The hike up to Pulpit Rock is pretty short.
And even though we played up there a bit and enjoyed the views it offered, we weren’t quite ready to quite hiking when we got to a fork in the trail.
The gentleman with the black Pepper dog, had told us some trails would loop around into a housing development, then back to the parking area.
So we took off to the left to see if we could find a loop in the trail different from how we had come from the trail head.
One thing neither of us had enjoyed on the hike up and down from Pulpit Rock was the traffic noise. At the top, it was kinda quieter, but all along the trail, we could hear I-25 traffic. And it was very noisy, as opposed to the serenity of most trails we have hiked together.
Very soon after we headed east on the lower trail, it got quieter and quieter.
We could hear birds instead of traffic sounds.
This made us both happier and more in tune with having our spirits uplifted.
On this trail we came upon a bench that had been lovingly donated by some lovers of nature.
“Rest, Enjoy and Appreciate Nature’s Beauty.”
Was how the dedication was inscribed.
Interestingly, the view was not really of Pulpit Rock, but Pikes Peak was more one’s focus when you sit upon the bench.
It was a bit too cold to sit very long on a metal bench, but I had to see where it was focused and took a quick couple of pictures.
Then got back up and hiked a bit farther.
The trail never did seem to be looping back to the parking area, so we turned around and hiked back how we had come in.
Always amazes me that even being on the same trail, one always sees different things.
Some of which will be shared tomorrow . . .