Mountain Hiking

Eagle & Sage Trails — A Pastoral Loop

The Eagle Trail ran due west into a shallow bowl of fields and pastures with ponds punctuating wandering creeks and ditches. There were flat-topped mesas beyond and, farther, the taller hills and mountains of the Front Range, dusted with snow that feathered from white to brown, and accented with the black smudges of scattered pines. 

After a half mile, I turned right onto Sage Trail, continuing a counter-clockwise circuit of the valley periphery. There were skeletal trees in shades of white to black along waterways and fence lines. In one clump, the branches made slashes of burnt orange against empty blue sky. 

I passed a windmill, still in the winter air, stiff grasses like broom straw, seedpods, spiny and clawed, and pale green yucca blades. 

I circled south, back to the east again, rejoined the Eagle trail, descended into the valley, and crossed below a small farm pond, frozen and dusted with snow. A cold, sharp gale blew across the smooth surface from the mountains in the west. Cattle stood with their black flanks broadside to the sun. I had forgotten gloves, and I imagined myself nestling my palms and spread fingers into the short, stiff, warmed hairs.

A farm pond, looking south-west, with Bear and Green Mountains in the distance.