A few years ago, I started a series of hikes around the Denver light rail system. The first year I hiked along the C line from Mineral Station in Littleton to the Auraria West Station in downtown Denver in station-to-station sections. The next year, I decided to hike around all the terminal stations (terminal = end of the line)...until Covid hit and I stopped using the RTD. I wasn't afraid of catching the virus. I didn't want to give it to a member of my family who would then be knocked out of work for a time. I completed all the hikes except one.
So last Sunday, I took the train to the last terminal in Thornton.
These hikes are not technical hikes. They're pure sightseeing. I go. I see. I take photos. And, now, I'll share the photos with you
The Arapahoe Marketplace Shopping Center is very near the summit of the eastern rim of the South Platte River valley, so it's a good place to view the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. I see that Mount Evans (the snow cap in the distance) is being renamed Mount Blue Sky due to the first governor of the Colorado Territory, John Evans', involvement with the Sand Creek massacre and other atrocities against Native Americans.
Arapahoe Marketplace is about halfway between our house and the nearest train station, Arapahoe at Village Center Station so I'm treated to this view whenever I leave the area and return.
The station is nestled between I25 and the cluster of buildings that make up Village Center and Fiddler's Green.
It's often my point of departure for day hikes.
The light rail offers some spectacular views of the Rockies throughout.
Union Station is the hub for the Regional Transportation District, RTD, and is a gateway to downtown Denver and it's many shops, restaurants, and other points of interest. The cables in the center of the photograph above are the suspension cables for the famous Millennium Bridge. It is a footbridge that spans a train yard. It's innovative design allows it to fit between a cluster of skyscrapers.
It's one of several interesting bridges in the area. Some of them are mentioned here in the January 13, 2019 blog.
The northern branches of the light rail system has newer trains that look more like traditional passenger trains. They're heftier, silver electric trains with larger capacities.
The Eastlake terminal is one of the newest on the light rail, servicing the Eastlake community of Thornton.
My hike destination was the East Lake Nature Reserve, which surrounds the lake that gives the community it's name. The area is short grass high plains. It's not very picturesque during the winter. The only wildlife I noticed was geese on the lake, but it looks like it might be a hotspot for birders during the warmer parts of the year.
Like most of the prairie, any trees will likely be around lakes and streams, or will be planted there by the inhabitants. The prominent vegetation is grass, which dies back in the winter to add to the thick, rich prairie soil. The scientific name for the soil is mollisol (mollis is Latin for soft, which, if you've ever had to dig a hole in prairie soil might seem a little ironic. Dead grass gives the dirt a tough, fibrous texture).
The bedrock is much the same as that where I live, Arapahoe/Dawson formation and colluvium. Of course it's covered by a thick cover of mollisol, so I didn't see any outcrops.
Longs Peak, one of the prominent mountains of the Rocky Mountain National Park, is visible from Eastlake Station. Much of the head waters of the Colorado River drains from it's slopes.
A last look at the Eastlake Station before heading back home.
Another view of Mount Blue Sky from the top of the hill at Arapahoe Road.
It was a good day for a hike, clear skies, and not very cold. People were out with their families. Overall, a nice last hike for my terminal hikes.
No comments:
Post a Comment