Leaving Red Rocks Community College Station, I followed the service road along highway 6 over the hill (literally) to the cluster of highrises known as the Federal Center.
Along the way, I saw this bank where one of the small streams flowing out of the foothills had cut into the clay.
It shows a nice soil profile in the stuff that's been laid down by the creek. The dark band is material that's been washed down from the organic topsoil and has stuck in a layer of clay. Just below, it looks like there's a more chunky and less permeable layer that traps the dark material above it.
The rocks and soil here are the same kinds of stuff we have at Walnut Hills.
These pretty burrs, called teasel, are the kind of dried plants florists like to stick in autumn arrangements. They're pretty common in the Denver metro area
And speaking of Denver, this particular hill provides a good view of downtown Denver.
But I was still in the foothills and, looking back the other direction, I could see Green Mountain.
Most of the buildings in the Federal Center were businesses - dentists, lawyers, lots of restaurants, hotels, and the like. There are still some government offices but it looks like it's been some time since that was the main attraction here. There is the big St. Anthony's Hospital up the hill.
The station is at the edge of the Great Plains and affords an interminable view of...well, plains. I did notice that this station was a hub for bus lines to outlying areas like Conifer. Also, the Bustang, the Colorado Department of Transportation bus to other parts of Colorado, stops here. I'll keep that in mind.
The next section will be somewhat of a puzzle. Just past Federal Center Station is a snarl of multi-lane highways and industrial areas that I will have to navigate.
So... adventure.
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