Black Forest

I haven't been journaling as much…nor reading. I am trying to make listening a priority. Last Saturday I was alone as Shelly, her Mom and sister, Milei, were away doing a conference. I went up into Black Forest and hiked for four hours. I went at a pace that allowed for contemplation and had a great time. I prayed, listened, meditated and consulted our new wild flower book. No camera. I had the phone with me, but it never rang. Milei said she thought I should have left a note saying where I had gone, but I made no promises. Shelly, Milei and I went back the next day and did another section of a trail I had discovered. Between the two days I had covered most of a 4.6 mile loop in Cathedral Pines and I was convinced the loop was completed--or almost so. So I went back again on Wednesday and did the whole loop.

Today I did a 3.6 mile loop in "Section 16." It is a survey section--one mile square. I think it may belong to School District 20. The outside 200 feet or so is fenced off all the way around the section and a trail winds through it. A storm blew up today and I enjoyed the drama of it. Lightning hit fairly close at one point, but I was too far into the loop to turn back. Some hail fell and I was glad for my straw hat. I kept away from the taller trees and open meadows and just kept going through the storm. I wasn't troubled by the lightning. There was a degree of danger, but I didn't feel like I was putting God to the test by behaving recklessly. If he wanted me safe from the lightning I would be safe, and if he wanted me safe in his arms I would be there. After a shower of about 30 minutes the sun came out and the woods were glorious. The sandy hills were steaming and the trees and shrubs were glistening. It was a gift.

Checkout more of my pictures of Black Forest online.

The Black Forest is a region of mainly Ponderosa Pines in the high ground north of Colorado Springs. The section contains the divide between the Platte and Arkansas watersheds along the Front Range of the Rockies. Monument Creek, Sand Creek and others feed into Fountain Creek and eventually into the Arkansas to the south. Cherry Creek and Kiowa Creek flow north out of the forest toward Denver and the Platte. The highest point in the forest is a little over 7,500 feet. That's about 1,000 feet above Colorado Springs to the south and 2,500 feet over Denver to the north. As a result, the ridge catches more precipitation than the high prairies that surround it. In spite of the rain, the ground is usually dry. It's composed mostly of a white gravel that drains quickly.

In the last week I've been able to spot a good number of wild flowers: Wild Roses, Piney Wood Geraniums, and Hare Bells predominate this time of year. I saw a few Colorado Columbine--always a treat, but not many. A few wild strawberries are out. I also have seen small white daisies, Mulein, Prairie Bells, Prairie Cone Flower, Tick Weed, Dog Bane, Flea Bane, Sweet Clover, Herbaceous Cinquefoil, a variety of wild Asters, and an abundance of several varieties of yellow flowers I was not able to identify.