Omayra Acevedo, Peak to Peak. One of the greatest gift’s life can offer me, is that of great and true friendship. It’s amazing and almost miraculous (to me) to find someone you get along with and share a lot in common, but to find someone just as passionate about the out of doors as I am – well, it fills me with a sense of belonging, appreciation and honor. Jane, she was my hiking buddy on this hike and thanks to nature, our friendship took the next step. 

I’m not certain if it was the 30-pound backpack on my back – that carried my water, camera equipment, first aid kit and snacks – the abundance of wild flowers that instantly greeted me or the excitement that it was my first official hike of the Summer, but less than ten steps in and I was already out of breath. Wow! I’ve never felt so out-of-shape. Here goes nothing…

It had stormed the night before and I think this helped the smells of nature emerge with force. I couldn’t help but stop several times just to take a deep breath in. The scent of the wild is like a memory to my heart; comforting and unforgettable. Not only were there tons of rock formations, but we found ourselves bouldering to stay on the trail. When you go, don’t forget to stop every once in a while, to take in the views. 

Trees were growing out of rocks, wild flowers blooming, aspen leaves shimmering in the sunlight, fallen tree branches taking shapes of rainbows, the birds singing, the blue sky reminding us that the day is young and life is beautiful – this hike had it all. At one point we were so high, we could even see Slough Pond from the trail. Slough Pond is right off of Highway 46 as you enter the park from Gilpin County.  

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is where you can explore on the Black Bear Trail. Don’t forget to pay the park fee. It helps maintain the beauty of our colorful state and the $8-day fee is a lot cheaper than the citation you’ll receive for not having one. The trail begins at 8,200 feet above sea level at the Ralston Roost trail head. Elevation gain? 1,120 feet. Yes, it was a steady uphill climb and I can’t wait to do it again! Thanks to the beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a friendship went to Black Bear and Beyond.

For more information visit, https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/GoldenGateCanyon

Originally published in the July 11, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear. You can buy a low resolution, downloadable pdf of this paper at https://themtnear.com/product/2019-07-11/