about summer that makes you feel like you have all the time in the world – perhaps it’s the extra long days and the way warmer temperatures make days go by more slowly. In any case, I am loving the additional dose of sunshine and the lack of coat-weather that remind me, Spring is here and Summer is on it’s way!
This hike in Glen Eyrie requires some more planning than perhaps other options around the Springs, but it is totally worth it. Glen Eyrie is on the Navigator’s property, so they have limited parking, and because it’s private property, you’re required to sign a waiver at the gate. Keep in mind that if you have people in your group under the age of 18, they have to have a parent sign the waiver for them.
Once you’re through the gate, you head to the small parking area and it’s not too hard to find the trail head. You’ll probably drive by the castle, where you can make reservations for tea. I’ve walked around the outside but never been in. The trail heads down a narrow canyon, and though it’s not a steep hike, you do have to cross a stream several times so a little balance goes a long way.
The main trail ends at this pair of waterfalls, and if you want you can continue up the side (much steeper and more strenuous) to some swimming holes farther up the river, but we opted to turn around.
And what would a hike be without some oogling of the wildflowers? I really miss the abundance of spring blooms we got in the Midwest, so I will take what I can get here. Lilacs seem to be in abundance, and those are probably my favorite – so I’ve been willing to do without the proliferation of tulips and daffodils etc.
I’m already starting to make plans for the summer and what new places we want to visit. We’ll probably end up doing Glen Eyrie again, and this time continuing further along the trail. Cory has his sights set on scaling a few fourteeners. So definitely lots of new adventures on the way! It makes me wish summer would hurry up already.
But for now, I’m going to try to stay in the moment, and enjoy these breezy Spring days – they seem the freshest of the whole year!
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