Horsetooth Rock, CO
One of the great things about Memorial Day Weekend—aside from being a tribute to America’s fallen heroes and having three days off work—is that one can almost count on gorgeous weather, especially here in northern Colorado. So to kick off the traditional start of the summer season, Leah and I went for a hike and had a picnic atop of an icon of Fort Collins—Horsetooth Rock.
Leah had a day pass for us, but by the early afternoon the parking lot was totally full. So instead of circling the lot or stalking pedestrians for another 10 minutes, we drove over to my buddy Nick’s house three-quarters of a mile away, parked in his driveway, and extended our hike by 1.5 miles. The hike was really pleasant with an abundance of wildflowers and birds, and at the top—where there surprisingly was no wind—we had our picnic while enjoying panoramic views of Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins and Masonville.
After the 6.5-mile hike with over 1,500 feet of elevation gain, we headed back down to the city where I totally schooled Leah in a couple rounds of mini-golf. I guess that is not the nicest thing to do to one’s girlfriend, but she looks so cute when defeated.
