Living Colorado Springs » Photos

Hoodoo Magic

Rick Van Wieren — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:08:07 +0000

I attended a funeral this afternoon that was kind of a bummer, so decided I needed some sunshine and fresh air. Thankfully, that is something you can get plenty of without going very when you live in Colorado Springs. I took a little hike at Austin Bluffs Park, just east of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (AKA CU Springs or UCCS). I took the trailhead of Rimwood Dr, and was out of breath by the time I cleared the ridge, but got some decent photos of the rock formations here. Hoodoos (sometimes called mushroom rocks) are pretty prevalent in this park.

There are some really nice neighborhoods that border this area, including the old University Park, the new University Park, Campus Bluffs, Campus Commons and some townhomes as well. Here are some sample listings that are currently active in the immediately adjacent areas, ranging in price from $200,000 to $500,000.

It was a really beautiful day today, in the mid 40’s and very sunny, and perfect for being outside. It felt good to be alive, living in Colorado Springs!

Pulpit Rock Park Is A Hidden Gem in Plain Sight

Rick Van Wieren — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:55:01 +0000

When you drive I25 in Colorado Springs, Pulpit Rock is a very clear and distinguishing landmark near where the new Costco is on North Nevada. What isn’t so obvious, is that it is actually part of a gorgeous (though pretty much undeveloped) park. The trailhead is actually pretty hard to find, on a frontage road right where Nevada merges onto the interstate heading north, not exactly where you’d expect it, and you can’t backtrack to it easily if you miss it. The reward is some pretty lightly travelled trails, magnificent vistas, breathtaking scenery, and the satisfaction of climbing to the top a pretty amazing rock formation. This is a great hiking and mountain biking place. You feel like the world (or at least Colorado Springs) is really at your feet from the top. Residents of the University Park, Erindale, Pulpit Rock and to a certain extent Garden Ranch subdivisions have the added benefit of being able to walk in from the north and east side of the park through neighborhood access points. UCCS (University of Colorado Colorado Springs) also borders the park.

I took a little exercise break yesterday afternoon (how much time can you spend in front of a computer at a time without going crazy?), and took these shots in the middle of the afternoon. I pretty much had the place to myself. It was a little cool (upper 30’s?) and sunny, but I was pretty warm once I started walking and climbing.

Palmer Park Makes Living in Colorado Springs Grand

Rick Van Wieren — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:37:00 +0000

When you are living in Colorado Springs, one of the first things you come to appreciate is that Colorado Springs has some really great parks. Among them is Palmer Park, located in the center of the city. Saturday (actually the whole weekend) the weather was so nice and mild (50’s) I had to get out and do a little light duty hiking, so Palmer Park was the place. This is a park with something for everybody, from a well equipped kids playground on the south side of the park, to a seemingly limitless selection of hiking and biking trails. The views from the top of this mesa in the middle of town are really amazing.

The following slideshow includes various shots either of Palmer Park, or taken from Palmer Park.