Hike Stats
Trails Traveled: Mule Deer Trail, Raccoon Trail at Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Difficulty: Blue (Moderate)
Type: Lollipop Loop
Distance: 5.3 miles / Elevation Gain: 1,023 feet
Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

• Partly Cloudy
• Breezy
• Panoramic Views
• Meadows
• Aspen
• Pine
• Wildflowers
• Birdsong

Wow! I was looking back at old hiking posts and I hadn’t posted a hike I finished since 2022! That is sad. Well, this hike was amazing! I haven’t been hiking as much as I used to, but I am hoping to change that this summer!

Our church typically has two “Sabbath Sundays” during the year when we don’t have church to give the staff and volunteers a week off as many of the people who volunteer only have off on Sundays those two weeks per year. We are encouraged to connect with the Lord and with others in different ways on those weekends. This year it fell on the day after Independence Day, the 5th of July. So after my morning smoothie and quiet time, I was excited to go enjoy the beautiful weather and the beautiful mountains here in Colorado, but I also planned to spend time along the hike praying and writing some poetry.

Those last two items were what made this hike amazing. Right after you leave the trailhead on this hike, you come into a wide meadow. There was a soft breeze blowing, and at that moment I felt God’s presence and his faint whisper to me. I should have left earlier in the morning to get on the trail and I was a bit frustrated about that, but that faint whisper of God changed everything.

I didn’t have anything else at all to do today. The kids were with their mom. Returning to work was a whole day away and most of my chores were done. I didn’t have any plans in the afternoon or evening. I had all day to do this hike. I was excited to maximize my time and not rush through the hike.

God’s urging at the start of this hike was: “Lean in. Enjoy this hike. Enjoy this time. Spend some time writing.”

So this five-ish mile hike became slow and deliberate instead of fast and focused like I might have done if I hadn’t slowed down and acknowledged God’s still, small voice.

I did write about six poems on the hike, which I hope to share this week. There were several times throughout the hike where I stopped and I listened. I listened to the wind blowing through the trees. I listened to the most beautiful birdsong. I have the Merlin app that can identify birdsong and tell you what kind of bird is making it and what it looks like. One of my poems I identify more than ten birds that I listened to produce the most beautiful symphony of sound in the forest, one of my favorite places to be. The meadows were full of beautiful wildflowers with their sweet scent. I even enjoyed a few Swallowtail butterflies fluttering about. I also got to take a few photos of what I saw and experienced, which may be featured with some of my poetry too. 😉

I feel like I spent so much time there and the hike was just two and half hours. It was so rejuvenating and helped to re-focus me on what matters most and what is so important to me.

Note to self: Anytime I get in a funk, I should schedule some time in the woods.

I hope you can find a place and a time to set aside where you can go get with God. In his beautiful creation, or wherever you find that you can most easily access His presence.